Now This Is Just Plain Stupid

I got another email, one of many, from "The Gun Guys" thppppt. Usually I read a sentence or two and then it's off to the trash bucket. This message was particulary stupid, so I decided to post it here for your stupification

Howdy Partners ,

Oh brother.

The gun lobby was thrilled to announce they had squeezed concealed weapons onto the lawbooks in Kansas (even though polls showed the majority of Americans wanted no such thing). And now, every business in the state has to be inconvenienced so the gun guys can get their unnecessary, and dangerous kicks.

Right, which "polls" were these? Dangerous? Prove that there's any additional danger posed by concealed pistols. It can't be done, and you don't do it. In fact, very good research can't find a mesureable difference in risk either way with concealed carry.

The NRA loves to brag lately that concealed weapons laws practically blanket the entire country-- by finagling and bullying lawmakers in almost every state, they've passed CCW laws almost everywhere. The only problem is, the majority of citizens, as polls show again and again, aren't in favor of CCW. Police are against it, because it means they have to deal with more firearms every day. And it's clear, as the shootings that happen every single day show, that concealed weapons means more violence across the nation.

There it is with the polls showing again and again. Which polls? It's clear that shootings every single day show that concealed weapons mean more violence across the nation? Like, huh? It's only clear to these people because that's the way they want it, even though their position is neither supportable nor true.

Most recently, the NRA passed a CCW law in Kansas (despite a Governor's veto, the NRA was able to convince legislators it was in their best interests to ignore what their citizens wanted). And now, the government is requiring every single business in Kansas to place a sign, at their door, saying that guns aren't wanted in their establishment.

Say what?!? I'll just leave it at that.

We sure thought the gun guys were against inconveniencing "law-abiding" citizens. But it's an awful lot of "inconveniencing" (not to mention time and money") for every single business in the state to have to find a sign, print it out, find a place for it, and make sure it stays up just to keep firearms out of their buildings. Just for trying to keep their visitors safe, Kansas is actually punishing their business owners with an extra task.

Keep their visitors safe, eh? So when an actual bad guy comes into your store while I'm there, without my sidearm, how are you going to keep me safe when he's trying to shoot me in the face, huh?

And it's not like the gun guys don't understand guns aren't safe to have around-- even on an NRA-pushed bill, guns aren't allowed in day care centers, schools, bars, government buildings, churches, or college campuses. But how is it that guns aren't allowed in those places, but they are allowed in malls, libraries, and retail stores? Do firearms magically become safer when they cross a certain threshold?

Now that's actually a good question. In Oregon and, unbelievable as it may seem, even in California, you can carry a gun in a public school if you have a concealed weapons permit. Guns should be allowed in those places. Here in my home state of Washington, we can carry in day care centers (I think??), churches, government buildings (except courthouses), and most college campuses. We get the shaft on elementary and high school carry.

Of course not. Concealed weapons are dangerous all the time, no matter where they're allowed or not. The NRA has done business owners in Kansas a disservice by requiring them to spend time and money protecting their customers against a CCW law, and they've done all citizens there an even bigger one by endangering them with a CCW law in the first place.

Now hold on a minute. There it is again, an unsubstantiated and unsupportable claim. Life is dangerous bucko, and your stupid signs aren't going to help. You miss the implied truth in your dumbass screed by failing to notice that a stupid sign is enough to keep a law abiding concealed weapons permit holder out of a private establishment. How is it that you never notice that it is a laughable joke to real criminals, who just march in, shove their knife, gun, or whatever in your face and take what they want. You and your ilk can have the sign, I'll go to the places that want my business and don't mind that I choose to protect myself from scumbag predators. Just make sure your sign is big enough to hide behind, and maybe make it bullet proof as well.