Have you seen this?
Stopping the spread of deadly assault weapons
I’m tired of trying to use reason to reach people on this issue. The redefining of the term “assault rifle” to suit the political agenda; the ignoring of data that shows weapons in the hands of private citizens actually leads to decreased crime rates and the simple fact that the weapon is an inanimate object and, thus, cannot ever be responsible for how it is used all seem to be lost on the people who simply want to disarm America. As a student of history, I understand where a power-hungry, control-obsessed government such as ours tends to go after it disarms its people, but that’s yet another rational point that the irrational simply cannot seem to grasp in connection to this issue. So, I thought I would try to explain this by telling you about a science fiction book I once read.
The book is about an artificial planet. It is a veritable nirvana: a testament to man’s ability to engineer his own destiny through the purposeful direction of his evolution. In this case, the artificial planet had a central intelligence (also artificial) which governed everything that happened on the planet’s surface. One of the primary functions of this artificial intelligence in the center of this artificial planet was to make sure there were no weapons on the planet. If the AI detected a weapon, it made that weapon “disappear.” The purpose was to “protect” the inhabitants of the planet. Thus, man had engineered a “violence free” environment where he could live in blissful peace.
Now, I forget how it happened, but a mercenary suddenly finds himself on this planet and, for whatever reason, he ends up in a series of confrontations. In one case, he uses a chair as a weapon and the AI makes the chair go away. Another time, I think the mercenary used a metal rod or pipe as a weapon, so the AI made that go away, too. This keeps up until, finally, the AI figures out that it is not the inanimate objects that are the weapon: it’s the mercenary, himself. At which point, the AI is faced with a conflict in its programming: either “protect” the person (i.e. the mercenary), or make the weapon go away (again, the mercenary). Ultimately, the AI did what all tyrants throughout history have always done: it made the mercenary “go away.”
See how easy it is to justify murder? I say that because I didn’t tell you a vital point of the story. You may have assumed that the mercenary started all the fights he was in where the AI made his weapon “go away,” but he didn’t. In the story, he was defending the people on the planet from those who had taken advantage of the fact that the Ai made weapons go away to control those people. You see, the mercenary was actually the “good guy,” but, because he was opposing the tyrants on the planet, the AI made him go away. But not to worry, it was in the name of “peace.” It’s always in the name of the greater good – always.
And THAT is the insanity of those who seek to rule over others. It is the same insanity in play with out self-appointed ruling elite now. This is what “gun control” is all about: making the true protectors “go away.”
The Rio Norte Line 
As to the reduction in crime as gun ownership increase, I believe you are correct.
The problem is one of statistics vs. perception, and yes, the media are guilty to an extent. But when a shocking event like Newtown occurs, statistics take a back seat to emotion.
It’s similar to the time a few years ago, when there was a spate of shark attacks on bathers in Florida waters. Experts rightly pointed out that the number of shark attacks that year was fairly small, but the concentration of such attacks in a localized area, and in such a short timespan, caused more panic and concern than the situation deserved.
I am not prepared to say whether the ban on assault weapons was effective or not, but the rate of violent crime in general, and murders in particular, has been on a downturn per capita over the last decade.
Senator Feinstein, who I am sure means well, would better serve her constituents by campaigning for longer sentences for violent offenders rather than against their means of self-protection.
Greg,
Agreed.
Spot on Greg. However, Senator Feinstein has been on this agenda for decades. I am pretty certain she knows the details you give. I am also pretty certain she does not care about those details. After all, her crusade endures ….
…..while she packs heat. At least she tried to help that oystering family.
Precisely Kells. Easy to legislate a gun ban when it would not apply to you.
Absolutely augger………it’s real easy to pass lots of laws if you can exempt yourself from their enforcement.
Augger is correct. We should NEVER “assume” that our leaders do NOT know the truth. rather, we should assume they ALWAYS know the truth. Yes, some will not — because they truly are ignorant dolts. But the majority know exactly what they are doing, and even the dolts are put where they are by those who know what they are doing.
Why the hello am I on the same wavelength as you? Real life is becoming stranger than fiction…….or mirroring it.
When I commented to silly Robert that the govt. knows more about you than you think (or words to that effect) he made a joke because he doesn’t believe me. Pity. He is wrong.
Kells,
Robert is wrong about a great many things, but he has the basic intelligence to figure things out — IF he tries. What he needs now is wisdom and that is much more difficult to acquire.
I wish you could remember the title of this book. I just watched two more episodes of this sci-fi movie, Resident Evil, with my son. You should watch those and see if you see what I see.
I could’ve sworn I had Plato’s Rupublic, but all I could find was Sophocles. I’m curious about Charlie’s take on Thrashmacallit (I can’t remember his name….)
I have Plato’s Republic 😉
I “think” the book was titled Northworld by David Drake, but I could be wrong. Sorry, it has been a long time, but the lesson of the book was seared into my memory because he presented it such stark fashion that it couldn’t be missed.
I’m positive I bought the book at Ageless Books or Books by the Sea. I just can’t find it. Perhaps it is because of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poeVOIdf4t0
Northworld, I know for a fact I do not possess.
“but he has the basic intelligence to figure things out — IF he tries”
No he doesn’t.
Augger,
Yes, he does. Where he deserves scorn and ridicule is that he intentionally remains ignorant. There is NO excuse for willful ignorance — none.
Of course there is no excuse for willful ignorance. I am not accusing him of willful ignorance though.
What I have asserted that he lives with a family who all share one single brain cell. His problem is, he never has it with him when he comes here.
Augger,
Ouch! 😉