Michael Lindenberger of Time.com, in a April 20 article titled “Ten Years After Columbine, It’s Easier to Bear Arms,” found it “odd” that “whatever momentum the Columbine killings gave to gun control has long since petered out,” despite the “massacres perpetrated by deranged gunmen” in the following decade. He also quoted extensively from a young gun control advocate in the online article, without including any arguments from the opposing viewpoint.
Lindenberger first gave his reflection on the anniversary: “Monday April 20 marks 10 years since Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold permanently etched the words Columbine High School into this nation’s collective memory. What happened that day in 1999 also seemed to wake America up to the reality that it had become a nation of gun owners — and too often a nation of shooters. The carnage in Littleton, Colorado...seemed to usher in a new era of, well if not gun control, then at least gun awareness.”
The Time.com writer continued with a seeming lamentation: “In the decade since, massacres perpetrated by deranged gunmen have continued — including the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre in which Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people and wounded many others. But something odd has occurred. Whatever momentum the Columbine killings gave to gun control has long since petered out.”
Lindenberger cited the introduction of legislation in the state of Texas which would permit concealed-carry of handguns by college students on campus as his first example of this “petering out:”
This spring, for example, Texas lawmakers are mulling a new law that would allow college students to carry firearms to campus (Utah already makes this legal). “I think people weren’t concerned about it first,” says University of Texas graduate student John Woods, who has emerged as a spokesman for campus efforts to defeat the bill. “They thought, ‘It’s a terrible idea. Why would the government consider something like this?’” But as the debate on campus has heated up, that complacency has vanished, Woods explains to TIME. Students opposed to the bill plan a big rally on Thursday at the Capitol, he says.
The writer went on to describe the possible outcome of the graduate student’s endeavors, using negative language to describe Woods’ opponents: “But efforts like Woods’ are up against powerful headwinds — and not just because of the powerful gun lobby that often strangles gun-control laws. Americans in general have cooled significantly to the idea of restricting gun rights. A poll released last week by CNN showed that support for stricter gun laws was at an all-time low, with just 39% of respondents in favor. Eight years ago that number was 54%.”
Lindenberger included one more lengthy quotation from Woods, where he tossed a standard line used by gun control champions (Michael Wolkowitz of the Brady Center used a similar line on the April 6 edition of ABC’s Good Morning America): “‘The idealist in me is shocked and angry,’ Woods says, that restrictions on guns have eased rather than tightened in the wake of tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech. ‘But the cynic in me is not surprised at all. I think if this was peanuts or pistachios causing all these deaths, then we’d be all over it. But there is no amendment about peanuts or pistachios in the Bill of Rights. People on both sides just simply won’t compromise.’”
The Time.com writer later added a second lament: “Indeed, the debate seems to be almost one-sided nowadays, with an ongoing backlash against gun control.” Mr. Lindenberger ought to know about being “one-sided,” since he only quoted from the college gun control supporter in his article.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Only one reason for the
April 20, 2009 - 14:04 ET by MidAmericaOnly one reason for the momentem for gun control to have petered out, the rank and file democrats are against gun control too.
despite the “massacres perpetrated by deranged gunmen”
April 20, 2009 - 14:16 ET by Army BratCould it fbe because the vast majority..(duh...) of gun owners are not deranged?...do not massacre folks?...are responsible in their use of their weapons?
It's getting harder and harder to cause blind panic amongst the American people. We're getting burnt out on the daily calls of "Crisis!", and, "We must act Now!".
islam is a lie and Truth is killing it.
Odd
April 20, 2009 - 14:11 ET by serfer62Doesn't it seem strange that places where guns are banned that the slaughters occur?
What could be the reason that armed citizens aren't attacked?
I have an idea, make everywhere gunless...
Gun control for all!
April 20, 2009 - 14:22 ET by Indiana Joe"A poll released last week by CNN showed that support for stricter gun laws was at an all-time low, with just 39% of respondents in favor. Eight years ago that number was 54%.”
Too bad there haven't been enough massacres to convince us stupid yokels, huh, Lindenberger?
Gee, wonder why that is? Ask Professor John Lott. He might be able to explain it to you, in very small words.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-John Adams
L.A. Times.......Interesting Opinion.......Wording.....
April 20, 2009 - 14:36 ET by ConScottSo now the Los Angeles Times sees concealing a firearm for protection is perfectly fine?
