[Bruce_the_vii]

Part of politics is the knee-jerk reaction the part population has to ideas and events. As a small "p" pol I don't really have the information to know how important this is to the political process. I'm posting to solicit opinions and best lines people have about this turbulent aspect of politics. All politicians have to deal with it, it's part of their job to speak to knee jerk opinion. I'm just fishing for peoples best lines on the problem.

[Proculation]

What's a 'knee jerk reaction' ?

[Bruce_the_vii]

Right, it's all a matter of opinion. However on a political forum with informed opinion such as CKA you'd think we are all familiar with extreme opinion. It's part of politics and I'm just fishing for some comments on the role this plays in the national life.

For example I talk politics with the people at work. I will have a one minute conversation with co-workers and customers to solicit what's on top of their mind, their best lines. A technician I work with who pays no attention to politics and is an avid hunter tells me he isn't going to vote for any party that is going to take his guns away. Registering a rifle has elevated to banning them in his mind. It seems to me the whole long gun registry is a bit over the top because all you do is give the police the serial number. However it's not popular. So I call it a knee jerk reaction.

[Proculation]

So it's an exaggerated and/or emotional reaction to a specific event ?

[DrCaleb]

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

Registering a rifle has elevated to banning them in his mind. It seems to me the whole long gun registry is a bit over the top because all you do is give the police the serial number. However it's not popular. So I call it a knee jerk reaction.

You are ignoring the fact that you have to surrender constitutional rights when you register guns under the current legislation. In order to register your car, would you give up your right to freedom of assembly? What if they made registration retroactive as well as manditory, so you couldn't opt out?

I would say that it is not a knee jerk reaction to that situation.

(and you don't send the serial #s to police, they go to a government agency)

Do you have any other examples? I am fond of the calls for gun bans when someone is killed with a gun, but silence when somone drowns in a pool, or gets killed in a crosswalk, or gets killed with a knife.

That's a knee jerk reaction.

[Bruce_the_vii]

I think I screwed up my post. I'm talking about mass emotional reaction to political ideas, not knee jerk response by individuals. Let me explain.

In the UK at this time there is a political scandal around News of the World. However earlier a discredited editor from there was hire by PM Cameron as his PR representative. The PM hired a guy that had been forced to quit, one Andy Coulson. The Economist describes the situation as this "Alone in Mr. Cameron's rarefied inner circle, Mr. Coulson offered Mr. Cameron a gut feel for the popular mood." I find it extremely interesting that the inner circle is not well versed in street politics. How's your street politics? I call myself an activist and work on my street politics all the time, trying to get a hold of what people think on issues. I don't really understand the rifle thing.

[BartSimpson]

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

Registering a rifle has elevated to banning them in his mind.

Then you're not paying attention and your coworker is.

In the UK three successive registration schemes were followed by outright confiscation in 1997.

In Australia their 'common sense registration' scheme was followed by one of the most repressive set of gun laws in the world that effectively bans pellet guns, BB guns, airsoft, paintball, and even some cap guns.

In the USA the registration schemes in New York, Chicago, and Washington DC were followed by seizures and bans and the Clinton 1994 'Assault Weapons' ban was followed by a second proposal to confiscate registered arms.

Registration is and has consistently been a first step towards confiscation in absolutely every jurisdiction in which it has been implemented in the past century.

[Bruce_the_vii]

BartSimpson wrote:

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

Registering a rifle has elevated to banning them in his mind.

Then you're not paying attention and your coworker is.

In the UK three successive registration schemes were followed by outright confiscation in 1997.

In Australia their 'common sense registration' scheme was followed by one of the most repressive set of gun laws in the world that effectively bans pellet guns, BB guns, airsoft, paintball, and even some cap guns.

In the USA the registration schemes in New York, Chicago, and Washington DC were followed by seizures and bans and the Clinton 1994 'Assault Weapons' ban was followed by a second proposal to confiscate registered arms.

Registration is and has consistently been a first step towards confiscation in absolutely every jurisdiction in which it has been implemented in the past century.

Perhaps, but I doubt banning hunting rifles would ever be politically do able. But thanks for the information.

[martin14]

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

BartSimpson wrote:

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

Registering a rifle has elevated to banning them in his mind.

Then you're not paying attention and your coworker is.

In the UK three successive registration schemes were followed by outright confiscation in 1997.

In Australia their 'common sense registration' scheme was followed by one of the most repressive set of gun laws in the world that effectively bans pellet guns, BB guns, airsoft, paintball, and even some cap guns.

In the USA the registration schemes in New York, Chicago, and Washington DC were followed by seizures and bans and the Clinton 1994 'Assault Weapons' ban was followed by a second proposal to confiscate registered arms.

Registration is and has consistently been a first step towards confiscation in absolutely every jurisdiction in which it has been implemented in the past century.

Perhaps, but I doubt banning hunting rifles would ever be politically do able. But thanks for the information.

Or perhaps you just don't want to see it.

[BartSimpson]

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

I doubt banning hunting rifles would ever be politically do able.

Now you're just being willfully ignorant.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-s ... er-weapons