Turning Off The Spin Machine; Context Needed

Control The Language, Control The Thoughts.

I said that a few days back and now I’m really going to dig into it. Especially since this phrase is has made its reappearance.

“Assault Weapon”

Sounds evil doesn’t it. Let’s look at the definition of Assault from dictionary.com.

assault[ uh-sawlt ]
noun
1. a sudden, violent attack; onslaught: an assault on tradition.
2. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner.
3. the stage of close combat in an attack.
4. rape.

verb (used with object)
1. to make an assault upon; attack; assail.

Now look at weapon.

weapon[ wep-uh n ]
noun
1. any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon.
2. anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim: the deadly weapon of satire.
3. any part or organ serving for attack or defense, as claws, horns, teeth, or stings.

For this the assault as a verb is required because its connected to an object, in this case, weapon.

Look at the second definition for weapon. Anything used against another. So if I stab you with my pen technically it’s an assault weapon. What if you pull a knife and come at me? You have an assault weapon.

What if I pull a gun and defend myself?

Is that an assault weapon?

The word Assault in the proper context is the intent of the person, just as Defense is. If you intend to assault me I’ll defend myself. Whatever is used in either case can do nothing without the person wielding it.

Think about that. By using this terminology you skew perspective on an inanimate object. Same as talking bad about someone to a stranger and when the stranger meets that person, unless they’re a critical thinker, their opinion probably isn’t that high.

The NSSF understands this, recently they began calling the AR-15 Stoner design “Modern Sporting Rifles” which is actually more in context. Not Assault Weapon. Weapons are tools, assault is the act. If an assault isn’t taking place you have a tool.

Under the media and popular lexicon’s definition in reality your average martial artist is an assault weapon. Should we ban martial arts?

Obama’s Emotional Manipulation, A Favored Tool of Politicians

Obama Calls For Government Action On Guns In The Wake Of Colorado Shooting

 

That’s the headline I saw from Captivating News in my Twitter feed. Of course I read it. And I could go after this on so  many levels. Let’s look at the article. First a quote from Obama…

“I, like most Americans, believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to bear arms,” Obama said. “But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals — that they belong on the battlefields of war and not on the streets of our cities.”

He believes in the Right to keep and bear and in the next sentence says he believes in restricting said right. So obviously he doesn’t honestly believe then. Then this comment, “AK-47′s belong in the hands of soldiers…” The U.S Army does not carry AK-47′s or other Kalashnikov designs.

Is he really that stupid?

“I believe the majority of gun owners would agree that we should do everything possible to prevent criminals and fugitives from purchasing weapons. We should check someone’s criminal record before they can check out a gun seller. Many mentally unbalanced individuals should not be able to get his hands on a gun so easily,” he said. “These steps shouldn’t be controversial they should be common sense.”

We should check criminal records? Are you kidding me? We do! Its called NICS, a system supported and beefed up by the NRA and the Gun Lobby! From the same President who’s Administration let guns go over the border and when cornered shouts “Executive Privilege.”

What a idiot!

Or is he? I don’t think he is. He’s aware of these laws already and what he says. Its how he says it. He’s using the typical political trick of manipulating your emotions. I’ll show you.

In the first quote he said, ‘he, like most Americans’. Which is him saying ‘I’m one of you’ to gain legitimacy in popular opinion. And using the same theme, ‘most Americans believe that’ and switches to fear ‘keeping AK-47s out of bad guys hands in the battleground of the cities.’

This is a half truth, since most Americans do think its an individual right and bad guys with an AK-47 isn’t cool. Further linking the guns to war he said only soldiers should have them and compared the streets to a battlefield. And we’re not soldiers. He plays on your fear of being outgunned and wants your support for another failed law. It only disarms the law-abiding, their’s a reason a criminal is a criminal.

Next quote, making guns harder to get. If you’ve never bought a gun in the store you probably have no idea what’s involved. In this quote he’s playing on your ignorance of this fact. He doesn’t tell you about the three pages of paperwork and a phone call to the F.B.I to see if the buyer has a record.

You have to actually listen to politicians and their choice of words, its a lot easier to play to feeling than reason. Reason you have to back up with facts. Instead of like this snippet using popular opinion, ignorance and fear.