"Off-duty sheriff's deputies can carry concealed weapons to protect themselves and their families, and that's fine."
Here's the opinion piece in today's rag:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-sheriff20-2009apr20,0,1317642.story
But I thought that law enforcement officers got to carry so that they could help stop crime even when off-duty, that it had nothing to do with self-defense? There's a reason to protect yourself and you family in L.A.? News to me considering the news & opinion the LAT has published over the years.
gun control
April 20, 2009 - 14:54 ET by candanceI wonder why gun massacres don't happen at hunting events in San Antonio. After all, where there is a high concentration of gun owners you would think there would be a high concentration of shooting....
And speaking of Columbine, I wonder why lefties never admit that those boys acquired those guns illegally in the first place. Not only that, but they acquired explosive material because their original plan was to bomb the cafeteria and then shoot panicked children as they rushed out the door.
So in summation, those boys committed several felonies that were already in the books and somehow it didn't do anything to hinder them.
Liberals really do believe in doubling down on stupid. Gee, the law is being blatantly ignored - I know, let's write more laws!
Not from lack of trying...
April 20, 2009 - 16:59 ET by kg333It's just that the criminals who try for the heavily armed areas end up getting Darwin Awards instead of making national new.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/dumdum/gunshop.asp
Is there
April 20, 2009 - 14:58 ET by oldmanateea bet in the newsrooms across the nation as to what words to try to hide in a story? Last week it was the overused "teabagging" this week the bet is to see who can get the word "peter" in print first, wonder what the magic word next week will be?
We should start a list for them.
I expect a rash of articles on Dick Cheney.
People who want to kill lots
April 20, 2009 - 15:27 ET by jcbeck1000People who want to kill lots of people don't care about buying illegal guns. Eric and Dylan didn't just want to kill 13 people. They tried to kill the hundreds by setting bombs in the school that failed to explode. They certainly didn't care about illegally obtaining guns and gun control wouldn't have prevented them from attempting mass murder.
Odd Indeed
April 20, 2009 - 15:32 ET by JustAlIsn't it "odd" that 64 years after the end of the Holocaust that socialism still survives?
Not only does it survive, but it is seeing a resurgence, complete with psuedo science (Gorebull warming), an obidient media, and an arena in Germany filled with admirers of a well spoken politician who's only real claim to fame was writing a book about himself.
Yes, these are very "odd" times indeed.
"Socialists Lied, and Millions Died"__JustAl
Lindenberger
April 20, 2009 - 15:48 ET by NorthCoasterHave you ever considered that all of the new and revised "Concealed Carry Laws", are a response to Columbine? I don't think that anyone has ignored the story in the past 10 years, it's just that a different approach was needed. Just think of what the result would have been if only one adult at the school had been able to use a concealed weapon. I'm sure that many lives would have been saved.
Lindenberger
April 20, 2009 - 15:50 ET by NorthCoasterDouble post---- PC running slowly here.
I suggest an Amendent Trade Deal
April 20, 2009 - 16:00 ET by UndercoverConservativeIf the Dems want to eliminate the Second Amendment, then I say we make a "cap and trade" deal and eliminate the 19th too. :P That should include some prominent Congresscritters too. Since they obviously "feel" some rights aren't needed anymore, well I "feel" that since domestic tranquility must be maintained, any married man votes the way his wife wants, so that cuts down onissues with vote count...
sure, I can't prove any of this, but based on television sitcoms I "feel" it's true so it balances out the ignoramus notions of the anti-gun crowd.
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is like calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
"You spend your money anyway you want and respect other's rights to do the same"
Deal Won't Work
April 20, 2009 - 17:06 ET by JustAlTake away the second and they renege on all of the rest.
Speaking of the 2nd Ammendment...
April 20, 2009 - 18:43 ET by ThisnThatWell, duh. Our rights can't be compromised. I'll bet Woods would be all upset if someone suggested he compromise his first ammendment rights to free speech, wouldn't he? But he thinks it's ok to compromise on any other right that he, personally, disagrees with.
And Woods pays money to go to college? Hey Woods, psssstt. You're getting taken, if this is the sum total of your civics learning experience.
___________________________________
The challenge is to follow a consistent plan despite inconsistent prices - Sarah Palin, State of the State of Alaska speech
The mainstream in the media
April 20, 2009 - 17:07 ET by bigtimerThe mainstream in the media of all types are doing their best to force the administration and congress to kill the 2nd Amendment piece by piece.
