Posted by
Jon on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 6:44:15 PM
If there could possibly be a theme to the news of the past week or so, it would have to be "Protect Our Children."
From my own state of Colorado, to Wisconsin, to Pennsylvania, these tragedies are simply beyond my ability to describe. It makes me heartsick just to dwell on the emotional aspects of the thing, much less try to rationalize what has happened.
Then you throw in the despicable behavior of former Congressman Foley, and you just shake your head... how is this all happening?
What's also depressing is the amount that political implications creep into my thoughts about all this... perhaps a tragic side-effect of starting my own blog. But, this week and this season will be inevitably bound up in politics. It is that season. So, what of it?
First, it seems almost inevitable that Democrats are going to overplay their hand in this thing... after all, Foley is gone, and reportedly in rehab. This scandal is unlike the previous Page Scandals, in that back then, Congressmen refused to step down, and the opposite party could raise all sorts of Cain about that. Back then, though, you had scandalous behavior on both sides of the aisle which balanced out, as it were. So at the margins today, you have to think that there will be a net benefit to the Democrat Party.
However, let's just see how they handle the school shootings. So far, I've been fairly surprised by the muted calls for more gun control from the Left. This post at the Volokh Conspiracy shows a fine example. Even in the linked-to article in the New York Times, we find the realization that gun rights are here to stay:
"It is neither possible nor tolerable to secure every school or guard every child. Nor is it possible or politically tolerable to keep tabs on every gun."
I will pass on this silly comment that it's not tolerable to secure every school, but that's a fascinating admission by the NYT on the political tolerability of keeping tabs on every gun, as they describe it. It's fascinating because you can tell that the writer is fairly bursting with the urge to run to the nearest window and scream "BAN ALL GUNS! BAN ALL GUNS!!!" but understands the political ramifications of doing so.
"Most gun owners are respectable, law-abiding citizens. But that is no reason to acquit the guns."
It's creeping in... that urge to blame the inanimate object. Sure, most people are fine, but guns... guns... they turn people into maniacs!!
If the Left in this country cannot control itself, they will call loudly for bans, just like in the 90s. Michael Moore probably already has cameras rolling. But, the NRA, along with it's members and sympathizers (like me), has been fairly dormant so far this campaign season. And just like in the 90s, millions of single-issue voters could go streaming to the polling places to flip the lever for Republicans, if they start to get concerned about about their Second Amendment rights, and if the NRA can mobilize its membership to action (recent history says that shouldn't be a problem).
Will the Dems show their true colors on the gun issue? That would more than offset any bump they get from the Foley debacle.
UPDATE (10/4): Told ya they'd overplay their hand!!