The Open Forum Fix the message on weapons
Democrats are once again on track to lose more elections than they should, including the presidential election. The reason? Bad messaging. Democrats are terrible at messaging; Republicans are really good at it.
Here’s just one example. When Beto O’Rourke stated emphatically, “Yes, we’re gonna take your AR-15, your AK-47,” Republicans said, “We told you so. Democrats are coming for your guns.” Democrats responded by saying, “No, we are not coming for your guns.” The battle was lost right there. Democrats should be saying, “No, guns have nothing to do with it, but weapons of war are another matter.” They should be talking about adding these rifles to the existing category of such weapons that includes machine guns, flame throwers and RPGs, all of which are heavily regulated. Woodstock and celebrating Earth Day was all you had to do to save the planet. It turned out Tinker Bell’s wand had run out of fairy dust. We humans committed original sin when we walked away from the Garden of Eden and embarked on a 2,000-year orgy of environmental exploitation. Our grandchildren have, as of recent, become terrified that adult addictions to cheap energy will lead to their demise. They correctly see vast numbers of policy-makers and bourgeois mercantilists in denial. Some adults would like to pat these kids on the head and tell them not to be afraid. Just remember many of these kids are only five years away from being asked to fight for their country. Put a gun in their hands and they might just decide to fight for planet Earth, instead.