Here is what the majority of the american people think evidently.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
I once was a member of NRA.
April 20, 2009 - 17:39 ET by misterbillI did not own a gun. I just believed that I was helping to support good Americans to exercise their rights, I am going to join again--why--because Napolitano reminded me of who will be able to protect me. It will be against a Socialist army.
Actions
April 20, 2009 - 18:11 ET by UnsaneI just e-mailed my Representative in the Texas Legislature in support of the proposal that would legalize guns on college campi. If any other Texans are reading this I ask that they do the same.
So disgusted was I with the way things went last November I did two things: joined Heritage, and the NRA.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
I want you all to think long
April 20, 2009 - 18:11 ET by mostlymoderateI want you all to think long and hard about what I ask you. Have you ever been to a shooting range or a gun club? Is that not the most respectable, sane, safe and friendly group of people you can ever be with? True lovers of guns and shooting, whether for sport, hunting, or hobby, are not a dangerous group of people. Banning guns does nothing but hurt decent, common folks that are not going to purchase illegal guns like the criminals will.
Maybe it's that more people are actually paying attention
April 20, 2009 - 18:35 ET by c5thenAnd they realize that most of the perpetrators were not supposed to be able to get the guns they used and then once they did, they went to use them in places that were supposedly gun-free zones thus guarenteeing that they would be the only ones armed. The conclusion is that criminals will not follow laws and that gun-free zones are really victim-rich zones. If a teacher or two at Clolumbine and/or some students or a teacher at VT had been armed, maybe the death toll would have been less? It certaintly wouldn't have been any more.
Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!
www.loyaltoliberty.com
concealed carry permit holder =
April 20, 2009 - 18:41 ET by pagg30concealed carry permit holder = NOT A FELON!
Look elsewhere for the badguys please!
Stop lying, Time. You don't give a damn about those kids...
April 20, 2009 - 18:46 ET by R D Helm...who were killed at Columbine.
All you are doing is using that, along with other unfortunate events, in an effort to get the government to take away the guns of law abiding citizens, because those are the ones the lefty freedom-grabbers currently in power, and their MSM dog-washers (that means you, Time) fear the most.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
the link in these shootings
April 20, 2009 - 21:09 ET by jackie3The common link in 98% of these mass shootings is the shooters were taking or had been taking anti-depressants such as Prozac. Those medications are not SAFE!
I was given Pamelor for joint inflammation. It was considered one of the "safe" anti-depressants. Dr. give anti-depressants for things such as migraines, inflammation and over active bladder.
From my own experience I can say it makes your brain into a mound of mush. You become a walking zombie. It never really worked for the inflammation but drove my sugar levels sky high. I stopped taking the med and actually went through what I would call "detox."
I found the drug was addicting and had to throw out the remainder of the Rx. It took over 6 weeks to finally get clean of it. During that time I "woke up" from this drug induced state and realized I could taste food again. I also realized I have no memory of massive amounts of time.
I was never subject to "brain washing" during this time but I can see how it could happen.
Give these demon pills to teens and expose them to violence and you have a lose canon about to go off.
We have had anti-depressants on the market since the 60's. From the 80's on the doctors started giving them out like candy. I see a massive connection between these drugs and the massive shootings.
Alexander Hamilton: "We are a Republican government. Real liberty is
never found in the despotism or in the extremes of a Democracy."
How about controlling the
April 20, 2009 - 23:12 ET by RR GOPHow about controlling the freaks that are found in every public school and shipping them off to mental health facilities...ask any of us teachers...we can give you a list.
Of course, spanking them when they were younger is out of the question due to our Liberal national values. That's the real problem.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
Time magazine shouldn't be
April 21, 2009 - 09:37 ET by BruzillaTime magazine shouldn't be confused as to why gun control efforts are fading away. All they need to do is check their archives for 1993 and 1994, and see what happened to the Democrats in Congress after they passed the Assault Weapons Ban. With all the thin ice the Porkubus package, Gay marriage, universal healthcare, and cap & trade is putting the Democrats on, there's no way they're going to turn a heater like gun control on under their feet.
You stand a greater chance
April 22, 2009 - 00:24 ET by rbosqueYou stand a greater chance of dying in the woumb of a liberal.