Slippery Slope Slides Both Ways

A quote from Joe.

I think machine guns would probably be a political deal breaker. Now if we started out with them as part of the deal and we could insist they compromise and give us everyting else. Then we come back for machine guns next year.

Go read his whole post. He offers up some VERY good, and I would guess more-or-less politically easy changes to US gun laws. But when somebody mentions removing Machine Guns from the NFA (or maybe repeal of the Hughes Amendment) Joe gives the above quote.

Remember people we fight pointless bans and restrictions because there IS a slippery slope. Sure most of us might not have, or regularly use 33 round Glock magazines, but we’d never support a ban on such pistol magazines because Big #1 the ban would accomplish NOTHING in terms of public safety, but #2 we all know that if we let such a ban succeed they would next come for our 30 round rifle mags, or 10+ round pistol magazines that we DO use.

Remember the slippery slope goes both way, and most people are sheep, and ignorant of guns or gun laws. He’s a home exercise. Ask somebody you know who isn’t a gunnie and doesn’t own guns what they would need to do if they want to buy a handgun or rifle to keep at home. I know in my days as an anti I had NO idea what restrictions were out there, and I know many people who assume there ARE restrictions that don’t exist (Like I know people from Free states who assume permits are needed, and/or registration, or waiting periods).

The Bigger the swing we take, the more skittish and ignorant people we’ll scare. But SMALLER swings will be more agreeable, or seem smarter…and we’ll be CLOSER to accomplishing the bigger goals.

On the NFA Full-auto weapons are the only items that are functionally different than the “every day” guns most people have no issue with. And suppressors are simply the same technology we put on our cars, and can be shown to prove a HUGE safety and social advantage, and the fears of Suppressors are mostly supplied by Hollywood and are just as realistic as the Giant Robots, Mutant Monsters, and Shadowy Government Agencies that they portray.

Now I can argue all day that the functional difference between an AR-15 and NFA Registered M16 isn’t one I’ll lose much sleep over, and in a tactical and defensive sense a feature I wouldn’t use often even if it readily available. Really they’re fun and challenging more than they serve a tactical advantage to people for good OR for ill.

Same goes to Nation-Wide Constitutional carry. This is a great idea, and its working well in practice in the 4.5 states (if you count most of Montana where permits are not required for any form of carry) where permitless carry is the law of the land. Still I live in Massachusetts where I need a permit to BUY a gun, and Carry is may-issue. Illinois has no carry and a similar permit system, and there are still several may-issue (read “Won’t Issue”) states. Also with Constitutional Carry we dump the training requirements, which if you look at the data, you know isn’t necessary, but those who don’t get involved in the issue, it sounds like a REALLY good idea.

We need to remember the Slippery Slope goes both ways, and we need to utilize it to achieve our goals. Remember the Journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step.

And of course a big step is carry your damn guns, and take people to the range!