Althouse: "A gun show in Montgomery County drew a huge crowd on Sunday, despite calls for stricter gun control..."

December 17, 2012

"A gun show in Montgomery County drew a huge crowd on Sunday, despite calls for stricter gun control..."

Despite...

Is that the right word?

70 comments:

traditionalguy said...: The deluded gun takers are retarded to think that outlawing a useful tool will make the tool worthless. It only drives up the demand.; 12/17/12, 12:18 PM
Sorun said...: I gave away my one and only rifle to a relative who hunts. Now I think I should buy another while I still can.; 12/17/12, 12:19 PM
cryptical said...: I've heard through the grapevine that gun & accessory sales at regular brick and mortar stores are up over the weekend, ammunition is going like hotcakes at Walmart (home of affordable bulk ammo), and websites selling gun accessories are backordered on a lot of stuff.

You'd think there had been some loose talk of gun control going on, or something.; 12/17/12, 12:20 PM
Anonymous said...: "in spite of" and "despite" are synonyms in our language (English)

BTW, I favor my shotgun for home self defense. Harder to miss, really loud, and if you run out of ammo, the heft and steel will do a lot more damage than a baseball bat.; 12/17/12, 12:24 PM
David said...: I would say "in spite."; 12/17/12, 12:25 PM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: It will take more than the odd school shooting to make guns uncool.

I'd recommend public service announcements featuring celebrities.; 12/17/12, 12:27 PM
Seeing Red said...: Doesn't Zuckerberg hunt?; 12/17/12, 12:28 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Obama used the word "regardless"... driving these people regardful.; 12/17/12, 12:28 PM
Crunchy Frog said...: I would say "in spite."

Then you would still be incorrect. The correct word is "because".; 12/17/12, 12:30 PM
cryptical said...: Before I take heed of any celebrity calls for my disarmament, as a show of good faith I would like them to unilaterally disarm, including their security details.

Then we can have a "conversation" about "gun safety".; 12/17/12, 12:30 PM
FullMoon said...: The correct word is"because".; 12/17/12, 12:31 PM
Seeing Red said...: What's really interesting is that Bedbug Bloomberg has a waiver for his staff to carry guns in Bermuda, a non-gun island.; 12/17/12, 12:33 PM
Known Unknown said...: Connecticut School Shooting Doesn’t Deter Crowd At Gun Show In Montgomery County

Why would one deter the other when one, in fact, may encourage the other?; 12/17/12, 12:36 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Lets see if this works...

An abortion clinic in Montgomery County drew a huge line on Sunday, despite calls for stricter abortion laws.

Synonyms
preposition. in spite of - notwithstanding - with - regardless of
noun. spite - malice - rancour - rancor - contempt - disdain; 12/17/12, 12:36 PM
Capt. Schmoe said...: Last I read, the slaughter of innocent people is already illegal in all 50 states.

In Ct, Chapter 952, Sec 53a -54a, pretty much defines murder and specifies what the penalties are.
Words on a piece of paper that did nothing to stop the carnage.

I wonder why some people think that more words will make it any different.; 12/17/12, 12:36 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Does the word despite have a tag? You nailed that word before and I've questioned it ever since. It is a double-duty word, a proposition and a noun. As a preposition it is correct here. You must open your mind and your heart to this word with its meaning as a preposition. It is a legitimate and useful word. Accept its usefulness applied variously and cease your aversion affecting readers innocent of your misplaced hangup.

*looks over shoulder*
*confused expression*
*looks over shoulder*; 12/17/12, 12:38 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The correct word is"because".

And thats because de_spite of how we feel about it.; 12/17/12, 12:40 PM
jrberg3 said...: ""A gun show in Montgomery County drew a huge crowd on Sunday, despite calls for stricter gun control...""

Why would one even begin to think that the CT shooting would? It's laughable really. The people attending those shows are obviously folks who feel that more guns are the answer.; 12/17/12, 12:41 PM
Anonymous said...: I'll bet the lefties there (undercover, of course) were furiously videotaping and scribbling down personal info on all those ENEMIES OF THE PARTY.

