President Obama recently made some disingenuous remarks that shed light on the thinking of those who think prohibitory laws actually work.
During an event in South Carolina, President Obama told students that he was disappointed that Congress refused to pass gun restrictions after the Sandy Hook elementary massacre.
[…]
He explained that he was still trying to do what he could to “crack down” on the availability of guns, but that it was difficult.
In some neighborhoods, he said, it was “easier for you to buy a firearm than it is to buy a book.”
“There are neighborhoods that it’s easier for you to buy a handgun and clips than it is to for you to buy a fresh vegetable,” he said. “As long as that’s the case than we’re going to continue to see unnecessary violence.”
Stripped of the obvious emotional contrast between that which is “evil” (guns) with that which is “good” (vegetables), what is he really saying? That there might be places where it is easier to buy a gun than a carrot? Well, if you live next to a gun or sporting goods store and the nearest grocery store is many blocks away, that would be true. But so what? How is that an indictment of anything?
And is it really “easier” to buy a handgun than a carrot? How? Not only are handguns a lot more expensive than vegetables, but there are forms to be filled out and signed under penalty of perjury, a criminal background check has to be passed, etc. None of that applies to vegetables.
Well, maybe to some vegetable products. Like marijuana, opium, peyote, etc. But never mind that. He obviously means “good” vegetables. The kind his wife Michelle thinks children should be eating. Besides, the “bad” kind of vegetable products are already highly illegal according to federal law. Naturally, that means that they can’t be sold anywhere, and of course, because the laws work, they are not. So no one in his right mind would say, “There are neighborhoods that it’s easier for you to buy a joint than it is to for you to buy a fresh vegetable.” Thank God we have laws preventing illegal drugs. If only the same could be true about guns.
Hey wait! I just thought of something else. When President Obama complains about how it’s “easier” to buy handguns than vegetables, might he be talking about illegal guns as opposed to those sold in stores by licensed dealers? If that is the case, how on earth are more laws going to work, any more than they have worked with drugs?
If I were a cynical person, I might even be inclined to think that he knows more laws haven’t worked and won’t work (because criminals don’t obey them), but he wants them anyway.
Comments
9 responses to “And if we make it harder to buy guns, it will be a lot easier to buy vegetables, right?”
Speaking of groceries, a few years ago there was an allegedly-scientific report linking guns to spicy food.
This could be the start of a new series of violations of civil liberties. They’ll start with mandatory registration of horseradish and then work down to confiscating paprika. By the time they start compulsory anti-garlic propaganda campaigns in elementary schools it will be too late.
There will, of course, be black-market spices, but we can expect the dealers to cut them with bland substances. We can also expect to find increased police corruption from this Prohibition. When spices are outlawed, only outlaws will have tasty food.
The corporate establishment democrats want to keep the black and brown community disarmed so they can’t shoot back! What about criminals in the black community with guns? They are no threat to the corporate establishment and help control minority areas. The corporate state doesn’t care about rednecks with guns. If what happened at bundy ranch happened in a ghetto do you think law enforcement would have backed out peacefully ???
And yet cap is SURE those people of color are reliably Democrat:
http://classicalvalues.com/2015/03/the-hillary-clinton-e-mails/#comment-119974
Maybe if they got rid of those damn waiting periods for carrots and the 1-bean-a-month limit…
No, he’s just talking about the “food desert” BS, and the black market.
I’m willing to believe there might be a few blocks in the country where someone with criminal intent can get a gun easier than “a fresh vegetable”.
It’s just not relevant, and the President damned well ought to know that.
You mean he is talking about illegal gun sales?
Being that the sellers are already breaking existing laws, how are more laws going to prevent these sales? In the same way that ever more draconian laws against drugs have stopped the illegal sales of drugs?
DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION!
ala Animal House
The windbag in chief is positing a causal relationship between illegality and availability. The answer is obvious –
ban fresh vegetables.
And as the market develops and unfolds one might find meth, guns and arugula all from the same friendly street corner purveyor.
Wait a moment… Did I just see captain*arizona making sense?