California Weighs In On The Cars And Guns Comparison
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Whenever the gun-grabbers want to convince us “heathens” that making it harder for law abiding citizens to own firearms is just commonsense, they go to the tired argument that you need a license and training to drive. They always seem to forget that driving is a privilege and gun ownership is a Constitutionally protected right. Recently I came upon something that sheds a little light on this apples and oranges comparison, but first a little background:
Back in September I was traveling down one of the many fabulous Los Angeles area highways when I was pulled over by the state highway patrol. Never mind the fact that I was in a semi-densely packed group of cars all doing the same speed, the cop wanted me and pulled me over. I have this conspiracy theory that the CHP targets people that are more likely to actually pay a ticket, but that’s for another article.
In any case, I was issued a speeding ticket. I thought about fighting it, but realistically my only chance to beat it would be if the officer failed to show up to court. The CHP is in the business of generating money so I figured it was unlikely he’d be a no-show. I opted instead to pay the ticket and I signed up for traffic school to avoid the points and the hit to my insurance. While completing my on-line safety course I came across this interesting piece of information:
Some people say that a car is just as dangerous as a loaded gun, but the truth is, a loaded gun can’t take out a sidewalk full of pedestrians with one shot, or knock a school bus over a cliff like a car can. An automobile is a dangerous weapon, and must be handled just as carefully and with as much respect as any hair-triggered, high-caliber weapon deserves.
Bear in mind that these materials are approved of and often prepared by the state. So we have the state of California flat out admitting that cars are more dangerous than guns. If you don’t see the hypocrisy in that, you don’t know the Golden State very well.
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In California it is quite easy to get a driver’s license. You can take the written test in 31 languages other than English. You can even get one if you’re an illegal alien and you don’t have to prove where you live or provide a social security number. The only real requirement is that you pay all of the taxes and fees. It’s all about making money here. There is no concern for traffic safety; otherwise they might make it a little harder to get on the road.
On the other hand, California has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. So-called assault rifles are banned and we can only buy handguns that are on a list pre-approved by the state. Normal capacity magazines are banned, limiting them to 10 rounds. We have to pass a test and get a certificate (license) to purchase a handgun, and soon all firearms. We are severely limited in how we transport firearms and how we store them in our homes. Open carry is outlawed and concealed carry is not generally available to average folks.
If cars are even more dangerous than guns, why is it so much easier to a driver’s license than to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights in the state of California? Otherwise law-abiding Californians kill almost 10,000 people every year with their cars, while otherwise law-abiding Californian gun owners kill almost nobody annually. That is, if you don’t count the police who tend to open fire on people for completely non-life threatening reasons.
Short of actually respecting the Constitution, it would be nice if the state recognized that drunks and texters are a bigger threat to public safety than responsible gun owners.
For those of you that need closure: I’m out $315 for the speeding ticket plus $15 for the on-line traffic school. I did ace the final exam, going 25 for 25, which ain’t bad considering I was watchingPrison Break on NetFlix the entire 4 hours it took to complete the course.
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