{"id":29,"date":"2013-04-16T16:56:59","date_gmt":"2013-04-16T16:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.williamrussell.net\/?p=29"},"modified":"2013-04-16T16:56:59","modified_gmt":"2013-04-16T16:56:59","slug":"protecting-our-rights-to-protect-our-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.williamrussell.net\/?p=29","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Our Rights to Protect Our Children"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/font><\/font>Originally <\/font>Posted 12\/16\/2012<\/font><\/i><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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\n<\/font><\/font><\/font>Everyone should be appalled at the killings which occurred in
\nConnecticut yesterday. There is nothing more evil than a person who
\nwould harm innocent children – whether out of hate for an individual or
\ngroup, or for an ideology. A prayer for the victims and mourning
\nfamilies is the appropriate first response.  <\/font>The second response should be to make sure it never happens again. <\/font><\/p>\n


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There
\nis no question that firearms were involved. We will all learn more
\nabout the types of weapons, how they were used, and when and where they
\nwere purchased.  <\/font>But less than 24 hours after the attack on
\nthe kindergarten class the battle lines for the fight over gun control
\nand gun rights are being drawn. The mayors of New York, Boston, Seattle,
\nand the Governor of New York are demanding national level action from
\nthe President to implement control over guns. Film maker Michael Moore
\nwas quoted in a tweet of <\/font>\u201cThe
\nNRA hates freedom. They don\u2019t want you to have the freedom to send your
\nchildren to school & expect them to come home alive.\u201d<\/i>  <\/font>President
\nObama\u2019s tearful press conference yesterday signaled his emotional
\nintent to support any and all measures to take guns out of the hands of
\nlaw abiding citizens. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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Gun
\nowners and rights advocates have been countering on websites, citing
\nthe same day school attack in China in which an assailant stabbed 22
\nchildren with a knife, or where to quickly stock up on ammo and
\ndiscussions about what point they are willing to go to before they give
\nup their guns. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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One
\nof the things gun owners and gun rights advocates have to accept is
\nthat the emotional arguments over protecting children will always beat
\nout any argument about a right to own guns. The images of parents
\ngrieving for their lifeless children will always trump any statistical
\nargument on crime or gun ownership, as well as any argument involving
\n\u201ccold dead hands\u201d bravado.  <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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As
\nthe media ramps up for this fight, every effort will be made to show
\ngun owners as the emotional children in the argument, selfishly guarding
\ntheir dangerous toys. Gun owners and advocates need to learn to make
\narguments which are both intellectual and emotional. We have to be able
\nto reach mothers and fathers who may be afraid of guns and make them
\nunderstand that gun owners are people who love their families and feel
\nthe same fear of criminals and the carnage they havoc. We need to answer
\nwith words and pictures conveying logic that speaks to the hearts of
\nthose who fear guns. We need to help the sheep distinguish between the
\nwolves and the sheepdogs. — The sheep have a vote in whether the
\nsheepdogs are forced to wear muzzles and\/or get defanged.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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We
\nmust recognize that we will be up against the professional film makers
\nof Hollywood who are experts at producing images which tug at the
\nemotional heart strings while mocking the values we hold dear. Rob
\nReiner has been at this for over 40 years. Remember how Archie Bunker
\nwas portrayed in the 1970\u2019s arguing against gun control: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CLjNJI54GMM. 
\n<\/a><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n


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The Gun Control arguments are coming: <\/font>\"\"<\/p>\n

We must use words which counter the Archie Bunker stereotype.  <\/font>Here
\nare some decently worded arguments to convey that disarming law abiding
\ncitizens is not the answer in a way that is less brash for
\ntenderhearted: <\/font><\/p>\n