US Sacred Cows under nine feet of water...

[major_clanger]

Possibly, just possibly, the aftermath of Katrina might convince a few people that in fact an armed society is not a polite society - certainly not after it comes under any amount of strain.

Or am I being too optimistic again?

Comments

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Write some punchy analysis and see if you can get it published in the relevent sections of the USA media? !

[antonia-tiger.livejournal.com]

The floodwaters of New Orleans are clogged with the bloated, stinking, corpses of sacred cows, but I see little sign of the US media taking any interest.

There are how many guns out there? 200M?

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

I think that given that the government will not be able to repossess them, a lot of normally law-abiding people will look at New Orleans and say that that is _exactly_ why they need to have guns of their own. I'd say that if anything, the week's events (and it has, shockingly, been only a week) will make conservative people even more resistant to restrictions on their own rights to bear arms.
I'm not defending this thinking, but I do understand it, it's just aother exampe of the sort of thinking that is leading people to drive SUVs because they no longer feel safe in their Ford Ka, (tragedy of the commons I think it's called) and the US is particularly resistant to central Government attempts to prevent it.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

An armed society is a scared society.

Whether that fear comes out as politeness (don't upset the bully) or violence is probably down to circumstances.

And yes, I think that you're being optimistic.

[redbird]

If mere facts would change people's minds about this, the last 20 years of Somali history would be enough.

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately not going to happen: (1) People will argue that if everybody had guns, no one would be afraid of other people with them, and (2) I've already seen one message saying that we have to consider the "pent-up nihilistic rage of the indigent underclass" when viewing the violence (I kid you not...)