The New York Daily News thought they really zinged the NRA Wednesday with an exclusive opinion piece by Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA), an Iraq war veteran, calling for an assault weapons ban following the Orlando terror attack.
Their front page teased: “Hey, NRA, this marine served in Iraq and says assault weapons should be banned. Does that make him a gun-grabbing commie, too?”
Moulton’s piece might have merited serious debate — most gun control enthusiasts have probably never actually packed heat — had he not pretended the Orlando mass slaughter was unrelated to Islam and all about easy access to guns.
His supposedly ground-breaking column was just another exercise in the liberal deceit that easy access to guns, not devout Muslim terrorists, are the biggest danger America faces. That argument is particularly obtuse now that the biggest mass shooting in American history was perpetrated by a Muslim fanatic, not some kind of non-ideological psycho of the Columbine variety.
But the congressman opined, “Before the killer’s gun even stopped smoking, some rushed to blame ‘radical Islam.’ Some disgusting individuals even celebrated the attack as a vindication of their repugnant, bigoted views. We do not yet know all of the facts surrounding this latest act of terror. But we do know that there is only one common factor linking every mass shooting: a gun.”
Wait.
Was the last sentence supposed to be really insightful and damning? We also know that there is only one common factor linking every rape: a penis. What exactly does that prove?
Pioneering feminists, of course, famously insisted that rape is ultimately about misogyny, not sex. Similarly, Omar Mateen used his assault rifle for a murderous rampage because of his religious-based ideology. Only predatory men use their penis to rape and only psychos or religious fanatic use assault rifles for mass killings.
The rest of Moulton’s argument above relied on falsehoods and deceptions. Contrary to his spin almost nobody mainstream immediately blamed “radical Islam” for the shooting. They waited some seven hours until news broke about Omar Mateen pledging allegiance to ISIS in a 911 call.
But with his sophistry complete Moulton proceeded to shove his military service in the faces of political opponents.
“I’m a Marine. I carried guns every day in Iraq, guns very similar to the ones used to perpetrate the Orlando murders and many other mass shootings in America. I’ve used guns in combat. On more than one occasion, guns have saved my life. But there’s a big difference between a U.S. Marine with a rifle and a civilian with a gun.”
“So believe me when I tell you: There’s simply no reason for a civilian to own a military-style assault weapon. It’s no different than why we outlaw civilian ownership of rockets and landmines.
“Thankfully, Congress has the ability and authority to eliminate the civilian sale of these weapons of war. We have before, and we should again,” he argued.
“That’s not all. Congress can prevent future tragedies by requiring a background check for every gun purchase in America. Congress can prevent people on terrorism watch lists from buying guns. And Congress can lift the restrictions on the study of the causes of gun violence, so that we can at the very least better understand why this keeps happening.”
It certainly can enact those measures. It certainly can.
But, of course, would any of them really deter a religious fanatic determined to get his 72 virgins?
“So, spare these innocent victims your thoughts and prayers,“ he concluded. “Instead, let’s honor their memory by vowing to do everything we can to prevent another senseless slaughter.”