While some seem to think it's hilarious that people mistrust the long term intentions of federal government in terms of gun control, it's important to remember that it does create an imbalance of power between the government and the governed. This image isn't from Vietnam or Afghanistan. This was a modern, western (European) democratic government, and many people who experienced it are still alive and well.
Hyperbole? Facebook propoganda? Aside from the inflammatory caption, Not exactly, no. Gun control inadvertently played directly into easing the nazis - a minority political group - into a position to leverage power beyond what an armed people would likely have tolerated.
It started in a familiar way - "common sense" registration laws in a time before the nazis took power. The German government and people in no way foresaw how these registered gun lists would eventually fall into the hands of a future despot to be used to disarm targeted citizens so they could be dealt with more easily.
What no honest American who simply cares about safety and common sense gun laws like @BvillePoker seems to think about is what a future government will do with these laws and how they will build on them. That's not a criticism of B'Ville. Just an observation that what Obama wants to do with our guns is completely irrelevant. He's eased the way for the next round of gun laws, that's all. What will an American regime 8 or 10 election cycles from now look like? Nobody knows, but are we really confident in the fact that it won't be some kind of left/right extremist who dispenses with congress, declares martial law and becomes emperor for real?
No, we are not likely in danger of a nazi regime anytime soon, but we are in a time of immense and rapid change. It's not fantasy or fiction to think such things could occur again some day, even here.
I realize far more went wrong for the powerful image above to exist than gun control, but it played it's part and the law of unintended consequences really went off the tracks in Germany.
And if you are of the opinion that armed masses are no match, head to head, to military aircraft, artillery etc. You are right. But an armed civilian resistance was key in WW2. Under-equipped, outnumbered but highly motivated para-military guerrilla armies have succeeded time and again in places like Afghanistan and Vietnam against super powers. I would much rather have the syskatine's of the world make fun of gun owners and their reasons for owning guns than for this country to need that kind of armed citizen someday and have them nowhere to be found.
Hyperbole? Facebook propoganda? Aside from the inflammatory caption, Not exactly, no. Gun control inadvertently played directly into easing the nazis - a minority political group - into a position to leverage power beyond what an armed people would likely have tolerated.
It started in a familiar way - "common sense" registration laws in a time before the nazis took power. The German government and people in no way foresaw how these registered gun lists would eventually fall into the hands of a future despot to be used to disarm targeted citizens so they could be dealt with more easily.
What no honest American who simply cares about safety and common sense gun laws like @BvillePoker seems to think about is what a future government will do with these laws and how they will build on them. That's not a criticism of B'Ville. Just an observation that what Obama wants to do with our guns is completely irrelevant. He's eased the way for the next round of gun laws, that's all. What will an American regime 8 or 10 election cycles from now look like? Nobody knows, but are we really confident in the fact that it won't be some kind of left/right extremist who dispenses with congress, declares martial law and becomes emperor for real?
No, we are not likely in danger of a nazi regime anytime soon, but we are in a time of immense and rapid change. It's not fantasy or fiction to think such things could occur again some day, even here.
I realize far more went wrong for the powerful image above to exist than gun control, but it played it's part and the law of unintended consequences really went off the tracks in Germany.
And if you are of the opinion that armed masses are no match, head to head, to military aircraft, artillery etc. You are right. But an armed civilian resistance was key in WW2. Under-equipped, outnumbered but highly motivated para-military guerrilla armies have succeeded time and again in places like Afghanistan and Vietnam against super powers. I would much rather have the syskatine's of the world make fun of gun owners and their reasons for owning guns than for this country to need that kind of armed citizen someday and have them nowhere to be found.
