With a catastrophic tragedy in the news, the Ricochet mood is a bit more serious; but that doesn’t mean bad policy or sentimental grandstanding are appropriate courses of action. That’s why this week, we’ve invited a Second Amendment expert and parent on to the show. The one and only Charles C.W. Cooke.

He fields questions on the horror in Uvalde, the reaction from politicians and the press; the DPS, and a few potential resolutions to hopefully prevent so many of these terrible acts of violence. Peter and James also talk about the collapse of civic and moral norms that get far too little attention when these senseless crimes are discussed.

And as promised, for those interested in Charles’s piece on the constitutional history of the Second Amendment, here’s the link:

https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/08/27/the-truth-about-the-second-amendment/

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There are 49 comments.

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  1. Justin Other Lawyer Coolidge
    Justin Other Lawyer
    @DouglasMyers

    @peterrobinson’s opening comments re: what to do? Sadly, sounds about right. 

    • #1
  2. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting.   Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    • #2
  3. Justin Other Lawyer Coolidge
    Justin Other Lawyer
    @DouglasMyers

    Deleted. Duplicate comment.

    • #3
  4. Justin Other Lawyer Coolidge
    Justin Other Lawyer
    @DouglasMyers

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting. Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    Works for me re the 26th amendment. Then let the states decide age of majority for voting, drinking, gun purchases, etc. 

    • #4
  5. James Hageman Coolidge
    James Hageman
    @JamesHageman

    Thanks for the link.

    • #5
  6. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I’m not going to re-listen to last week, but I don’t remember it as Peter doubting the appeal of Bogart just in “The Big Sleep.”  My recollection is that Peter doubted the appeal of Bogart in EVERYTHING.  Including Real Life.

    His more specific problem with “The Big Sleep” was it being so “talky.”

    • #6
  7. Justin Other Lawyer Coolidge
    Justin Other Lawyer
    @DouglasMyers

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m not going to re-listen to last week, but I don’t remember it as Peter doubting the appeal of Bogart just in “The Big Sleep.” My recollection is that Peter doubted the appeal of Bogart in EVERYTHING. Including Real Life.

    His more specific problem with “The Big Sleep” was it being so “talky.”

    That’s my recollection as well. 

    • #7
  8. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Justin Other Lawyer (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m not going to re-listen to last week, but I don’t remember it as Peter doubting the appeal of Bogart just in “The Big Sleep.” My recollection is that Peter doubted the appeal of Bogart in EVERYTHING. Including Real Life.

    His more specific problem with “The Big Sleep” was it being so “talky.”

    That’s my recollection as well.

    And then came the comments about how amusing it was to get complaints of “talkiness” from a speech-writer who may do more talking on these podcasts than anyone else, including the guests.

    Or at least that’s how it seemed to some people.

    • #8
  9. Leslie Watkins Inactive
    Leslie Watkins
    @LeslieWatkins

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting. Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    I see the rationale, but if we up the age of being able to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, then we should simultaneously raise the age of military enlistment from 18 (17 with parental consent) to 21. It’s ridiculous to think someone’s too young to use a rifle but not too young to die in battle.

    • #9
  10. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting. Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    I see the rationale, but if we up the age of being able to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, then we should simultaneously raise the age of military enlistment from 18 (17 with parental consent) to 21. It’s ridiculous to think someone’s too young to use a rifle but not too young to die in battle maybe with a rifle in their hands.

    There you go.

    • #10
  11. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting. Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    I see the rationale, but if we up the age of being able to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, then we should simultaneously raise the age of military enlistment from 18 (17 with parental consent) to 21. It’s ridiculous to think someone’s too young to use a rifle but not too young to die in battle.

    That might not be a bad idea. But what if we made exceptions for young men and women who volunteer to serve? The dilemma I’d take seriously is the frequency of alcoholism in the military. 

    On the other hand, it might be a mistake to think that proper governance requires perfect consistency in all matters of the law. 

     

    • #11
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting. Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    I see the rationale, but if we up the age of being able to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, then we should simultaneously raise the age of military enlistment from 18 (17 with parental consent) to 21. It’s ridiculous to think someone’s too young to use a rifle but not too young to die in battle.

    That might not be a bad idea. But what if we made exceptions for young men and women who volunteer to serve? The dilemma I’d take seriously is the frequency of alcoholism in the military.

    On the other hand, it might be a mistake to think that proper governance requires perfect consistency in all matters of the law.

     

    There is that.  The legal ages for drinking and smoking have already been raised to 21, yet 18-year-olds can still enlist and register for the draft.

    • #12
  13. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Peter and James both missed the point again.  If you toppled a statue of Columbus, or set fire to a police station with people inside, you pick the “Social Justice” door, not the “Justice” door.

    • #13
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Peter, Peter, Peter.

    It’s the Minneapolis STAR-Tribune.

    I’m surprised James didn’t tackle you for that.

