Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Let's not play that game

An NPR reporter tonight said that gun control proponents are trying to re brand their position as "gun violence prevention." The New York Times confirms it, giving Nancy Pelosi credit for the new spin.

On gun rights, Ms. Pelosi said Democrats are no longer talking about gun control but refer instead to what she calls gun violence prevention — an effort by Democrats and their allies to find a less politically charged term, one that suggests a broader range of approaches beyond simply gun regulation. She called it challenging to balance the rights of gun ownership with public safety and security but said Congress needed to find a way to reach consensus. “We have to prioritize, get the votes and do something,” said Ms. Pelosi, who identified limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines as one area that Democrats would explore.

If "gun control" was too politically charged a term then it is because gun control advocates gave it a bad reputation.

There's a reason that the Associated Press uses the terms "abortion rights" and "anti-abortion" instead of "pro-choice" and "pro-life." Groups will try to re brand themselves for a marketing spin, or give their opponents a disadvantage if the term becomes mainstream.

George W. Bush's administration swapped "tax cut" out for "tax relief" to make Democrats have to say they oppose "tax relief." It's a cheap trick, and the only solution is to refuse to use those terms.

Do they think for a minute people like me will declare themselves opposed to "gun violence prevention" when that's something we value as well? It's not going to happen. Why don't they put a little more work into making their position something they can wear with pride instead of playing word games with journalists. Shame on any reporter who goes along with this nonsense.

2 comments:

  1. Michael, so far it appears that Pelosi and company are lost in the wilderness and are not sure which way to take this issue. They certainly did not expect the reaction of the American people after the Connecticut shootings, where record numbers of firearms and permits were sold within a few weeks.

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  2. Whoever controls the language, the images, controls the race. - Allen Ginsberg

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