U.S. Jews support gun control, but the political debate ignores it

I called my local District Atty., whom I knew, for advice after a violent psychopath boyfriend of a patient made a serious threat to murder me. After informing me that a restraining order against this fellow would make him the prime suspect after my death, the DA advised me to buy a gun and learn how to use it. In the delusional world of Reb Yoffie, I wouldn't be allowed to carry, own or purchase a firearm. Until the lion lies down with the lamb, I will continue to view this violent world as it is, not as we dream it to be. On the larger stage of life:vis pacem, para bellum.

Can you help explain why Jews abhor self-defense?

Did not the Nazis in the 1930's demand all guns be turned in? Correct me if I am wrong.

Rabbi Yoffie is sadly mistaken if he believes that all US Jews support gun control. Actually, many of us support gun rights. We are passionate about the 2nd Amendment no less than we are passionate about the First, and are grateful to live in a country where we have the means of self-defense.

There are people in the USA who will vote for a candidate based on his stance on gun control issues. There are certain sectors of the population, usually rural or semi-rural, who use guns in their farming, in their hunting and in their defense. This sector constitutes a far most significant "swing vote" than any Jews, who are justifiably loyal voters for the Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party. The problem with regard to the gun control issue in the USA is the diversity of living situations which exist in the USA: rural, urban, suburban, semi urban etc. That means that a given set of policies which would be entirely appropriate for one environment, are not at all appropriate for another. There is no issue for which this is more true than gun control: The urbanites want it but those in rural areas consider the gun a necessary tool of their lives and also a part of their culture. Therefore: If a person would be more likely to vote Democratic if the wedge issue of gun control was removed from the political and policy calculus, then this issue has to be overlooked, at the expense of the urbanites and suburbanites.

If Obama had made it an election issue there would have been no extra votes in it for him - in fact, as the author points out it would have been a vote-loser - just as he decided for electoral reasons to leave his support for a 2-state solution as no more then empty words.