And why do you think they spike in the wake of a shooting like that in Aurora, Colorado, or in Littleton, Colorado?
Per this article, they spike because the People fear what the politicians might do. So, it isn't so much the shooter and his or her carnage that pushes up the sale of firearms and ammo. It is more the politicians, like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.♠ See, people do pay attention to what politicians say.
On the other hand, the President and his main challenger have been very measured in their reactions.
Hat tip to Ann Althouse.
Regards — Cliff
♠ It was when the Mayor was on the CNN Piers Morgan show. Mr Morgan is an ignorant Englishman who does not understand our culture, but sees fit to lecture us on who we should be. I assume he has a model in his own mind. I hope it isn't the French.
I think mayors tend to over react to the gun issue because they want their police forces to have clear firepower superiority.
ReplyDeleteI'm not happy with the militarization of municipal cops. They are not as well trained or as disciplined as DOD personnel. Plus, they are allowed no "dwell time" and likely suffer from PTSD.
Fully Agree.
ReplyDeleteAnd, they don't seem to observe crew rest.
Regards — Cliff
One need only to look to Maslow for the answer. Security is the dominant need in that unless we feel secure, the other levels of needs will go unaddressed or at least under-addressed. I don't know about a historical backdrop, but I would venture that today, there is a gnawing sense of insecurity....brought about for a plethora of reasons. There is a realization that there are lots of folks "out there" who want to take things that don't belong to them, up to and including life itself. And so, folks do what they think they need to do in order to be secure. Too often, the police are not effective in stopping crime and that only exacerbates the feeling of insecurity. One of my favorite lines is "The reason I carry a gun is that a cop is simply too heavy." Moreover, if someone is breaking into your house...or threatening to assault you, the need is NOW....not when the police are able to respond.
ReplyDeleteRightly or wrongly, arming oneself is a response that has gained in popularity.
I might add that there is a growing distrust of the government throughout the land...and thus the growth of the castle doctrine....with a siege mentality to go with it.
Make folks feel secure....and safe....and guns go away.
At a post Christmas church service, a friend asked me what I got from Santa and I told him I got a Glock. Three little old gray haired ladies in the pew in front of us smiled with twinkles in their eyes as they opened their purses, each revealing 9 mm Glocks.
I rest my case.