Frederick News Post Editorial

[bmkoenig]

A short piece from the FNP editorial page. I like the author's opinion that legislation by emotion is dangerous.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=144701

 

[DaemonAssassin]

Considering that the FNP is a little bit farther to the left than I like, I'm surprised they even let that get published.

 

[Justler]

Good article, which is not usually the norm for the FNP.

 

[Ranchero50]

Marta Mossburg is a senior fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute. She lives in Baltimore County. mmossburg@mdpolicy.org

Nicely written and I hope saner heads prevail.

I always felt that knee jerk responses were the result of those responsible's failures.

 

[BigCity]

Marta is a semi-regular on WBAL radio. I don't believe she would be considered a progressive by any means.

 

[jonnyl]

A very key talking point:

Banning so-called assault weapons will not prevent people like Adam Lanza from getting guns any more than current laws stop criminals from buying weapons illegally. A ban does run the risk, however, of giving members of Congress and Americans a false sense of security that the issue is solved and evil can be eliminated through legislation.

The other risk (that wouldn't be politically correct to talk about of course) is that it's a slippery slope. Scary Semi autos and "assault magazines"* -> all semi-auto rifles -> semi auto pistols -> "sniper" rifles -> revolvers and shotguns ->scary knives -> large kitchen knives -> Welcome to the UK.

* Assault Magazines - a brand new term I heard on the news last night.

 

[r3t1awr3yd]

Great, great article.

 

[BenL]

I sent her a quick email of support and appreciation.

Ms. Mossburg,

I read, with great interest, your editorial in the Fredrick News Post entitled, "A Solution That Can't Fix the Problem" and wanted to send a quick email of appreciation for your level-headed approach to the issue at hand.

Unfortunately, most in the media choose to overlook vital pieces of information when it comes to the facts of this heartbreaking tragedy. The reality is that Connecticut has an assault weapons ban and that law did nothing to protect those children. The criminal, who had a long history of mental illness, obtained the firearms unlawfully. However, for some inexplicable reason, Feinstein, Bloomberg, and their ilk don't understand (or don't want to understand) that the laws they desire only serve to disarm law-abiding citizens.

I am not naive enough to believe that I know the solution, nor naive enough to believe there may even be a solution. Sometimes, evil men will do evil things, and if determined, there is little that can be done to stop them. I do know that taking away law-abiding citizens' second amendment rights, and with that the ability to stop that evil, is not the answer.

Thanks again,

(BenL)

 

[pcfixer]

One sane young lady.

 

[Darkemp]

A short piece from the FNP editorial page. I like the author's opinion that legislation by emotion is dangerous.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=144701

Comment added to the page.

 

[Darkemp]

Comment added to the page.

I don't know why I get in these arguments, but I enjoy it so. I'm debating a libtard on their comments page now.

 

[dlmcbm]

I don't know why I get in these arguments, but I enjoy it so. I'm debating a libtard on their comments page now.

LOL I figured I would find you here. Thanks for the help on the AR part.

 

[Justler]

I posted a few and linked some FBI reports. Many of the active posters on FNP are liberal (I have some liberal leanings as well), but much of our area supports gun rights and has many active hunters and shooters... although they will never likely post on the FNP .

 

[Mobile]

A voice of reason in a storm of hysterical emotion... laws passed in the heat of passion are rarely good.

 

[dblas]

I just posted the CATO white paper link on the number of times/year firearms are used for defensive purposes.

DB

 

[Justler]

I think after we get past the heated emotion in the discussion portion we can get to some real facts in there and the biggest thing that helps I think is actually explaining some of these rifles to people. We all know that an AR15 functions the same in how it fires as handguns and non-regulated hunting rifles but anti-gun people and people that are only arguing on emotion have no idea that the AR15 functions the same way but is just dressed in military looking clothes.

Here we had a woman who thought automatic weapons were used that can fire 700 rounds per minute. She straight out wants to ban them right away with no discussion. We spend a little bit of time and explain that AR15s and other military looking rifles we can actually buy are the same as hunting rifles in functionality and she starts to ask what we can really do to curb violence. This is our opening.

 

[Mobile]

People just hear "assault weapon" and think "bad." Best strategy points in my opinion, take the scare out of these guns

Most important points:

1. They are not machine guns, they fire one shot at a time

2. Assault weapons ban outlawed features like pistol grips that have no bearing on a crime like we saw in CT; any gun is deadly when your victims are defenseless and taken by surprise. A CA legal rifle with 10 round limit wouldn't have made a difference.

3. They do not fire some type of super-lethal ammunition; they fire the same ammunition as their "sporting" counterparts.

4. Mag capacity, the only functional difference, in MD is limited to 20 rounds. That is really not a very high number. A 9mm police sidearm can be expected to hold 15, for example.

If you can communicate all that to a person on the fence, then I think there's a chance for reason to prevail.

 

[dlmcbm]

I really do think that we may have at least opened one persons eyes a little. She was looking at stats and asking good questions for someone that really did not know much about the situation. Even if she still sides the same way in the end at least she did take the time to learn more about it.

 

[Mr H]

Marta is a semi-regular on WBAL radio. I don't believe she would be considered a progressive by any means.

Agree...

If anything, she's closer to a Ron Smith Conservatarian.

 

[Mr H]

Just read it... Short, to the point, effective.

Interesting that the banner ad reads "Tell Congress: Support the 2nd Amendment"...