Touching the 'third rail' of race and guns

March 5, 7:53 AMGun Rights ExaminerDavid Codrea

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Courtesy Oleg Volk, A Human Right

In yesterday's post, we touched on a "third rail". I called it that because, in today's politically correct environment, the risk of being accused of racism can quell public discourse and focus the attention on killing the messenger. That does no one any good, especially the hapless messenger, and particularly harms minority groups who historically have been disproportionately held down by the twin scourges of crime victimization and citizen disarmament.

We will proceed anyway and take our chances.

Eric Holder has accused us of being "a nation of cowards" when it comes to matters of race. I'll agree with his conclusion--but not with the reasoning he uses to justify it. We will not get anywhere until we dare discuss crimes of violence in "the community," what I call "the elephant in the room we dare not speak of."

As an aside, regulars will notice I voice a point of order about an article by my my esteemed colleague in Seattle, but I suspect this is just a matter of looking at things from another angle rather than an actual disagreement. My bottom line:

[We] also can't forget to look at race--not as a cause of violent crime, but as an indicator of populations most directly affected by and responsive to a continuing history of destructive government policies.

If we're afraid to even address this, we're never going to be able to make things right. And those hurt the most by this self-imposed blindness will continue to be the least prosperous and protected among us.

OK, now that I've succeeded in alienating the left, let me work on the right. No sense forming an angry mob unless it's a big one.

Several years ago, I wrote a defense of armed Black Panthers.

What, am I nuts?

Relax. There's a context within defined criteria of conduct, and most importantly, the fundamental principles apply to all citizens regardless of their race or politics. At the very least, it should provide for a lively debate.

But I'll stop making advance excuses and apologies for the piece, and let the words stand on their own.

That'll be my next column, barring something  happening that delays it...

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A South Dakota conundrum

South Dakota Gun Owners has put out an alert with a desperate plea:

Senator Gene Abdallah (R-Sioux Falls) is at it again.

Many will remember that in years past, Sen. Abdallah supported every single anti-gun bill to be introduced...

Sen. Abdallah and six left-leaning members of the Senate State Affairs committee voted to gut HB 1278 with the very same anti-gun amendment. They have changed it from a very simple pro-gun bill to one of the most anti-gun bills to hit South Dakota in years.

Read the entire alert.

Now here's the puzzling part. Per Project Vote Smart:

Based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionnaire sent to all Congressional candidates in 2008, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund assigned Sen. Gene G. Abdallah a grade of A+...

What in the world...? Someone in the know, please feel free to educate us.