Conservative Journalist And The NRA

Erick Erickson, the conservative opinion writer in a column published by the Times Picayune of 6/26/16 in reference to the Orlando shooting revealed his ditto head failure when he stated we need more guns in America in the hands of law abiding citizens to solve the gun violence problem.  That is the standard NRA talking point which Donald Trump also invoked after the Orlando shooting.  Police chiefs all across America disagreed with that statement a long time ago.

Erickson goes on in the column and makes more than one statement that is not true to the facts.  His statement that the Democrats proposals would only stop long barrel rifles is absurd.  The democrats are on record that they want all gun sales to go through the same check as guns sold at regulated gun shows as evidence indicate private gun sales account for up to 40% of all gun sales and are not subject to regulatory checks.

Erickson statement that law abiding citizens have difficulty obtaining guns is blatantly not true and he knows it.  The NRA is probable laughing at that statement and telling each other Erickson is right where we want him, doing our work.  His next statement that democrats wish to deny Americans their right to gun ownership without due process is an outright lie.

Erickson also goes off the stupid end with a Trump like remark when he tried to compare democrats wanting to ban guns to people on the no fly list to republicans wanting to ban women on the no fly list for having an abortion.  Can anyone believe any thing this guy says.  He also goes ff the deep end when he said terrorists want to kill us and the government cannot keep us safe.  He then contradicts his own self by saying, "Americans should realize the government cannot be anywhere and everywhere immediately and that we must rely on ourselves to defend ourselves."

The fact of the matter is government can keep the people safer if they have the proper tools to do so.  Erickson's fairy tale statement was when he said, "it is no coincidence that the states with the most restrictive gun laws have the worse gun crimes."  That statement is a lie that is embraced by the NRA.  According to an article by More Magazine of October 2014 by Nanette Varian, "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" analysis produced the following results.

Approximately 6.6 million guns were sold at private gun sales took place in 2012 where federal law does not apply.  Disturbed by that disconnect 16 states took actions themselves and enacted tougher gun laws on their own and here is how their gun stats compare with those states that haven't closed the private sale loop hole.

a)    38% fewer women shot and killed by their intimate partners.

b)   49% fewer firearms suicides.

c)   17% fewer aggravated assaults committed with firearms.

d)   64% fewer gun trafficked to other states.

e)   39% fewer law enforcement officers killed by hand guns.

Yes, there are steps government can take to reduce gun violence that has nothing to do with a persons right to self defense.  Conservatives and the NRA do not have the answer, never had and never will because of ideology.  It is too bad conservative writers and the NRA feel they have to actually lie to the public when it comes to gun violence and the second amendment.


Note:  The 16 states who enacted their gun laws are California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio