“In every age the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among demagogues.” —Thomas Babington Macaulay
“New Hampshire has most machine guns per capita in the country” declared the Sunday Headline of Foster’s Daily Democrat. Foster’s Jim Haddadin writes,
“The number of automatic weapons in New Hampshire increased dramatically after 2010, according to federal firearms records, although it remains unclear whether the growth is being driven by civilians, law enforcement or the military.”
Personally, I think Haddadin gave fair treatment to this topic, given the spotty information the BATFE provides.
It cannot be said that the headline will not be subject to demagoguery by the anti-gun left. That is an observation, not a criticism of Fosters. When I went to get a haircut yesterday, an older fellow was talking about the story, characterizing New Hampshire Gun Owners as, “just plain nuts.” So there is an anecdotal example of taking the headline out of context.
My friend Lars Högblom, a manufacturer, told Fosters, “he suspects the number of registered machine guns in the state has been driven by new machine guns being registered at manufacturing facilities around the state…”
New Hampshire also hosts the following manufacturers:
In the context of the debate on gun control and the Newtown Massacre, It is important that we, the shooting community, educate people with respect to the nuances of firearms, the myths, the realities, the process and the facts of ownership, control and laws. Folks like Ralph Demicco, Lars Högblom, Evan Nappen, Penny Dean need our help to make certain that people are clear about firearms. Lets make sure we get educated, get informed and be capable of rationally and knowledgably explaining.
Do not let the demagogues take this headline out of context.
