Jews For The Preservation
of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
Psychiatric
Analysis Shows
Anti-Gun People Suffer "Mental Condition"
By Richard W. Stevens
They fear both their own feelings and the motivations of their neighbors, so many anti-gun people lapse into psychological defense patterns. These patterns, according to Sarah Thompson, M.D., lay the foundation of the anti-gun mentality. Dr. Thompson, a psychiatrist and author, detailed these observations in the Fall 2000 issue of the Bill of Rights Sentinel, published by Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO).
"Defense mechanisms distort reality," notes Dr. Thompson. "The common thread in anti-gun people is rage."
Mental State: Rage and Projection
Dr. Thompson’s article, entitled "Raging Against Self Defense," explains that many people are terrified not only by the risk of crime but also by their own angry feelings. Deep inside they are afraid that they might get so upset one day that they would want to hurt or kill another person. If a firearm were handy, they imagine that they might just use it to do violence.
To bury these scary thoughts, some people project them onto other people and inanimate objects. Beliefs that other people will attack without warning, or that firearms are the cause of violence, are two results of this emotional defense mechanism known as "projection."
Mental State: Anxiety and Denial
Another defense mechanism typical of the anti-gun mentality is "denial." Because of their anxiety about helplessness and vulnerability, some people flatly reject any facts that suggest any need to protect themselves. "It can’t happen here" is the typical expression of denial.
In a statement to the press, Aaron Zelman, Executive Director of JPFO, reacted to Dr. Thompson’s findings: "It always seems strange that some people actually oppose the right to self-defense. These psychological insights help explain why some Americans can’t understand the right to keep and bear arms. They are suffering from a mental condition."
Firearms Ownership Triggers Emotional Storm
Hatred of guns and gun owners flares up, Dr. Thompson finds, because anxious anti-gun people see the very existence of firearms as proving self-defense is necessary. Anti-gun people have psychologically denied the need for self-defense, but firearms ownership shatters their illusion. The mere fact that people own and use firearms is a like a neon sign reminding them about the reality they so desperately want to deny. They react intensely by charging that the gun owners are the violent menace to society.
Example: Irrational Rosie O’Donnell
"Rosie O’Donnell proved the point," commented Zelman. "She said she wanted all gun owners thrown in prison, regardless of whether those owners committed any actual crime. That sort of unthinking rage against responsible firearms ownership could only come from someone with some kind of emotional problem."
Studies show that firearms are used well over 5,000 times per day to stop or deter crimes. "You can’t reasonably deny that firearms save lives, " Zelman said. "You would have to be crazy to want to make it harder for innocent people to protect themselves."
Crazy Rulers with Blind Followers?
Here’s a dangerous combination: political leaders who irrationally fear guns and loathe gun owners – in charge of law enforcement officers who will just “follow orders” to disarm innocent Americans. Many American law men would never turn knowingly against their fellow citizens and confiscate firearms – but some would do exactly that if so ordered.
An eye-opening interview with a California police officer shows exactly how some officers would carry out a civilian disarmament order, regardless of their oath to uphold the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Most younger Americans know almost nothing about our fundamental rights – and young law officers aren’t any different. See the whole disturbing interview on the CCOPS website
Read Dr. Thompson’s article on-line at http://www.jpfo.org. For easier reading and to distribute copies, order a bundle of the Fall 2000 Issue of The Bill of Rights Sentinel (formerly the Firearms Sentinel). This 40-page issue also contains the gripping true story of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and insights about why women should care about the right to keep and bear arms.
To get these articles, and to join JPFO (you don’t have to be Jewish), call (800) 869-1884 or click on the website. Annual dues are still only $20. A 50-pack of The Bill of Rights Sentinel is just $29.95 postage paid. Grab control of the debate by getting inside the minds of the anti-gunners – and destroy their credibility. Act today!