It’s good politics to be pro-gun in Montana. A candidate who isn’t will face an uphill battle for any elected position. Tim Fox seems to have gotten that message, as the central (only?) theme of his campaign for Attorney General seems to be gun rights. So much so, that he’s resorting to the tired tactic of raising the specter of diminished gun rights, in a state where that just isn’t going to happen.
Fox loves him some guns. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that position, except that Fox’s positions statements are largely meaningless. It’s a list of concerns that exist for the most part in the paranoid fears of extremist gun advocates, federal policies that the Attorney General has no jurisdiction over, and expansions of gun “rights” that are, frankly, unsafe.
More importantly, Fox gun rights to become a wedge issue in this campaign. It’s probably the reason that he keeps bringing the issue up. On his site, he claims:
Unlike my opponent, I am 100% committed to protecting your right to keep and bear arms under the U.S. and Montana Constitutions.
It’s important enough for Fox to underline on the web page, but not important enough to substantiate, and that’s exactly the point of this strategy. In practical terms, impact on state and federal legislation about guns, there is likely little difference between the two candidates. Fox thinks that a few pictures of him holding guns and a few statements defending rights unlikely to be lost makes him an issues-based candidate drawing important distinctions between himself and Steve Bullock.
What it really makes him is someone misleading voters with scare tactics and pandering to the most extreme elements of special interest groups.
Article by Don Pogreba
Don is an English/Debate teacher and debate handbook author who lives in Helena, MT, and who can't imagine living anywhere other than this glorious state. Much of his writing happens late at night and he is unlikely to respond to your comments during the day.
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Fox wants me to have LAW rockets in my backyard, and drive an Abrams to work. How can I say no to that? hehehehehehe
What is Fox’s concern with our current situation? Does Fox have a reason to be worried about anti-gun laws being passed and enforced in Montana?
He’s trying to use an old Republican tactic of the 90s. Will people buy it? I really don’t know. If you pound something over and over it might spark and then catch.
It’s not a big issue now because Dems are convinced they cannot win while taking away guns. But I predict less than 12 months after Barack wins the Presidency, the need for new gun control laws is a Dem talking point from the highest level pushed down to all of us.
FEAR!
If you don’t have issues or an agenda other than corporate enrichment and endless war, you might as well use some good ol’ fear to scare the voters.
I would have thought that, after the Supreme Court decided cities could not regulate gun rights, this would be a dead issue. Some pundits have said that after that decision, there is no need for the NRA.
The NRA is a general group of crazy white guys. I know, I used to belong. But I began to get this odd feeling that these guys are all scared to death…scared of women, dogs, bears, zoos, Yellowstone Park, darkly colored people, young people, wolverines, well; you get the picture. Paranoia is not pretty but it is what NRA activists thrive on. I belonged to the ACLU and the NRA the same year. I kind of like the Bill of Rights, even though I like some better than others.
But, the NRA’s narrow focus on one single amendment speaks loudly for their philosophy. When Charleton Heston took over the NRA, he dropped the ACLU because he didnt like the fact that they like all those other amendments that give trouble makers free reign. I still support the ACLU, but the NRA…I dont know…I think they should grow up and see the BIll of Rights as a single blanket of protection for we citizens. And, of course, so should the ACLU.
You would think the NRA would have the following quotes ‘embezzled’ on their brains: Scalia, “The right to privacy is overstated.” Bork, “The Bill of Rights is out of date” and of course Bush, “its just a piece of paper.”
The politics of fear, such as practiced by the NRA and Tim Fox, is designed to get the dim bulbs excited enough to vote. Then they go and vote for guys who, like Bush, Scalia and Bork, really detest just about everything about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It wont be liberals who ban guns, it will be the Fascists and they live right inside the heart of the GOP.
I am a life long democrat and have had no concerns about gun control until my son’s hunting rifle was taken by the Blaine County Atorney and supported by the state Attorney General. My son had responded to calls for help by a wounded deputy sheriff who’s partner had been killed . He responded to where the deputy had returned to his car and the suspect was approaching them from the feild where the shootng had taken place. My son handcuffed the suspect and placed him in the patrol car. The rifle was never fired was not used in the trial and was not on the evidence list.I have not been able to get the gun back. I have never been able to find any case where this has happened before.Do I have to join the NRA and vote Republican to try and have my rights as a Montana citizen restored. Feel free to contact me if you want more details or have any suggestions. thanks
Who has the rifle? The attorney general’s office? My guess would be to ask them their justification. Either way, it has nothing to do with gun control per se, but with bureaucracy, I’m guessing. If they don’t need the gun for evidence, I don’t see why they can’t give it back. If they do, I imagine you can get reimbursed for something of that kind of value as long as no wrong doing is suspected on your part.
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