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Apr 28, 2003 The Crusades are still going strong. Not the “Die, you Saracen dog!” Crusades of the twelfth century, mind you, but a different kind. The New Crusades are not as violent as their predecessors, but are similar in that they are driven by an elite class – the new royalty, if you will - with an unwavering zeal for the cause. Equally confident in their convictions as the Knights Templar of old, the new crusaders will shape the world to fit their vision. Take gun control, for example. For years, this New Crusade has seen some prominent figures in the front ranks: Rosie O’Donnell, Kenneth Cole, investor George Soros, and Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY). They tell us that private ownership of guns, especially handguns, is a plague on our society. Indeed, they are fond to throw around the term “epidemic” when discussing guns, as if they were transmitted by sneezes or bad hygiene. Their efforts have led to some legislation that is fairly worthless in terms of its impact on crime. The crowning glory was the ban on “assault weapons.” Although the crusaders are mighty proud of this one, it was so poorly thought out and executed that most local law enforcement had no idea what constituted an “assault weapon.” Frantic attempts to clarify resulted in a set of criteria based largely on cosmetic features: folding stocks, bayonet mounts, etc. This is, of course, silly: when was the last time a bayonet was used to hold up a 7-11? In effect, they banned “scary looking” firearms. But the crusaders know that this is a war of inches: a ban here, a waiting period there, and pretty soon you’ve got the Feds going through sock drawers to find gramps’ old service .45. The crusaders will not be deterred. What really boils my cabbage about the whole thing is that the crusaders don’t have any exposure to the consequences of their own vision. Keep in mind that Diane Feinstein has a concealed carry permit, which is difficult to obtain in California. Rosie has armed bodyguards. And one can safely assume from their immense wealth that Cole and Soros live in blue blood communities and likely have private security at their beckon and call. While they all sip Chablis at cocktail parties and congratulate each other on what a difference they are making in the world, somebody else is paying for their crusade. What do I mean? Consider a woman in the Bronx who decides to break up with her very large and abusive boyfriend. If she wants to go down to the pawnshop and buy a little .32 to dissuade any of his attempts at forced reconciliation, who the heck is a Cole or Feinstein to get in the way? “Cooling off” periods could leave her unable to defend herself for months until some local desk clerk clears the paperwork. Efforts to mandate “smart guns” or bans of “Saturday Night Specials” (a codeword for affordable handguns) could put everything in the store out of her price range. The point is that the efforts of the crusaders could leave the woman in this scenario threatened, beaten up, or worse. In short, she picks up the tab for their misguided, feel-good policies. (And they can spare me the routine about pepper spray or the police as an alternative to that .32. There are people out there who can plow right through clouds of pepper spray - if not put it on their tacos - and the police have no obligation to protect individual citizens; only the public at large.) The crusaders couldn’t be more wrong. Estimates are that handguns are used upwards of two million times per year to stop violent crimes, with around 90% of those uses involving the mere brandishing of the weapon. Fortunately, this keeps millions of people from becoming statistics in the first place. It also far outweighs the tragedies (Columbine, the Beltway sniper, etc) that the crusaders shamelessly exploit as rationale for their cause. It’s infuriating. From their lofty palaces in Greenwich and Malibu, the anointed elite are basically telling us ham-and-eggers how to protect our families. But until Diane Feinstein is willing to jump through the same hoops as me when she registers for a handgun, she should put a sock in it (her mouth that is, not the gun). Kenneth Cole should stick to fashion design and Rosie should stick to…well, whatever it is that Rosie does these days. If she’s got some time to kill, maybe Rosie can come up with a new battle cry for her fellow crusaders: “Die, you Saracen dog!” would just sound silly nowadays. ------------ About Matthew Bastian: Recovering socialst, part-time drummer, long-suffering Brewers fan, and all-around beach hound, Mr. Bastian lives in central New Jersey. Email Matthew Bastian: mbastian19@hotmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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