When Obama's retroactive gun laws get passed into effect---whether by executive order or by fiat (after he has any non-lefties in Congress "arrested for hate mongering")---these undercover agents will be hailed as Heroes of the Party.

For the Future! Forward! Seig Heil, Mein Obama!; 12/17/12, 12:42 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The people attending those shows are obviously folks who feel that more guns are the answer.

Love is the answer.; 12/17/12, 12:43 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: o.i.c.

You're not questioning the proper grammatical usage of the word despite, you're questioning using it because talk of control obviously causes renewed interest.; 12/17/12, 12:45 PM
Cedarford said...: An article with more dark humor would go "Despite the Massacre of the Innocents, Evil gun owners have not been lined up at police stations to turn their useless except to kill children weapons in to the Uniformed Heroes of Our Government!!"
Give the NYTimes a few days to discover that and express Shock! and Outrage!
Ohhhhhhhh! The humanity! People are lining up to buy guns&ammo and order magazines - and not going to the nearest government person to turn the evil-causing weapons in!! Ohhhhh! Have we all gone insane?? The children! The children!!; 12/17/12, 12:48 PM
MadisonMan said...: In the face of I think paints a clearer picture.; 12/17/12, 12:52 PM
sakredkow said...: "A gun show in Montgomery County drew a huge crowd on Sunday, while calls for stricter gun control..."; 12/17/12, 12:54 PM
Known Unknown said...: The problem with despite is that it paints the gun-crowd attendees as news illiterates that are not smart enough to realize the urgent necessity of new gun control regulations.; 12/17/12, 12:58 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: In the face of I think paints a clearer picture.

Sneaky.; 12/17/12, 1:00 PM
David said...: Crunchy, you miss it completely. "In spite" means literally "showing spite four." That is exactly what attendees are doing.; 12/17/12, 1:04 PM
David said...: "for"; 12/17/12, 1:04 PM
Cedarford said...: traditionalguy said...
The deluded gun takers are retarded to think that outlawing a useful tool will make the tool worthless. It only drives up the demand.

=================
A concern on a lot of people's mind that are out getting any gun or ammo store supply they can swing is a concern not just about banning, but new heavy taxes the Democrats will try to justify - on concern about funding all the new government Heroes we must hire and train and pay to "keep the children safe". And it is "only fair" that massive taxes on guns and ammo pay for it.

(Yes, most have never heard about reloading, BTW)

The funny thing is that guns and magazines are low tech. If you have a home workshop, you can make either (perhaps not as reliable, definitely not capable of precision accuracy, but fine for close-in use) in a home workshop. It is modern ammo that is more difficult to build from scratch and not worth the effort - especially for making cases, somehow trying to get components to make a modern primer, and making full-or part jacketed bullets.

The good news is modern ammo has a near-infinite shelf life. And the price of a brick or caseload of .22, .45, .270, 9mm, .223, 30'06, NATO 7.62, or Russian 7.62X39 will never be lessened with time and all the stockpiles might be offered black market years down the road when people can't get any more at a good price due to liberals and laws.

I'm not hoarding ammo, but I still have accumulated a pile of "excess" ammo. Used a .45 and went to a 9mm, sold the .45...forgot to sell the 750 rounds of 45 ammo I had. Now just sitting in a sealed metal military surplus box - next to the two loaded with excess .22 ammo - 3,000 or so rounds of that I picked up at an estate sale 12 years ago for ten bucks or so, figuring I'd never have to buy 22 rounds again. And trying out various shotgun rounds...I have boxes and boxes of excess buckshot rounds and lead shot rounds they changed hunting laws on.
Civilization collapses, "my tribe of Wolverines" will like the ammo I bring to the table as part of what I can offer.; 12/17/12, 1:11 PM
BarrySanders20 said...: More guns in law-abiding peoples' hands is a partial, though woefully inadequate and pathetic, answer to the specific evil in CT. Unless these are K5 teachers buying the guns, and they teach in schools that allow teachers to carry, these gun buyers won't prevent a repeat. Even in Montgomery County. An armed guard at the school might have dropped this loser first, but somebody intent on getting to a kindergarten class to kill and is willing/hoping to die will find a way around the guard. K5 teachers are not going to pack heat.

