Actually, I think Bateman succeeded brilliantly with his article. By writing a provocative piece, he was successful in generating extremist commentary all over the pro-gun community. Great. Like a trout on a fly.
Instead of pointing out how useless and extreme his 'solution' to violence is, and how beside the point it is to treating the real issues of lack of mental health care, and rampant poverty, we reply with d--- measuring and calls to civil war.
That might be great for folks recruiting for the extremist right wing, but to people on the outside looking in, who don't really care about guns but are afraid of violence, responses to Bateman make gun owners look like the stereotypes the media likes to portray.
If we want to preserve the 2nd A, we will need to approach people not normally reached by the pro-gun folks. Simple demographics.
When there's a call to ban guns due to inner city gang violence, we should call instead for a massive public jobs program.
When crazy men shoot up a mall, we should call for expanded mental health care.
Oh no! That means we can't make gun owning synonymous with Tea Party politics! We'll never do THAT. We'd rather lose the 2nd A .
Instead of pointing out how useless and extreme his 'solution' to violence is, and how beside the point it is to treating the real issues of lack of mental health care, and rampant poverty, we reply with d--- measuring and calls to civil war.
That might be great for folks recruiting for the extremist right wing, but to people on the outside looking in, who don't really care about guns but are afraid of violence, responses to Bateman make gun owners look like the stereotypes the media likes to portray.
If we want to preserve the 2nd A, we will need to approach people not normally reached by the pro-gun folks. Simple demographics.
When there's a call to ban guns due to inner city gang violence, we should call instead for a massive public jobs program.
When crazy men shoot up a mall, we should call for expanded mental health care.
Oh no! That means we can't make gun owning synonymous with Tea Party politics! We'll never do THAT. We'd rather lose the 2nd A .