The post-Newtown witch hunt

By Michelle Malkin
December 19, 2012
09:29 AM



In the aftermath of the horrific Newtown school massacre, Americans from all parts of the political spectrum agree that we need to pay more attention to mental health issues. Public death threats and incitements to violence must be taken seriously. The incendiary witch hunt against law-abiding, peaceful gun owners is neither noble nor effective. It’s just plain insane.

Over the past week, I’ve witnessed a disturbing outbreak of off-the-rails hatred towards gun owners and 2nd amendment groups. Whatever your views on guns, we can all agree: The Newtown, Conn., gunman was a monster who slaughtered his own mother, 5 heroic educators, and 20 angel-faced schoolchildren. He ignored laws against murder. He bypassed Connecticut’s strict gun control regulations and he circumvented the Sandy Hook Elementary School’s security measures. Every decent American is horrified and heartsick by this outbreak of pure evil.

But tens of millions of law-abiding men and women own and use guns responsibly in this country. The cynical campaign to demonize all armed men and women as monsters must not go unanswered. What’s most disturbing is that the incitements are coming from purportedly respectable, prominent, and influential public figures.

Consider the rhetoric of University of Rhode Island Professor Erik Loomis. He teaches “U.S. environmental history, the Civil War, late 19th and early 20th century America, labor history, and the American West” in the university’s history department. Online, however, Professor Loomis is a militantly unhinged foe of all things conservative.

This week, the nutty professor took to Twitter to rail against law-abiding gun owners and the National Rifle Association. “Looks like the National Rifle Association has murdered some more children,” Professor Loomis fumed. “Now I want Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick,” he added. (LaPierre is Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the NRA.) Professor Loomis was just warming up.

“F**k the National Rifle Association and its policies to put crazy guns in everyone’s hands,” Professor Loomis tweeted. “You are g*dd*mn right we should politicize this tragedy. F**k the NRA. Wayne LaPierre should be in prison,” he spewed. “Can we define NRA membership dues as contributing to a terrorist organization?”

If all that wasn’t clear enough, Professor Loomis also re-tweeted the following message from a fellow left-winger: “First f**ker to say the solution is for elementary school teachers to carry guns needs to get beaten to death.”

When the conservative group Campus Reform called attention to the craziness, Professor Loomis whined about a “right-wing intimidation campaign.” Sane university professors shook their heads. University of Tennessee law professor and blogger Glenn Reynolds explained the anti-NRA syllogism at work:

“(1) Something bad happened; (2) I hate you; so (3) It’s your fault. This sort of reasoning has played out in all sorts of places over the past century, with poor results. One would expect a history professor to know better.”

Unfortunately, Professor Loomis is not alone. Famed author Joyce Carol Oates also took to Twitter to blame the entire membership of the NRA for one evil-doer’s massacre. “Another NRA-sponsored massacre for Christmas 2012,” Oates wrote. She then accused any politicians who supported the NRA of “felony homicide.” And then she mused hopefully for mass shootings against the NRA: “If sizable numbers of NRA members become gun-victims themselves, maybe hope for legislation of firearms?” Shockingly, actress Marg Helgenberger of the TV show “CSI” cheered her on: “One can only hope, but sadly I don’t think anything would change.”

In Texas, state Democratic Party official John Cobarruvias threw fuel on the fire. Cobarruvias is the Democratic Party precinct chair in Houston, Texas, and holds a seat on the Texas State Democratic Party’s Executive Committee. On his Twitter feed, Cobarruvias labeled the NRA a “domestic terrorist organization” and called for the assassination of NRA leaders and supporters: “Can we now shoot the #NRA and everyone who defends them?”

So, it’s come to this: Advocating beheadings, beatings, and mass murder of peaceful Americans to pay for the sins of a soulless madman. But because the advocates of violence fashion themselves champions of non-violence and because they inhabit the hallowed worlds of Hollywood, academia, and the Democratic Party, it’s acceptable?

Blood-lusting hate speech must not get a pass just because it comes out of the mouths of the protected, anti-gun class.

***
The post-Newtown witch hunt
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2012

http://michellemalkin.com/

I have a couple thoughts here

the first one is if american children gunned down by another american isnt worthy of being 'politicized' , what is?

the second one is that anytime there is a tragedy in the news, there is a period where opinions and media and pundits focus on it in their discussions


,,this is nothing new, and nothing wrong in my opinion,,,its worhty of the discussion and the emotional responses, these were children and we have alot of parents in this country


as a christian, I recall all the pushback over the dnc not metnioning God in a document

as a female, I recall the pushback when Limbaugh called a young woman a slut for using birth control


,,,its great we are in a country where these things DO matter enough to make the same amount of press as the latest celebrity breakup


just my two cents,,,,

NBP is scum and deseve to be disarmed.

How do you decide who should be armed and disarmed?

as soon as the NRA is,,,,

Foolish is as foolish does....you can't fix stupid!...even with a mandate or law!

The problem is mental illness and scapegoating. Someone is always to blame except the person who commits the crime in order to push a political agenda.

Well to hear tell, gun toting makes you invincible, so they can't cry about this.

And the belief a gun makes you more powerful is actually a mental issue that should make them unable to get one.

More and more guns is not a solution, it is craziness.

Anyone who DOESN'T believe a gun makes you more powerful obviously has no connection to reality and therefore has a serious mental problem. Fortunately it's a self-correcting problem with respect to guns, as anyone who doesn't believe a gun makes you more powerful is (fortunately for us all) unlikely to bother trying to obtain one.



Craziness is a solution? (Frankly, I'd be inclined to think more & more guns is.)

When only cops and criminals have guns the USA will become like every Mexican border town with civilians caught in the crossfire as local gangs take over!

gun control WILL happen but only with responsible legislation that is not party to extremists on either side. the problem with the OP is that it is reactionary. I have seen nothing depicting responsible owners of - say - a couple hunting rifles - as monsters. what I have seen is level headed discussion on the need for control and legislation regarding assault weapons.

I've seen no one advocate abolishing legal arms for citizens.

that is completely insane

What is...the humour or his ideas?...If the former, I'll take it as a compliment...if the latter, I have to agree with you.

If you think denying US citizens the right to buy assault weapons like grenade launchers, bazookas & submachine guns is the answer, then you are advocating treason against the US Constitution.

as..............Never let a good Crisis go to waste?

Why I Carry a Gun

My old grandpa said to me, "Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an *** whoopin'."

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so thatI don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to Heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun becauseI love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.


"Police Protection" is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime; they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess. Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an *** whoopin'.
... author unknown

Something to consider carefully.

"As the Founding Fathers knew well,
a government that does not trust its honest, law-abiding,
taxpaying citizens with the means of self-defense
is not itself worthy of trust.
Laws disarming honest citizens proclaim that the government is the master,
not the servant, of the people."

-- Jeff Snyder

I carry a gun because I am scared of everything in other words.

Should your life ever become imperiled, who do you call? The police? Why?

BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE FIREPOWER TO PROTECT YOU!

The problem with that is, their major function is investigating crime and only a small part is prevention!

Your call puts their lives in peril because you are too afraid and unable to protect yourself or any who depend on you!

Your wish to take away my ability to protect my family to the best of my ability is appalling to me! You wish me to carry one to defend your freedom or our country, but not that of my family?

It is mindless stupidity that allows only criminals to have these guns!

Willowdraga,
why do you lock your doors at night?

What would you do in the event of a home invasion?