We Are Way More Scared of Government Than Guns
5th January 2016
And rightly so, I think.
The first major action taken by Barack Obama in 2016—a set of new gun-control measures mandated via executive order—is aimed at a threat that Americans don’t spend a lot of time worrying about.
In its latest survey of Americans, Gallup finds that “dissatisfaction with government,” not guns or even terrorism, tops the list of concerns.
Funny how that works.
Obama’s new actions against guns include expanding background checks; changing definitions of mental illness in a way that limits who is able to own guns; increasing the number of federal agents charged with tracking gun sales and crimes; and more.
In other words, more power to government tools and less to individual citizens. My, what a surprise.
As Jacob Sullum noted here in December, most of the “common-sense” measures Obama is pushing would not have stopped the San Bernardino shooting or virtually any other recent mass attacks.
Don’t look at the evidence, just believe the Narrative. Guns leap from their holsters when you least expect them to and just mow people down, so therefore they Must Be Controlled.
Obama’s willingness to always pivot to issues that are not front and center, along with his willingness to expand the role of the state in virtually every aspect of our lives from health care to mass surveillance is surely a big part of the reason why people are consistently worried more about government than anything else. In this, of course, he’s had plenty of help from Republicans and his fellow Democrats, which also helps to explain another Gallup finding released this time last year: “In U.S. New Record 43% Are Independents.”
The only thing that saves us is that we don’t get all the government we pay for.