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I'll look around and see if I can find a good Cite for this, but the reason that the anti-rights people are able to forge their views into laws is because of propaganda mongering in the mainstream press. In a poll taken not too long ago, it was established that the vast majority of mainstream press sources are populated by anti-rights individuals.
Because of this, information such as the record of the swiss experience, and similar facts never see the light of day in our media. Instead the news focuses on the sensational shooting incidents, and thwarted efforts to pass "reasonable" laws against guns. For years this effort was focused on convincing people that a militia purpose was the only reason people should have guns, and our current standing army preempts this need, so guns in individual hands are no longer required.
It could be argued based on the differences between say the swiss and the United States, that the news media is actually responsible for the differences. Clearly if all of the news is about people settling arguments with weapons, and criminal activities using weapons, this creates a view in the mind of the public that this is not just common behavior, but acceptable as well.
It seems obvious that there is something very different between Switzerland and the United States. Clearly it is not the prevalence of firearms, as per capita there are more there than here. It cannot be economics as we are roughly in parity with the Swiss. It cannot be the type of weapons as the swiss have ready access to fully automatic weapons suitable for military defense of the country, and these are restricted here. So the only conclusion one can reach is that there is a significant difference between the mindset of the swiss and the citizenry of the United States.
In fact that is the case. Firearms are a significant element in daily life for the Swiss. Children are exposed to firearms at an early age, and this demystifies, and normalizes them as just another tool. The Swiss government supports the value of an armed populous and all that entails.
None of these attributes are common elements of life in the United States. In fact it could be argued that in the States, firearms carry a mystique of forbidden fruit, are considered demonic, and those who own and use them are odd and should be feared.
Both of these different mindsets are the result of the way firearms are treated in the press. There is a big difference between seeing an advertisement in the news for a local shooting competition, and a news item about a local gathering of fanatic gun owners at the range on Saturday.
Hitler knew the value of propaganda, and he used it to great effect. His example has not been lost on the mainstream media in the United States. Unless and until the pro-rights groups take steps to take control of the media we will continue to lose ground slowly on individual rights in general, and firearms rights in particular.
If pro-rights groups really want change, they will begin to acquire stock in the media and vote their shares as a block to change the management in these organizations.
Regards
