Thanksgiving Weer’d Fisk

So of course most of you are used to hearing my fisks in Audio format on the Assorted Calibers Podcast, and the podcast is ideal for taking on audio or video anti-gun propaganda.

But Text fisks are where blogs shine! So with that here is a Fisk of Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown propaganda piece entitled: Debunking Gun Myths at the Dinner Table

The talking points are really so elementary that I can’t help but fisk it. Buckle up!

Myth

Criminals will always find a way to get their hands on a gun.
Fact

Laws like background checks stop gun sales to criminals every day. Since 1994, these laws have blocked more than 3.5 million gun sales to people who could not legally own guns.

So first up I wrote a whole post talking about what nonsense the Brady bill and its background checks are. While that number of denials happen, a good number of them are appealed, and virtually none of them are actually prosecuted for attempting to illegally obtain a gun, and lying on a 4473 form. I have to imagine a bunch of those people are average citizens who didn’t realize that college drug possession, or that youthful bar fight has made them forever prohibited from owning a gun. But if there are some hardened criminals who were trying to score a peace….nobody cares, and they can hire a strawman or just buy a gun from the black market….which is what they do anyway! And they also contradict this point in their very next point:

Myth

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Fact

People with guns kill people, and more efficiently than people without guns. The US gun homicide rate is 25x higher than that of other high-income countries.

It’s 100% true that guns don’t kill people, and don’t even deny it, that’s what level of liars these idiots are. Still their answer is an intentional non sequitur. If guns kill people, not people why are we looking at the “Gun Death” Rate, and not the murder rate? Also remember that last “Myth” about criminals not being able to get guns when strong gun control laws are in place…notice they don’t say Zero, because EVERY NATION IN THE WORLD has gun deaths, because in fact criminals will ALWAYS find a way to get a gun. Lastly, why add in that “High-income Countries”? I mean if you’re so poor you can’t afford food or shelter, how would you afford a gun? Shouldn’t low income countries have insanely low Gun Death rates? Nope, and that’s why they exclude them, seems that they exclude them JUST to make the US look bad.

Myth

Federal law prohibits ALL domestic abusers from having guns.
Fact

Federal law generally does not cover abusive dating partners or convicted stalkers.

Ok this is TECHNICALLY correct, but they are doing so much gymnastics to make it that way. First up, they didn’t mention that any domestic abuser who hasn’t been charged with domestic abuse can legally buy a gun, and I wonder why, because their other rational is just as stupid. If you beat your wife, and she keeps her mouth shut about it, you’ll never get charged and convicted, and never lose your rights. Same with if you beat your girlfriend or boyfriend….and you don’t cohabitate, and you aren’t convicted of a felony, YES you can’t own a gun. If any of those things aren’t true, like if you aren’t married, but cohabitate, that’s domestic violence, and if your abuse is severe enough to get a felony conviction, prohibited person. Also let’s take a brief moment and note the insanity that if you beat your spouse or convicted partner and are convicted of a misdemeanor, you lose your gun rights for life….but that same conviction for a total stranger….no problem! Can we maybe pick one? Lastly ANYBODY who is the subject of a protective order is a prohibited person, so if somebody is abusing you, get away from them, and get a protective order…..oh and since all of this won’t stop a violent sociopath, also get a gun to protect yourself!

Myth

Strong gun laws don’t work. Look at Chicago.
Fact

Chicago proves why we must push for strong federal gun laws. Many of the guns used in crime in Chicago can be traced back to nearby states with weaker gun laws.

This is a COMPLETE LIE! Over half the traced guns from Illinois were traced back to Illinois. Now the other half came from outside the state….but the time-to-crime numbers, ie the data of when they were last traced to an FFL is 10.6 YEARS! This is NOT people running guns into Chicago from Wisconsin and Indiana, this is just people moving state-to-state with guns in their possession, and those guns being stolen by criminals. That one was REALLY blatant.

Myth

A small child cannot pull a trigger.
Fact

Every year, nearly 350 children age 17 & under gain access to a gun & unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else—sometimes fatally.

Who says this crap? I will note that it is ANTI-GUN states like Massachusetts, New York, and California who have trigger pull weight guidelines for this nonsense. If you have kids, secure your gun….and good job at that, as this number (which I suspect also includes teen suicides and attempted suicides) only constitutes for 1% of the annual deaths by firearms in the US. But it isn’t a statistic when its your loved one, so secure those guns when not in use!

Myth
The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.
Fact

If more guns everywhere made us safer, America would be the safest country on earth. Instead, we have a gun homicide rate 25x that of other high-income countries.