People arming themselves in places far from CT in response to a poorly reasoned demand to ban or confiscate guns for everyone everywhere because an autistic nutjob in CT killed 20 six year olds is entirely rational and should be expected.; 12/17/12, 1:12 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: While minding my own business here.. I just overheard on the radio, nanny Mayor Bloomberg, making made-up news on the need to "protect the innocent"... and then a car door with the decals "to serve and protect" from police television dramas flashed thru my mind.

Why do the people assigned to protect us have these assault dangerous assault semiautomatic assault weapons?; 12/17/12, 1:17 PM
Larry J said...: bpm4532 said...
"in spite of" and "despite" are synonyms in our language (English)

BTW, I favor my shotgun for home self defense. Harder to miss, really loud, and if you run out of ammo, the heft and steel will do a lot more damage than a baseball bat.

Shotguns are an excellent choice for home defense. One of my coworkers who is extremely knowledgeable about weapons recommends this stuff as well. That's what he told his son's high school principal last Saturday when she asked what he would recommend for use in the schools. It's inexpensive, easy to use and perfectly legal. You hit someone with this stuff and they'll wish you'd shot them instead. Perhaps if that brave school principal and school psychologist had something like this, they would've been able to stop the shooter. Taking on an armed man was extremely brave but ultimately futile. School officials should be given the training and tools they need to help protect their schools.; 12/17/12, 1:19 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: MadisonMan said...

"In the face" of I think paints a clearer picture.

I was going to go with In defiance of...; 12/17/12, 1:21 PM
edutcher said...: Wrong word, but only if you're not a Lefty.

I have a feeling we're going to see a push similar to the one Willie made against militias in the wake of OK City, but against all things survival.; 12/17/12, 1:29 PM
Roger J. said...: Let me second and third the endorsement of a shotgun for home protection--make sure you take the plug out of the magazine so can load five rounds-preferably double OO buckshot. Area fire weapons work wonders given the fact that most people using handguns cannot hit a target. Shotguns, of course, can miss but when you are using double OO buckshot your chances of missing are far less.; 12/17/12, 1:33 PM
DADvocate said...: Crunchy Frog got it.; 12/17/12, 1:34 PM
Roger J. said...: and since, IIRC, most shotguns these days are sold with screw in choke devices--keep the cylinder bore choke device screwed in because you get wider dispersion--exactly what you want with an area fire weapon.; 12/17/12, 1:41 PM
Paul said...: They outlawed alcohol and we got the MOB, very violent in the 1930s.

They outlawed drugs and we got the CARTELS, even more violent than the MOB.

But neither alcohol or drugs was PART OF THE CONSTITUTION.

So guess what would happen if they outlawed 'assault weapons', that is simi-auto rifles/shotguns/pistols that are used the by the police, military, and civilians now?

Outlaw what is perceived as a RIGHT by a majority of Americans.

I bet you would see Fast-n-Furious in reverse. Chinese, North Korean, Russian arms flowing INTO America.

For if they can smuggle in drugs, they can smuggle in guns and ammunition.

Done all the time around the world now, even in the U.K.!; 12/17/12, 1:48 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Austin Gun Store Owner Offers Teachers A Discount.

Not so fast Althouse...

You have to be a Texas resident or something.; 12/17/12, 1:50 PM
dbp said...: I don't think the headline writer was trying to be sneaky, or snarky. I think it is revealing in a way.

If we start by thinking of the writer as logical (hypothetical, of course), then what does it reveal about underlying assumptions?

There are many logical progressions, but this one works:

1. Our leaders, at least the ones calling for "meaningful" or "sensible" regulations, are good and wise.

2. These "wise" leaders think there should be less (or possibly zero) private ownership of fire arms.

3. Therefore, an enlightened citizen should not want a wicked gun, even if they are still "technically" legal.; 12/17/12, 1:56 PM
Paul said...: And what is the real answer?

Institutionalize insane people!

We used to do that in the 1950s. Well time to do that again.

We let them roam the streets, we let them push people off subways, we let them threaten people.

Yes bad things happened in the '50s and '60s, but times have changed and the horrible experiments they did then are not done now..

Institutionalization is the answer. If they are insane, they need treatment. If dangerous they need to be kept out of society.

