The Million (Misguided) Mom March
5/7/2000

Last week, my son brought home a flyer (distributed at the Junior High School he attends) calling for further erosion of our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. It was full of misleading information.
 
Below is the text of the flyer (appropriately, in red) and my comments (in blue).


MOBILIZE
FOR COMMON SENSE
GUN LAWS

(There's a picture of a gun with flowers sprouting from the barrel. The gun has been scribbled out, apparently with a crayon. How about next time you are confronted by a criminal, you just scribble out his gun with a crayon, OK?)

MILLION MOM MARCH MOTHERS' DAY 2000TM

MMM Columbine. Jonesboro. Granada Hills JCC. Mt. Morris, Michigan.

Which shooter(s) obtained their firearms legally?

MMM 12 Children are killed by guns every day in this country.

From:
HCI Website
Children & Guns: A lethal Combination

Every day in America, 13 young people aged 19 and under are killed in gun homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings.

In 1996, 2,866 children and teenagers were murdered with guns, 1,309 committed suicide with guns, and 468 died in unintentional shootings. A total of 4,643 young people were killed by firearms.

4,643 / 364 = 12.755

From:
Center for Disease Control Stats for 1996:

Ages 0 - 19* Years
 
*NOTE: Including 18 & 19 year olds almost doubles the statistics.
(Feel free to knock 5.7 a day off the total if you think 18 & 19 year olds are adults. ref: CDC stats for ages 0 - 17)

Type of Death Per Year Per Day  

 

Homicide 2,836 7.79  

How many of this number is gang members, drug dealers and other criminals killing each other?
Suicide 1,309 3.60  

How many of this number would use other methods in lieu of a gun?
Unintentional 376 1.03  

 
Legal 30 0.08  

Why does HCI include this number with "Homicide"? Oh, yeah, I forgot, it's called "justifiable homicide".
Other 92 0.25  

 
Totals 4,643 12.75  

 

CDC stats for 1997 total 11.7/day. There's your 12 "children" killed by guns every day.

More than half of these statistics is represented by Homicide. Criminals do not obey the law. How will more gun laws do anything but inhibit victims from procuring a suitable means for defense from these criminals?

Suicide accounts for 25%. How will more gun laws prevent those bent on suicide from killing themselves?

Unintentional or accidental shootings represent a very small percentage, still, a child a day is unacceptable. Children need to be educated in the proper handling of firearms. How will more gun laws make parents teach their children firearm safety?

Legal shootings (self-defense), while a negligable amount, would be reduced further by more gun legislation. But factoring in the number of crimes thwarted by intended victims' guns that are never fired, how dramatically would this increase the "homicide" numbers?

Do you think a murderer, rapist or burglar would rather face an armed or unarmed victim?

MMM Since 1968, more Americans have been killed by guns on American soil than all the American soldiers killed in Vietnam, Korea, and both World Wars.

Strangely enough, 1968 is the very year we began regulating and restricting firearms purchases and possession for the law-abiding on a large scale. Odd, how the more restrictive their use becomes, the more guns seem to end up being used in the commission of crimes. (Gun laws don't stop criminals from using guns).

MMM While guns may be necessary for law enforcement, hunting and national security, nothing justifies easy access to unsafe guns.

I could not agree more. There are plenty of laws currently on the books to deal with people being irresponsible. Let's start enforcing them, and stop placing blame on inanimate objects.

MMM A majority of Americans want common-sense gun laws.

Again, I am inclined to agree. We are tired of our legislators coming up with laws that make no sense at all. Firearms are being banned at an alarming rate because of the way they look. Otherwise law-abiding citizens are being turned into criminals by default at the stroke of a pen.

MMM We can no longer be silent as lives, families, and communities are shattered by widespread gun violence.

Yes. Call and write your representatives. Make them aware that we will no longer tolerate intrusive and unconstitutional laws that serve only to make life easier for the criminal element in our society. We must hold the judicial system accountable when they release violent offenders early for "good behavior" or due to "overcrowding" in our prisons.

MMM We believe the following measures would save thousands of lives:

MMM Sensible "cooling-off" periods and background checks, before anyone may buy a firearm, anywhere and from any source.

People who kill in a fit of rage rarely take the time to shop for the instrument used to kill. People who are threatened, in most cases, don't have the luxury of a "cooling off" period and PFA's (Protection From Abuse orders) don't stop attackers. People who need to defend themselves never have the time to shop for a means of defense.

MMM Registration of all guns and licensing of gun owners, just like cars and drivers.

Just like cars and drivers? The death toll from cars and drivers is several times higher than that of guns, and cars are not intended to be weapons. This will also serve to do nothing more than make it more difficult to legally obtain or possess a firearm, thereby making life easier for criminals.

MMM Minimum safety standards, including built-in locks, childproofing, and loaded chamber indicators. Other consumer products must meet safety standards; why not guns?

Door and ignition locks, alarms and theft-deterrent systems do not prevent people from misusing automobiles, why would we believe that criminals would not be able to defeat gun locks, as well? The difference being, if you lose your car keys or have trouble unlocking the door, it's merely an annoyance, but that rapist, burglar or mugger isn't going to wait while you unlock your gun.

MMM Limiting handgun purchases to one-per-month, to foil gun trafficking.

Hello? Gun traffickers are not buying their guns legally. This would just be an inconvenience to collectors. Try limiting Beanie Baby collectors to one-per-month (they'll still get them - only now they'll be criminals).

MMM Strict enforcement of gun laws by federal, state, and local authorities.

Just like these so-called "hate crimes", crimes involving the use of firearms are already covered by existing law. Victims are no more dead from gunshots than they are from any other means of killing.

It goes on to beg for money, and on the back is a form to fill out to get on the bus for the trip to DC on May 14th.
I often wonder if these saps realize just exactly what it is that their benefactors have in store for us.
If they are successful, it's the train we'll be gettin' on.
 
Arbeit Macht Frei.
 
      -J

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William J. Morgan