    • #14
  15. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I would point out, perhaps especially to @charlescwc that indeed the emphasis on rifles is fairly recent; not all that long ago, handguns were the big devil, or have people forgotten about “Saturday Night Specials” etc?

    • #15
  16. Leslie Watkins Inactive
    Leslie Watkins
    @LeslieWatkins

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    I agree with Charles Cook about making the age 21 for rifles and voting. Keep the 2nd and repeal the 26th ;)

    I see the rationale, but if we up the age of being able to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, then we should simultaneously raise the age of military enlistment from 18 (17 with parental consent) to 21. It’s ridiculous to think someone’s too young to use a rifle but not too young to die in battle.

    That might not be a bad idea. But what if we made exceptions for young men and women who volunteer to serve? The dilemma I’d take seriously is the frequency of alcoholism in the military.

    On the other hand, it might be a mistake to think that proper governance requires perfect consistency in all matters of the law.

    Couple things.  Segregating military personnel from civilians would work on paper, but surely policing it would be next to impossible—especially given the myriad accounts we have of shooters who were already on police radar before they committed mass murder. Then, too, alcoholism in the military is a problem at all ages. And, finally, the rub for me is not “consistency in all matters of the law.” (Actually, I don’t think that’s a thing.) It’s that we’re risking a constitutional right because of our emotional need to do something. I worry we’re going to rush into something that will hurt our rights as Americans. For example, Vox has an article up claiming that we should do what Australia did and confiscate roughly 700,000 guns, which, the headline claims, has made crime rates plummet. Maybe. But my take is that an unarmed citizenry is likely a big reason why some of the worst infringements on civil liberties during COVID occurred in Australia (though we Americans also pretty much rolled over and played dead—and I’m talking about myself here). I’m afraid we’re becoming too emotionally weak to be free.

    • #16
  17. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):
    I see the rationale, but if we up the age of being able to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, then we should simultaneously raise the age of military enlistment from 18 (17 with parental consent) to 21. It’s ridiculous to think someone’s too young to use a rifle but not too young to die in battle.

    Most teens are capable to use a rifle, when supervised.  The military provides a lot of supervision. 

    • #17
  18. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Peter, Peter, Peter.

    It’s the Minneapolis STAR-Tribune.

    I’m surprised James didn’t tackle you for that.

    Heh. I was tempted, but let it go. But I will correct you in the spirit of collegiality: it’s just StarTribune.

    • #18
  19. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Peter, Peter, Peter.

    It’s the Minneapolis STAR-Tribune.

    I’m surprised James didn’t tackle you for that.

    Heh. I was tempted, but let it go. But I will correct you in the spirit of collegiality: it’s just StarTribune.

    Yes, I used all-caps for Star just for emphasis.

    • #19
  20. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):
    It’s that we’re risking a constitutional right because of our emotional need to do something.

    How is that?   Favoring a minimal and needed change can short-circuit an attempt at something broader.  There is no slippery slope.

    • #20
  21. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    When the police entered, the gunman wasn’t loose in the halls. He was in a classroom. The door was locked. 

    The local cop controlling it assumed he had hostages barricaded or he had killed them all and he was barricaded. 

    Supposedly this is the latest reporting. The town didn’t have any bulletproof shields. The border patrol tactical team brought theirs from 70 miles away within 40 minutes. I think the mistake was made, when he didn’t turn over the decision making to the tactical team. They waited 30 minutes and then they told him to screw himself. 

     

     

    Even if they had a breaching tool, I don’t buy it that you sending a bunch of untrained cops without shields. If the guy was just wandering around in the halls, that would be different.

     

    • #21
  22. Steven J Davanzo Coolidge
    Steven J Davanzo
    @Steven J Davanzo

    Mr. Lileks,

      As a long time follower of The Bleat and a newly minted Ricochet member (gotta pay those legal fees!); I am also fellow “Disney-Dad”.  Being a widower and with 3 children out of the peak WDW age demographic, I would gladly coordinate a time so we could go together to appear less conspicuous!

    • #22
  23. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    One of the reasons I have doubts about “red flag” laws is from how police departments have abused civil asset forfeiture. Advocates of “red flag” laws need to convince me that confiscation of firearms won’t be similarly abused.  We now have some anecdotes that some agencies put up an enormous amount of resistance to returning confiscated firearms back to their owner.

    As to judicial oversight of the “red flag” process I also need to be reassured that the process won’t rely on “mental health professionals” who belong to and are licensed by professional associations that have been trying for years to declare that having conservative political, social, or religious views to be signs of mental illness. 

    • #23
  24. db25db Inactive
    db25db
    @db25db

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Peter, Peter, Peter.

    It’s the Minneapolis STAR-Tribune.

    I’m surprised James didn’t tackle you for that.

    Heh. I was tempted, but let it go. But I will correct you in the spirit of collegiality: it’s just StarTribune.

