The fact that some people actually need to be told “Americans love guns” is indicative of a broader disconnect between the half of the country that identifies themselves primarily by their politics. Occasionally though, even the most obvious thing can be stated well enough to justify the repetition. This is just such a statement.
Whatever else one might think about Rick Wilson, his explanation of why Democrats can’t win for losing on the topic of Americans not wanting to be separated from their rights or their arms is not only simple, but entirely on point. That broad disconnect we referenced above is put on display nowhere as blatantly as with the issue of anti-gun legislation. The inability or unwillingness of those who would restrict 2A rights to recognize any value in firearms –genuinely or out of political expedience– is what has exacerbated this policy rift into an issue of seemingly existential importance for both sides. One can live their entire life having no idea that Americans love guns, because they never encountered one personally.
Being separated from something in real life via both culture and legislation, and learning about it exclusively through the media –news and entertainment are equally culpable– would twist ones perception of anything into a caricature of the reality. Firearms, perhaps to a more extreme extent than most topics, given their location as an oppositional focus for both major political parties, suffer from this effect like anything would.
We’ll let you read the full text at the link, but we have to share our favorite passage first. Mr. Wilson certainly tells it like it is.
“I’m not arguing policy with you. I’m telling you what the real politics are, and they’re not what you think. First, you’re fooling absolutely no one with the phrase ‘sensible gun safety.’ We all know perfectly well that phrase came out of a focus group. You say that, and red state voters hear “gun confiscation.” You conflate criminals and the insane with lawful gun owners and users, and you can’t imagine why my side doesn’t think you’re reasonable. Let me use an esoteric, technical polling phrase for you: Americans fucking love guns.”
