How progressives play the game of Civilian Disarmament
Free stuff! Save lives!
A few weeks ago, we explored how the Biden administration is going to weaponize the nation’s public health agencies to work towards the ultimate goal of civilian disarmament. The surgeon general issued an advisory notice declaring “firearm violence” to be a “public health crisis.” As I wrote on July 1, declaring a “public health crisis” will facilitate lawfare against manufacturers, vendors, and gun owners.
However, that’s not the only play in the playbook, and it’s important for citizens to be on the lookout for other ways that you or your public officials may be manipulated in order to “move the ball down the field” towards civilian disarmament.
It’s important to keep in mind that the progressives play a ground game of slow but incremental progress rather than trying Hail Mary passes. Much of this ground game involves using marketing techniques to “frame” a proposed program in a manipulative way. In today’s example, the “frame” involves manipulating the emotions of greed and compassion to sucker in well intentioned administrators, politicians, and citizens to accept an invitation that probably has some hidden strings attached.
Free Stuff! Save Lives!
In a recent meeting of the local public health advisory board, I was able to observe a manipulative “frame” for a new program that was basically a pitch to accept some “free stuff” so that we could “save children’s lives and prevent suicide.”
The health department runs proposals by the advisory board to get feedback from the public before they pitch the proposal formally to the Board of Health, which in this regional health district involves two commissioners and a mayor from three different counties. The health department staff was asking the advisory board to approve a proposal to participate in a program that would provide free gun safes and gun locks to the community at pop-up events like fairs and festivals.
“We’ll save children’s lives! We’ll help mental health professionals assist families to prevent youth suicide! People can’t afford gun locks, and their grandchildren can’t visit until the guns are locked up!” The pitch was an emotional curve ball involving greed and compassion. An official description of the program was not provided to the advisory board, but a vote was expected on this “action item” so it could be presented to the Board of Health.
An Unnecessary Program?
Upon being questioned, the health department staff had no data available to prove there was a need for this proposed “Lock It Up” program. They could not demonstrate the region is experiencing a “crisis” of accidental child deaths or youth suicides. Neither was there any data provided to prove that gun locks (or gun safes) would actually prevent accidental deaths or suicides. And regarding the affordability argument, no one seemed to consider that if someone can afford to buy a gun and ammunition, they can probably afford to buy a $20 gun lock, too.
A review of a scientific meta analysis points out that much more research needs to be done regarding the impact of gun locks and child access prevention laws. After looking for (and not finding) a link between gun locks and fewer accidental deaths and suicides, the article points out: “In the absence of strong causal models, however, alternative explanations remain plausible.” One example pointed out that kids are curious and can often get around gun storage strategies (including locks and safes) that their parents think are secure.
The “Lock It Up” program appears unnecessary and spends taxpayer funds on a wasteful program that provides no demonstrated benefit. Taxpayer funds would be better spent on shooting sports teams in our local schools which would teach the student participants about responsible gun use and proper safety.
Good people can be easily manipulated.
The staff of our health department and the members of the Public Health Advisory Board who supported the “Lock it up” program are good people, who passionately care about public safety. But unfortunately, good people can be easily manipulated by the emotions of compassion and greed.
We can easily understand the compassionate desire to save lives, but how is greed at play? How does the health department benefit from joining a program to give away free gun locks? They get more funding, they can hire more staff, they can expand the scope of the health department. This proposed program “primes the pump” to teach the public that the health department is an authority on gun safety. Slowly, this bureaucratic agency grows in funding, public influence, and ultimately gains still more control over the public.
Additionally, this program manipulates and conditions the public to expect more and more “free stuff.” This is inexpensive stuff that gun owners can easily pay for, but it’s not free! It’s a program paid for by taxpayers.
Finally, the “frame” of the proposal did NOT include the important fact that it was an invitation to participate in an advisory group based in King County and Seattle which is focused on “firearm safety and violence prevention.” Failing to provide all the important facts to the advisory board members before the requested vote was another type of manipulation.
Another type of Gun Registry
Unfortunately, I can imagine this gun lock giveaway being used to create a gun registry. If they give something away, they’re going to have to collect identification in order to prove that they’re really giving them away to local residents. This could easily be used to create a covert gun registry. Free stuff usually comes with strings attached.
Unfortunately, Washington state has had some dramatic first hand experience with the State Board of Health completely destroying civil liberties during the COVID-19 crisis. During that time, the governor seized total control of state government, and used the Board of Health as his personal power tool.
Given the past abuses by government officials, I’m not very excited about a new move to expand the scope and future power of our local health department. “Gun safety” and “Gun Violence” should NOT be considered part of the mission of the health department. That’s a new initiative created out of thin air by the Biden administration and the U.S. Surgeon General, who are clearly working towards civilian disarmament.
If you’re concerned about protecting your Second Amendment rights, call or email your county commissioners and mayors, to let them know our local Eastern Washington health departments should NOT participate in the “Lock It Up” program.
Nancy Churchill is a writer and educator in rural eastern Washington State, and the state committeewoman for the Ferry County Republican Party. She may be reached at DangerousRhetoric@pm.me. The opinions expressed in Dangerous Rhetoric are her own. Dangerous Rhetoric is available on thinkspot, Rumble and Substack.
Sources:
1) U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on the Public Health Crisis of Firearm Violence in the United States, June 25, 2024. https://bit.ly/4blEJbT
2) The Intersection of Public Health and Tyranny, https://bit.ly/4bKJHyO
3) NETCHD Public Health Advisory Board, https://bit.ly/3WmhHgE
4) The Effects of Child-Access Prevention Laws, 1/10/23, https://bit.ly/3xZa32l
5) Lock it up program description, NETCHD, July 2024. https://bit.ly/4cETDve
I think it's important to note that for decades now, every gun sold comes with it's own lock.
100% on point! Thank you!