Weapons will always be available, be it guns, gasoline, propane bombs, poison, or just using the car to run over groups of people (even children.)

We need to get the insane out of society before society goes insane.; 12/17/12, 1:56 PM
Pettifogger said...: EDM said: "The problem with despite is that it paints the gun-crowd attendees as news illiterates that are not smart enough to realize the urgent necessity of new gun control regulations."

That's a good point and probably a correct assessment of the intended implication.; 12/17/12, 1:58 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "A Pot Fest in Montgomery County drew a huge crowd on Sunday, despite calls for stricter pot control..."

It depends on the target.; 12/17/12, 1:58 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: When I said sneaky I meant MM is sneaky... putting that "in the face off" with "painting a picture".

We need meaningful legislation to deal with that kind of writing... regardless of the users place of residence.; 12/17/12, 2:06 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Lem said...

Lets see if this works...

An abortion clinic in Montgomery County drew a huge line on Sunday, despite calls for stricter abortion laws.

No, it doesn't. Not many women will hurry out to have an abortion today, just in case they need one a couple of years from now when they might be illegal. :); 12/17/12, 2:08 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Ok.. nice shooting.; 12/17/12, 2:16 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Ok let me take a stab at it...

What the gun show people seem to be saying is... its better to have something taken away... than not to have that something and still get it taken away anyways.; 12/17/12, 2:24 PM
Bryan C said...: You can't be a proper modern journalist without using "despite" and "unexpectedly" at least twice a week.

One of my liberal friends suggested today that anyone who wanted a gun should get one now, before they passed any more useless laws. Another wondered what good "lockdown" policies do if bad guys can just shoot their way in, and why the guards at schools aren't allowed to have guns of their own. The demon-haunted rants of gun grabbers don't stifle the conversation like they once did, thank God.; 12/17/12, 2:27 PM
Loren said...: Why do you have a murder tag on this post?; 12/17/12, 2:30 PM
Loren said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/17/12, 2:30 PM
bagoh20 said...: I know it's a long worn debate, but I prefer a handgun in the home for defense. Hollow point ammo. Sure a shotgun is preferable once you have it in your hand and the intruder is across the room, but I am most concerned about being surprised by an intruder while asleep with them in the room when I wake up. If I have more time than that, the weapon won't matter. So being awakened with a man in the room or already in the house and only feet away, the longer gun becomes a liability. It's too hard to grab, position, maybe cock, aim, and fire. If the intruder is within a few second of reaching you he can make the shotgun inert with one hand on the barrel redirecting it as he moves past and gets inside of the muzzle's direction of fire, and beats or stabs you with the other hand.

A handgun is much easier and quicker to grab and aim when you know where it is. It's at the same time also much harder to find and redirect for the assailant, and almost impossible to get inside the muzzle's field of fire, since you may still be able to shoot him even if he's already on top of you holding you down.

I actually have locked my guns up at home, since I now have 4 Pit Bulls and a German Shepard that will always give me plenty of warning before anyone gets in. I sleep much easier with them around.; 12/17/12, 2:33 PM
hawkeyedjb said...: Crime rates continue to fall, despite the number of people in prison?

As I remember, the way the New York Times put it was "More people are imprisoned, despite the falling crime rate."; 12/17/12, 2:35 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "The crowd was diverse...

There is another loaded word.; 12/17/12, 2:40 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: A handgun is much easier and quicker to grab and aim when you know where it is. It's at the same time also much harder to find and redirect for the assailant, and almost impossible to get inside the muzzle's field of fire, since you may still be able to shoot him even if he's already on top of you holding you down.

Thats the Zimmerman - Martin incident.; 12/17/12, 2:45 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Lem said...
"The crowd was diverse...

There is another loaded word.

Yes, but its usage here is reasonable. When applied to an individual, the use of diverse is perverse.; 12/17/12, 2:55 PM
Matt said...: Everyone who buys guns / rifles should be required to take a class in the use of them. Like driving a car they should have to pass a test and be considered competent.

Also stop the sales of AK-47's and other such weapons.