    It may have been difficult to tackle Peter over a Zoom call.  That said, if anyone could deliver the equivalent of a verbal Ray Lewis over the middle, it’s James.

    • #24
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Steven J Davanzo (View Comment):

    Mr. Lileks,

    As a long time follower of The Bleat and a newly minted Ricochet member (gotta pay those legal fees!); I am also fellow “Disney-Dad”. Being a widower and with 3 children out of the peak WDW age demographic, I would gladly coordinate a time so we could go together to appear less conspicuous!

    You’d be really inconspicuous if you went on Gay Pride Day.  :-)

    • #25
  26. J Ro Member
    J Ro
    @JRo

    Months ago I had the chance to visit the Boy Scout camp where I spent a few weeks of my boyhood away from my parents under the care and instruction of older boys and men, some of whom were true mentors. It occurs to me now that up to this point, before 8th grade, none of my school teachers had been male.

    Unfortunately pretty much everything about the camp was changed around to be unrecognizable to me. That is except for the rifle and archery ranges where I’d proudly earned a couple of related merit badges. Of course it wasn’t as though I hadn’t owned a BB gun or hunted rabbits with my grandfather before that. Some of the pride of earning a shooting badge came from knowing that great great grandfather had marched with Sherman at age 15.

    I walked the trails and tried to locate the named campsites where my troop had pitched our tents, cooked our food, and sat day and night around our fires. But after all, our campsites were just assigned clearings in the woods with a few picnic tables, so not much to recall after decades of fading memories.

    Also my sense of place was throne off because the lake where we had gone canoeing and earned our mile swim badges had been abandoned, overgrown, and replaced by a fancier, man made lake on the other side of the camping areas. This change must have been developed when they added the huge dining hall overlooking the new lake, where today’s campers are served all their meals and, I imagine, get their WiFi and charge their phones. 

    But the change that really threw me off the pleasant search for faded memories of boyhood being guided towards manhood was the presence of substantial buildings that had been constructed in the campsites. These structures contained toilets and showers. Those were definitely not part of my memories of boy scouting!

    I asked the caretaker in the HQ building when the showers had been added to the Boy Scout camping experience. “There was a big push for showers and improved toilets when they let girls become Boy Scouts,” she explained.

     

     

    • #26
  27. Leslie Watkins Inactive
    Leslie Watkins
    @LeslieWatkins

    J Ro (View Comment):

    Months ago I had the chance to visit the Boy Scout camp where I spent a few weeks of my boyhood away from my parents under the care and instruction of older boys and men, some of whom were true mentors. It occurs to me now that up to this point, before 8th grade, none of my school teachers had been male.

    Unfortunately pretty much everything about the camp was changed around to be unrecognizable to me. That is except for the rifle and archery ranges where I’d proudly earned a couple of related merit badges. Of course it wasn’t as though I hadn’t owned a BB gun or hunted rabbits with my grandfather before that. Some of the pride of earning a shooting badge came from knowing that great great grandfather had marched with Sherman at age 15.

    I walked the trails and tried to locate the named campsites where my troop had pitched our tents, cooked our food, and sat day and night around our fires. But after all, our campsites were just assigned clearings in the woods with a few picnic tables, so not much to recall after decades of fading memories.

    Also my sense of place was throne off because the lake where we had gone canoeing and earned our mile swim badges had been abandoned, overgrown, and replaced by a fancier, man made lake on the other side of the camping areas. This change must have been developed when they added the huge dining hall overlooking the new lake, where today’s campers are served all their meals and, I imagine, get their WiFi and charge their phones.

    But the change that really threw me off the pleasant search for faded memories of boyhood being guided towards manhood was the presence of substantial buildings that had been constructed in the campsites. These structures contained toilets and showers. Those were definitely not part of my memories of boy scouting!

    I asked the caretaker in the HQ building when the showers had been added to the Boy Scout camping experience. “There was a big push for showers and improved toilets when they let girls become Boy Scouts,” she explained.

     

     

    Nice comment! Especially the kicker. I have had similar experiences in recent years.

    Apropos of nothing (except that I’m a book editor), I’m guessing that “throne off” was a result of auto-correct. Happens to me all the time, often with me never noticing. And, as in this case, the syntactically correct word (“thrown”) would seem to have been replaced by the more common word at this cultural moment (“throne” / “Game of Thrones”). Priorities rise and fall, apparently even among those who have learned to code.

    • #27
  28. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    Re school shootings the question was asked what changed? Mr. Lileks made some good comments on culture. I’ll submit this short article that I see as a good answer to the question (there is a short video at the end that is gruesomely ironic).

    • #28
  29. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    And Mr. Robinson, re Bishop Flores, he has no expertise on guns, he is just your typical Lefty “social justice” bishop. His prudential opinion on this matters as much as mine does.

    • #29
  30. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    Is there a link to the CCWC article that is not behind a paywall?

    • #30
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