— James A. Swan, Ph.D
News media are bombarding us with more stories than ever before in human history. This could make us well-informed, but that isn’t happening because of media bias. Research shows that there’s now between 10 and 17 times more negative and sensational news than positive news, resulting in increasing anxiety about what the world is really like. As sociologist Barry Glassner has described in his award-winning book, The Culture of Fear, thanks to media bias we no longer live in “The Information Age,” we live in what has become “The Age of Anxiety”.
As the election approaches in November, it’s hard to know who is telling the truth, especially since fact checks on political candidates continually show how politicians, elected and aspiring to be elected, aren’t always telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Remember when journalists were supposed to do research and report on it, so the readers get the facts, know the truth and journalists could be trusted. A 2012 Gallup poll found only 21% of the general public believes that they can fully trust the news.
One of the most contentious issues in these times is the use and possession of guns. As we approach the election, with the media continually reporting on any almost violent act where someone is injured by a firearm, making it feel like violence in the US is increasing, when in reality it’s been in decline since the 1990’s, political candidates and advocacy groups are sparring over ownership and use of all guns and in general. One result is that it’s become hard to know the state of gun ownership and use in the nation with the most guns in the world, the United States.
Whether it’s conscious and purposeful or not, the media seem obsessed with attacking the Second Amendment and its supporters, and supporting those who would like to see it either abolished or re-interpreted to establish more control over gun ownership and use, including such things as holding gun manufacturers liable for uses of their guns. (Imagine what it would be like if auto companies were held responsible for use of their cars in committing crimes.)
The Second Amendment to the US Constitution states clearly and succinctly, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Since the Constitution was ratified in 1791, probably no other right has received so much debate, especially, concerning if the Second Amendment pertains to everyone or just a “Militia.” As the election approaches, there’s talk about increasing gun control and/or limiting gun ownership like in Great Britain and Australia and very little said to help people understand who are legal firearms owners and what value they have to us.
There couldn’t be a better time for the release of a brand new book, Shall Not Be Infringed: The New Assaults on Your Second Amendment (Skyhorse, 2016) https://www.amazon.com/Shall-Not-Be-Infringed-Amendment/dp/1510719954 , by two firearms legal scholars — David A. Keane, former President of the NRA, columnist for many newspapers, and advisor to many presidents and presidential candidates; and Thomas Mason, criminal lawyer, former Oregon legislator and law professor, and currently Executive Secretary of the World Forum on Shooting Activities.
Drawing on considerable research and years of personal experience, Keane and Mason open by quickly shedding light on the legal aspects of gun ownership in general in the US, but then they explores in depth two current legal and political issues that have enormous implications for the future of firearms in the US. The first is the 5-4 Supreme Court decision in the District of Columbia v Heller in 2008 that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to bear arms. The Heller decision clarifies what the Founding Fathers meant by the 2nd Amendment, but Keane and Mason them describe how it will be challenged or reinterpreted by newly elected politicians by explaining clearly and in detail the Heller decision as well the importance of who will be the Supreme Court Justices appointed by the next administration.
Keane and Mason then focus globally, explaining how quietly there’s also a UN Arms Trade Treaty currently working its way through countries around the world, that if it is accepted by the US government and approved by the US Senate, according to Keane and Mason, it “opens the door to far more stringent and dangerous proposals,” for gun use and ownership that don’t require full Congressional approval.
“Shall Not Be Infringed” is a blend of interpretation of facts mixed with personal stories based on years of experience. One that I found incredible is that in the negotiations of The Arms Treaty Trade Act, they describe how various nations are reacting to this treaty. One of the most astounding responses to ATT has come from Mexico, which is overwhelmed with guns and violence that spills over into the US. Mexico has almost four times as many gun homicides per 100,000 per year as the US. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21379912 According to Mason who works directly with the UN, Mexico wants the treaty to “cover not only arms and military weapons, but non-explosive weapons, including slings, spears, and bows and arrows.”
This book enables the reader to look behind the scenes and gain an understanding of the workings of the forces against arms ownership. They clearly explain how there is a basic flaw in the anti-weapon position. Namely, a “weapon” is a technological expression of a basic human attitude and intention. Guns are a weapon, but so are hands, feet, especially those of someone trained in martial arts, and stones, sticks and even rolled up magazines can be used as lethal weapons. The basic issue with the use of weapons isn’t the weapon so much as the mental set of the user. Keane and Mason agree that real weaknesses in the US crime prevention system includes the inadequacy of our mental health treatment system and the lack of support for law enforcement. On ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
After leading us through the minefield of gun control nationally and internationally, they provide a very solid list of what each person can do to insure that the Second Amendment survives, regardless who is president. One of these is to get out and vote this fall for solid candidates on all levels. A second is to support professional law enforcement, which has suffered from the lack of support in the last administration. And a third is to introduce someone to hunting and fishing, proving the words of the late actor Bob Stack, “You meet the nicest people at a shooting range.”
