Take a look at that header: “Politico Lies About Guns.” Nothing new about that, right? This time it’s about suppressors. Excerpts below, interspersed with my comments:
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) is renewing his controversial push to make it easier to buy gun silencers, a debate that had been postponed following the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) in June.
Someone remind Politico that there is no such thing as a “silencer.” You can’t silence a gunshot, not even a .22 rimfire. Politico is once again doing firearms research by watching old Matt Helm movies. 
The term is “suppressor.”
Duncan argues that silencers are used by hunters and target shooters to limit potential hearing loss from gunfire. Duncan introduced a stand-alone silencer bill, dubbed the “Hearing Protection Act,” in January. That legislation currently has 160 co-sponsors, including several Democrats.
Several Democrats actually have some sense. That’s hopeful.
But gun control groups argue that Duncan’s bill is one of the top legislative goals for the powerful National Rifle Association and is opposed by many police organizations. There is also very little chance Duncan’s bill would be able to pass the Senate due to Democratic opposition.
And here we are with the hysterical shriek of “OMG OMG THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION!” The NRA is an advocacy group; indeed, a civil rights group, protected by the First Amendment. The NRA’s members vote for their leadership, their by-laws, their policies; the NRA does what its millions of members tell it to do. I thought the political Left was in favor of grass-roots movements?
But here’s the real gem, and I’ll cut Politico some slack; this is a quote, not part of the written copy:
“NRA leadership and their friends in Congress have gone behind closed doors to try to prop up lagging gun sales by making it easy for anyone to buy a silencer without a background check,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Feinblatt is either lying or badly misinformed. The Hearing Protection Act will remove suppressors from regulation under the 1934 National Firearms Act, it’s true – but they will be regulated the same way as firearms under the 1968 Gun Control Act.
So which is it, Mr. Feinblatt? Are you a liar, or are you just stupidly careless?
So, once again, we have a (for once) sensible piece of firearms-related legislation. Once again, we have a (as usual) anti-gun nutbar shrieking his opposition while at the same time having no real idea what the hell he’s blathering about.
Just once – just once – I’d like to see one of these anti-gun groups actually do some reading about actual guns. Until then, we’re stuck with stupid statements like the one above, along with the famous “shoulder thing that goes up” gem.
It’s enough to drive one to distraction.