First up, think of a situation where a bad guy was doing bad things with a gun, and think of what stopped them. I rest my case. But also they’re diving back into this “high-income countries” nonsense. See they’re already moving the goalposts. To be in this elite group of “High income countries not at war” you are already in the safest nation in the world, further when they are also equating “Gun death rate” with “Homicide Rate”, because some of those other high-income countries they prefer to stab you.

Myth

Arming teachers will keep our kids safer in schools.
Fact

Arming teachers ignores research that shows the presence of a gun increases the risks posed to children and teachers. School safety experts and law enforcement oppose arming teachers.

The Gun Free Schools act was signed into law in 1990, before then school shootings were virtually unknown. It wasn’t until thr 1999 Columbine shooting that school shootings became a thing…..and that is really media manipulation, as those jerks were attempting an Oklahoma City-style bombing.

So yeah it’s all about copy-cat crime. Further there are literally hundreds of schools where possessing a firearm on campus isn’t prohibited, can you name one where there was a campus shooting? Another lie!

Myth

Anyone who wants to get their hands on a gun to kill can do it.
Fact

No single law can prevent all gun violence, but there are laws that may help prevent mass shootings. Red flag laws can save lives by allowing family or law enforcement to intervene.

So they admit the “Myth” is true….again they aren’t even trying. Also Red Flag Laws are the worse. Not only can they be abused but Red Flag laws when used properly, identify a person who may pose a danger…..then take their guns and leave them totally unsupervised! Great idea!

Myth
We don’t own guns, so I don’t need to worry about my kids getting hold of one.
Fact

Nearly 4.6 million US children live in a household with at least one loaded, unsecured gun. Children and teens access guns in homes other than their own.

This is true! Hence why gun safety needs to be taught in school! Of course these idiots think they can just BAN all the guns to prevent this. Meanwhile they have referenced countries with massive gun control that still have gun homicides…..we are dealing with mental giants here!

Myth
Everyone already has to get a background check when buying a gun.
Fact

Federal law only requires licensed dealers to perform background checks. That means that millions of guns are exchanged each year without one—often online or at gun shows.

And nobody cares! That being said, they COULD have had a federal law that required background checks on ALL gun sales that would have had bi-partisan support….and look what they did! The ONLY reason why Michael Bloomberg wants Universal Background checks is that HIS law would create a national registry for all LEGAL guns in America in one generation, and people who refuse to register their guns could be arrested, and other guns could be confiscated by address!

Myth

Red flag laws take guns from people without due process.
Fact

A judge can only issue a final red flag order following a hearing of which the person is given notice and during which they have an opportunity to be heard. Red flag laws also allow an individual to petition to terminate an existing order.

It’s simply a lie some states have it this way, others the police can go in and confiscate the guns without notice, and it’s up to the target of the order to defend themselves from an unjustified seizure.

Myth

Stand Your Ground laws provide everyone an equal right to self-defense.
Fact

Stand Your Ground laws have a disproportionate impact on communities of color. When white shooters kill Black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11x more frequently than when the shooter is Black and the victim is white.

I covered this in the Assorted Calibers Podcast, but violent crime is generally segregated by race in this country this means that white-on-black crime is exceedingly rare, couple that with these numbers are even smaller as not all of these white-on-black shootings are in locations with stand-your-ground laws, making the data set we’re referencing so small that likely any relationship could easily be coincidence.

Myth

Stay-at-home orders and social distancing due to COVID-19 have decreased gun violence.
Fact

Unprecedented increases in gun sales, combined with economic distress & social isolation due to COVID-19, are intensifying the country’s long-standing gun violence crisis.

Who has been saying this? Violent crime in general is up, hence why gun sales are at an all-time high.

Myth

Gun violence affects Black and white people in the US equally.
Fact

Black people in the US are disproportionately impacted by various forms of gun violence. They experience nearly 10 times the gun homicides, 15 times the gun assaults, and 3 times the fatal police shootings of white people in the US.

Again another Myth perpetuated by nobody. This is well known, also what is well known is gun control laws disproportionately effect people of color. So much for gun control saving lives!

Myth

Active shooter drills make students & school staff more safe in the case of an active shooter.
Fact

There is no evidence to show student participation in active shooter drills saves lives & data shows they do cause trauma and anxiety. The best way to protect schools from school shootings are proven threat assessment programs & gun safety laws.

I agree, they’re horseshit. Couple this with the fact that there has never been a school shooting at a school that allows campus carry, I think we found the REAL solution.

So that’s it! I hope everybody has a happy Thanksgiving, and if a relative trots out this nonsense, try and not call them an idiot. Instead point out that clearly these talking points were written by an idiot!