Won't happen, of course, because politicians are spineless and afraid of the NRA.; 12/17/12, 3:26 PM
Alex said...: People want to do something to assuage their emotional guilt about this. So they go after the NRA or gun owners.; 12/17/12, 3:27 PM
Alex said...: Matt - I don't think Adam Lanza needed more gun training.; 12/17/12, 3:28 PM
Alex said...: Why the murder tag?; 12/17/12, 3:29 PM
Matt said...: Alex

I'm simply proposing ideas that the NRA completely rejects. That's why they get mentioned. They are Fundamentalists for what they think the Second Amendment means. Well regulated militia?; 12/17/12, 3:37 PM
Alex said...: Matt - do you believe the 2A strictly means only the military gets guns?; 12/17/12, 3:47 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Matt,
You're chanting the tired moron's refrain of the ignorant. Seriously, I totally respect your opinion even if I don't agree, but for God's sake educate yourself about the realities of the debate prior to joining it.; 12/17/12, 3:54 PM
MayBee said...: but against all things survival.

I thought that was ridiculous, but then I remembered Kristoff recently wrote a column critical of Sandy victims who had bought home generators.; 12/17/12, 4:18 PM
Capt. Schmoe said...: Matt _ I am pretty sure I can do more damage with a pump action shotgun and a shoulder bag filled with shells than most people can do with an AK47, especially in a close in environment.

Banning the sale of AK-47s would be yet another futile gesture by politicians who need to do something - ANYTHING, to appear to be effective.

Fortunately, there are many of us who see through the charade; 12/17/12, 4:34 PM
Crunchy Frog said...: "A Pot Fest in Montgomery County drew a huge crowd on Sunday, despite calls for stricter pot control..."

What? Why didn't I hear about this???; 12/17/12, 6:32 PM
Cincinnatus said...: The only thing that Obama has "stimulated" in his entire term of office is gun sales.; 12/17/12, 7:34 PM
Cincinnatus said...: Matt, you are silly. Your reference to "AK 47" is a good clue. The AK 47 cannot be sold in the US. Its a fully automatic military arm.

Semi-automatic rifles that resemble the AK series, are no different than any other semi-auto rifle except for cosmetics. The now expired Federal "Assault Weapons" ban classified rifles by cosmetic appearance and meaningless features (like a bayonet lug - as if the danger was that someone would go bayonet people ...)

And by the way, Connecticut has a copy of the expired Federal ban which did nothing to stop the Sandy Hook shooting.; 12/17/12, 7:40 PM
TexasJew said...: I quit the NRA because they were too woosy

It's interesting that they are in hiding right now without a peep.
What kind of leadership is that? Not even a cover statement?
Now, the Gunowners of America group - they are truly hardcore.; 12/17/12, 9:17 PM
Kirk Parker said...: I'm with you on the handgun, bago--in addition to your points, (a) you can operate a handgun with one hand, leaving the other free to dial 911, hold a flashlight (yes, better in some ways than a weapon-mounted light because you can illuminate something w/o pointing the muzzle at it), etc, and (b) people really overestimate the spread of a shotgun at typical inside-the-home self-defense distances.; 12/18/12, 3:41 PM
Michelle Wirth said...: Montgomery County Pennsylvania has more registered Democrats than Republicans - which was not so when I was growing up there in the twentieth century.

One thing that hasn't changed is that there are plenty of gun owners from throughout the political spectrum.

Many of my politics and affiliations could get me labeled as a "lefty-liberal." I shoot firearms and I attended that gun show.

The line was 4 people thick when I showed up at 11 am with a family member who is a lifetime NRA member. He's been to several gun shows at that location. He was surprised by the line and the crowd and said that they're usually quiet on a Sunday. A woman ahead of us in line looked back over the crowd and suggested that maybe people were afraid that our legislators would "try something."

This was the first gun show I've attended. The place was packed with men, women, children (bored adolescents, kids in strollers), including senior citizens and people of many races.

When we left at 1pm, the line was still 4 people thick - and so long that it wound around the building.

I'm sorry the quality of news coverage in my hometown has sunk so low. The writer blew an opportunity to observe, report the facts, and create an opportunity to replace bias with a more complete picture.; 12/20/12, 5:44 PM