David Chipman Mocks new gun owners; Pushes them into the Gun Culture

Screenshot from C-Span Video

David Chipman is a former ATF agent. He found a new gig as a spokesman for those who want the population disarmed. 

David Chipman's latest attempt at scaring Americans away from exercising their Second Amendment rights seems rather ham-handed.

From cheddar.com:

David Chipman, Senior Policy Advisor at the Giffords organization said hopelessness, anxiety and fear might cause people to try to use firearms to control some aspect of their lives as they are inundated with concerning news about COVID-19, “but there are risks to that choice.”

“They might think that they’re die-hard, ready to go, but unfortunately they’re more like Tiger King and they’re putting themselves and their family in danger,” he said, referencing the popular new Netflix series and its central figure’s love of guns. Particularly without proper gun training, Chipman worries new gun owners are putting people at risk. Unintentional shootings makeup 1.3 percent of gun deaths and 18 percent of gun injuries.

He suggested first-time gun owners secure unloaded firearms. “Hide it behind the cans of tuna and beef jerky that you’ve stored in the cabinet,” he said.

(snip)

Chipman said he’s concerned about an increase in domestic violence cases and the possibility of a gun becoming part of that equation. Experts have warned quarantine may lead to more domestic violence incidents sprung from anxiety, loss of jobs and more time at home.

Fortunately, there is no evidence of a national spike in domestic violence. The Hill.com has some numbers from some cities.

Dallas showed an increase of 21% of calls from from February to March; Los Angeles reported a 12.4% decrease, then a 7.6% increase of calls; and New York showed a 15% decline in calls from last year. There is no good evidence the lockdown is increasing or decreasing domestic violence. Those who make and industry of domestic abuse find a way to conflate any reporting with an increase. For example, a sociology professor speculated that lower reporting might be because of higher abuse rates.

Domestic violence may increase; it may not. It is difficult to know. It is difficult to know if an increase in reporting means an increase in violence or not. It is hard to believe having more gun owners means having more domestic violence.

Comparing the new gun owners to convicted criminals and bizzare adrenaline and meth addicts in the Netflicks docudrama "true crime" series, Tiger King, won't win points with new gun owners.  Very few new gun owners will be polyandrous gay men who obsess with and own tigers and lions.

Missing from the Cheddar article is a call for the new gun owners to get trained up. Instead, Chipman advises them to store guns in such a way as to render them unusable for immediate defense of self and family.

People seldom purchase firearms as an impulse buy. They are not offered next to the checkout at your local convenience store, along with the candy.

What seems like an impulse buy is usually a long simmering and considered desire, set off by events which crystallize the decision to be prepared.

Trying to shame these new gun owners into giving up the guns they just paid top dollar for, is not a way to endear yourself to them.

Those who are attempting to push the national population into disarmament, have convinced themselves they are smarter than the people they are attempting to disarm. They have had success, because they have had the Media on their side for 50 years.

Expert is a label which no longer carries much weight. The public has come to know experts can be found for any side of an argument.

To evaluate an expert, people have to consider their arguments and data. When you find an "expert" who resorts to emotional arguments, or who refuses to show you their data, you know to discard that persons advise.

Nicolo Machiavelli was a political expert on the use of power, who the left has idealized for 500 years.  He wrote that armed people see the world differently than unarmed people.

The famed political philosopher states it well in The Prince:

Because there is nothing proportionate between the armed and the unarmed; and it is not reasonable that he who is armed should yield obedience willingly to him who is unarmed, or that the unarmed man should be secure among armed servants. Because, there being in the one disdain and in the other suspicion, it is not possible for them to work well together.

David Chipman is attempting to convince recently armed people to place themselves back into the category of unarmed people. It is rather like convincing someone to forget what they have seen.

It has not been working. America is better armed today, in spite of the scare mongering and propaganda, than it has ever been.

People in the gun culture need to welcome these new members. They need training and support. Put aside past judgements. Many were only believing what "experts" told them. They have much to learn, when they are seeing the world through the eyes of an armed citizen.


©2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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