Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - American conservatives are preparing for an armed revolution

Walt · 08-13-2009, 11:43 AM

I’m not a fan of gun owners being labeled as extremists…or even conservatives. I don’t consider myself either though I do own firearms and agree with some conservative principles.

The recent explosion in gun sales isn’t indicative of any collective effort to arm a revolutionary militia. Rather, it’s in response to the current administrations gun control rhetoric. President Obama has repeatedly stated that he is in favor of renewing the 1994 assault weapons ban as well as enacting other far reaching gun control measures. Gun enthusiasts are simply responding by buying what they can, while they can.

This imminent national threat from right-wing radicals seems to be a bit blown out of proportion. The fair and unbiased media seems to be focusing on a select few extremists who have mentally created a scenario in which armed government officials go door to door, forcibly taking away privately owned guns. I would venture a guess that most of these people are living unremarkable lives. Creating an enemy in the government gives them a cause in which they can play the role of the lone hero. Owning firearms is a necessity, then as it gives these select few a legitimacy that they would otherwise be without – kinda like North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.

The only realistic way for the government to confiscate private firearms is through a long series of small legislative acts. These acts would have to make it so hard and expensive to own a firearm, that folks would have no choice but to give them up. Because of the cyclical nature of politics, I don’t see this scenario ever playing out in full.

I’m guess that the reason that people were willing to hand over their weapons during Katrina was simply because they were scared. They were scared and believed that the government would help them if they surrendered to its demands. I can’t see people willingly giving up their firearms unless they were under extreme duress. They would need to be motivated by the kind of fear that’s created in a “holy shit, the worlds gonna end!” disaster.

We all suffered massive invasions of privacy under the previous administration. Yes, there was outrage but there was also a lack of violence in the form of an uprising. Electronic surveillance is a vague idea for most, leaving those who were upset no tangible villain.

Dk nailed it when he talked about drawing a line in the sand. Political ideology aside, there are more than a few average citizens out there who are willing to fight and die should armed government officials come into their home and demand that they hand over their legally owned firearms. Being willing to go down swinging over a hunk of steel and wood may sound silly and overly dramatic to some. To others, it’s a matter of principle.

08-13-2009, 11:43 AM	#128 (permalink)
Walt I'm calmer than you are, dude Location: North Carolina	I’m not a fan of gun owners being labeled as extremists…or even conservatives. I don’t consider myself either though I do own firearms and agree with some conservative principles. The recent explosion in gun sales isn’t indicative of any collective effort to arm a revolutionary militia. Rather, it’s in response to the current administrations gun control rhetoric. President Obama has repeatedly stated that he is in favor of renewing the 1994 assault weapons ban as well as enacting other far reaching gun control measures. Gun enthusiasts are simply responding by buying what they can, while they can. This imminent national threat from right-wing radicals seems to be a bit blown out of proportion. The fair and unbiased media seems to be focusing on a select few extremists who have mentally created a scenario in which armed government officials go door to door, forcibly taking away privately owned guns. I would venture a guess that most of these people are living unremarkable lives. Creating an enemy in the government gives them a cause in which they can play the role of the lone hero. Owning firearms is a necessity, then as it gives these select few a legitimacy that they would otherwise be without – kinda like North Korea and its nuclear weapons program. The only realistic way for the government to confiscate private firearms is through a long series of small legislative acts. These acts would have to make it so hard and expensive to own a firearm, that folks would have no choice but to give them up. Because of the cyclical nature of politics, I don’t see this scenario ever playing out in full. I’m guess that the reason that people were willing to hand over their weapons during Katrina was simply because they were scared. They were scared and believed that the government would help them if they surrendered to its demands. I can’t see people willingly giving up their firearms unless they were under extreme duress. They would need to be motivated by the kind of fear that’s created in a “holy shit, the worlds gonna end!” disaster. We all suffered massive invasions of privacy under the previous administration. Yes, there was outrage but there was also a lack of violence in the form of an uprising. Electronic surveillance is a vague idea for most, leaving those who were upset no tangible villain. Dk nailed it when he talked about drawing a line in the sand. Political ideology aside, there are more than a few average citizens out there who are willing to fight and die should armed government officials come into their home and demand that they hand over their legally owned firearms. Being willing to go down swinging over a hunk of steel and wood may sound silly and overly dramatic to some. To others, it’s a matter of principle. __________________ Calmer than you are...