PALM BEACH, Fla.–Palm Beach Post editorial writer Jac Wilder VerSteeg thumped a hornet’s nest and got dozens of angry gun-owner responses for his Nov. 15 commentary, “Muzzle all that gun paranoia.”
He wrote: “Across the country, people afraid that Barack Obama will take away their gun rights are rushing to buy firearms. The word for such people is: suckers.
“Save your money for the mortgage. Save a restaurant worker’s job by going out to eat. Democrats are not going to stop you from buying a gun. They are not going to take away the gun(s) you have. If you are a decent, law-abiding adult, it will not become illegal for you to buy or own a gun.
“The danger is that someone who isn’t decent or law-abiding will break into your home and steal your gun. Or that a child will find your gun and kill himself playing with it. Or that you will become depressed after losing your job and shoot yourself. But President-elect Obama and the Democrats are not going to send jack-booted thugs to kick down your door and pry your firearm from your cold, dead fingers. They’re not that stupid.
“Democrats have learned that gun control is a losing proposition politically. When the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to bear arms, Barack Obama said he agreed with the decision.
“Rather than worry about gun confiscation, responsible gun owners should start worrying about the Second Amendment hysterics that have been driving the gun-ownership bus for too many years. Just as those who favor abortion rights must realize that they also need to reduce the number of abortions, those who favor gun rights must realize that they need to do more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and just plain idiots.”
Online responses from his readers were overwhelmingly unflattering. Writing on Nov. 19, “Scott” wrote, “Mr. Wilder VerSteeg, You, sir, are either a fool, or a shill for the anti gun lobby. Mr. Obama has made it clear that he will permanently reauthorize the ‘assault weapon’ ban that became effective in 1994, and expired in 2004.”
“Joe the Gun Owner” wrote the same day, “This article has prompted me to go out an buy a gun today.”
In sum, there were four pages of responses, and only one comment that remotely took Wilder VerSteeg’s side: “matt” wrote on Nov. 17, “Pro gun, Pro choice, Pro Obama.”
Here’s the link to read your fellow gun-owners take on Wilder VerSteeg’s off-the-mark editorial:
