RaleighReloader
Well-Known Member
A few more thoughts about this.
One of the things that the news media and Democrats have done an exception job of (but Republicans are quickly catching the disease too) is the idea that WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!! ANYTHING!!!!
And the evidence for this is pretty clear. So-and-so sends a tweet and it's front page news. News headlines are full of "so-and-so blasts so-and-so ...". The time for thoughtful discourse never arrives because everyone is immediately busy screaming and shouting "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!", and hyper-reactivity takes over. That, combined with stupid rhetoric like "make America great again" is a recipe for complete and utter calamity.
The border wall is a great example. As an immigrant I probably know more about the process of actually immigrating than 99% of the people screaming for a border wall (many of whom probably don't even have a passport). Which is not to say that it isn't a problem (because illegal immigration is), but thoughtful analysis of the situation suggests that there are other solutions that will be far more effective. And aside from the immediate question of illegal immigration, I'd challenge anyone to show me how clear the path is to lawful immigration. When my ex and I went through it almost 20 years ago, it was an impassable hurdle of various disjointed bureaucracies, ever-changing rules (many of which don't coordinate well with other rules from other agencies), unhelpful people at the various agencies that can dispense no meaningful information, and a phalanx of immigration attorneys that don't even agree with each other on how to correctly apply the law. If it was that hard for two college educated people who speak English as their first language, I can't imagine what it's like for someone that doesn't have those things.
(And before someone asks ... I'm a lawful citizen, and I take my citizenship seriously. I vote in every election, I pay my taxes with unfailing honesty, and I give back to my community. I stand up for the Constitution and the law even when it makes me unpopular. As do many immigrants.)
This same hyper-reactivity infests our gun politics right now. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!! is the shrill cry of every Democrat, all lining up with model legislation from Michael Bloomberg's collection of anti-gun groups. And honestly, conservatives are doing a terrible job of countering that. MAGA and the Trump war against reality means that the rhetoric has been reduced to a bunch of third graders arguing in a sandbox.
There are thoughtful and intelligent arguments to be made to protect gun rights, but people who claim to support gun rights have to stop acting like Trump and his ilk. Trump is already losing the battle, and anyone that thinks otherwise has a little too much cognitive dissonance between their ears to be reasoned with.
Mike
One of the things that the news media and Democrats have done an exception job of (but Republicans are quickly catching the disease too) is the idea that WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!! ANYTHING!!!!
And the evidence for this is pretty clear. So-and-so sends a tweet and it's front page news. News headlines are full of "so-and-so blasts so-and-so ...". The time for thoughtful discourse never arrives because everyone is immediately busy screaming and shouting "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!", and hyper-reactivity takes over. That, combined with stupid rhetoric like "make America great again" is a recipe for complete and utter calamity.
The border wall is a great example. As an immigrant I probably know more about the process of actually immigrating than 99% of the people screaming for a border wall (many of whom probably don't even have a passport). Which is not to say that it isn't a problem (because illegal immigration is), but thoughtful analysis of the situation suggests that there are other solutions that will be far more effective. And aside from the immediate question of illegal immigration, I'd challenge anyone to show me how clear the path is to lawful immigration. When my ex and I went through it almost 20 years ago, it was an impassable hurdle of various disjointed bureaucracies, ever-changing rules (many of which don't coordinate well with other rules from other agencies), unhelpful people at the various agencies that can dispense no meaningful information, and a phalanx of immigration attorneys that don't even agree with each other on how to correctly apply the law. If it was that hard for two college educated people who speak English as their first language, I can't imagine what it's like for someone that doesn't have those things.
(And before someone asks ... I'm a lawful citizen, and I take my citizenship seriously. I vote in every election, I pay my taxes with unfailing honesty, and I give back to my community. I stand up for the Constitution and the law even when it makes me unpopular. As do many immigrants.)
This same hyper-reactivity infests our gun politics right now. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!! is the shrill cry of every Democrat, all lining up with model legislation from Michael Bloomberg's collection of anti-gun groups. And honestly, conservatives are doing a terrible job of countering that. MAGA and the Trump war against reality means that the rhetoric has been reduced to a bunch of third graders arguing in a sandbox.
There are thoughtful and intelligent arguments to be made to protect gun rights, but people who claim to support gun rights have to stop acting like Trump and his ilk. Trump is already losing the battle, and anyone that thinks otherwise has a little too much cognitive dissonance between their ears to be reasoned with.
Mike