It's the kids.

I've been trying to read a few stories about the Presidents big 'Gun Control Propositions' speech today, so I can form a real opinion about things...and all I keep coming back to is The Kids. And The Letters from The Kids. 

I just have a hard time believing those letters are not the result of prodding...either by parents, or teachers, and I'm more than half tempted to have my kids sit down and write letters to our representatives asking them not to render their daddy helpless by taking away his guns. 

Sigh.

As far as the talking points themselves, I guess I'm one of those people who has fooled himself into thinking that it could have been worse.  I don't find any of the proposed Executive Orders(at least as I understand them) to be onerous...and one or two of them I can actually get behind.  As for the actions which will require congressional action...I kind of had a giggle earlier as I poked around Claire Wolf's site, where someone opined that 'right now you couldn’t get both houses of Congress to agree on a nonbinding resolution in praise of baseball, motherhood, and apple pie — let alone an actual law against guns.'

True, true.  Of the two main poop sandwich's that Obama threw at Congress, I think there is slightly more chance of the increased background check proposal making it through Congress than a new Assault Weapons ban. 

From talking to some gun owners at work, if the Administration and Congress are smart enough to split things up, I'm not sure 'closing the gunshow loophole' will meet with as much vitriol and gnashing of teeth as trying to push an AWB through.  These aren't your 'I dont need that AR to hunt ducks!' guys either...they are just scared that if we fight the political battle, we might lose both the fights, so maybe we give in on background checks to keep them off the AWB.

That's what I've always described as 'throw the fat kid off the sleigh to distract the wolves' thinking.  At the risk of opening myself up to criticsm, I'll come out and admit I personally wouldn't be offended if they increase the background check requirements...i just hate the 'slippery slope' reality of it all.  If you give up and roll over on background checks now, then two years from now, what are you going to give up to distract the wolves from a new AWB?