Sticking to Her Guns

Buchanan defends the Second Amendment.

By: Nando S. on November 4th, 2005 at 3:41 PM

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Slightly more than a year after they branded this publication’s contributors as “Buchananite pricks,” the editors of the Cornell Review surprised campus conservatives on October 20 by inviting...a Buchanan!

Speaking before a 40 member crowd, former U.S. Treasurer and current political strategist Bay Buchanan delivered a talk entitled “Guns and More Guns: The Case for Arming the Citizenry.” The majority of the lecture was dedicated to the topic of guns in America and the remaining time to commentary on various American political issues.

She began by noting that conservatives were losing the gun debate during the ‘90’s, but a necessary change of argument turned the tables. Throughout the ‘90’s we would hear stories of a madman creeping onto a school playground and ruthlessly shooting young children, or of high school students bringing guns to school and murdering their peers.

Occurrences like these, although rare, made the American population think twice about gun rights. At the time the conservative argument in defense of gun-rights consisted mostly of appeals to the second amendment, which were not sufficient to convince parents seeing kids the same age as their own children murdered with guns. The problem was that the right needed a new argument that could be as effective in gathering support for gun-rights as violence on the news was in creating doubt.

The answer came in looking at the numbers in support of guns as instruments of defense. Once conservatives made the shift the gun debate began to swing our way due to the “overwhelming evidence that people should have guns.” Mrs. Buchanan provided the audience with many figures indicating the positives of gun ownership. One of the most telling stats was a 45-1 ratio of times guns are used in defense to guns used for crime, and often the gun defense consists simply of making the intruder aware of the presence of a gun. Another figure that puts a dent in the gun-control argument is that in 1977 guns were banned in Washington, D.C., and by the ‘90’s the murder rate in D.C. had tripled as the crime rate in the country had decreased over the same period.

More evidence that the removal of guns from civilian life is not as effective as the left says comes from England. In England over 50 percent of home robberies occur when people are home, while in the United States, that same figure is 13 percent. This statistic suggests that criminals in England are less hesitant to rob an occupied house because they have no fear of the family having a gun, yet in America they wait for the family to leave because of the possibility the family has and will use a firearm.

Regarding guns being used in self-defense, Buchanan said, “This is what the founding fathers had intended…that you should be able to protect your family and your property. The police can’t be there all the time.” She provided an anecdote as a prime example of this principle. She spoke of an old woman who refused to leave the unsafe neighborhood that she had grown up and raised her own children in. A group of thugs invaded her house, beat her to a pulp, and robbed her. This attack left her in a wheelchair, yet she still refused to leave. The next time an intruder arrived to burglarize this seemingly helpless old woman’s home, she was packing, and it was bad news for the crook.

Concluding her talk about guns, Mrs. Buchanan acknowledged, “If [a criminal] thinks you may have a gun, he’s not interested in you.” So we at The Cornell American once again would like to suggest that you remember to carry your Smith & Wesson. [Editor’s note: Carry your Smith & Wesson being respectful of the laws of New York State and Cornell University. We wouldn’t want to encourage anyone to violate the University Code of Conduct, now would we?]

After her talk about arming the citizenry, Buchanan heavily criticized the lack of principle displayed by the leadership of the Republican Party. She observed that it is disturbing when top Republican officials cast doubt on the President’s choice of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court only to retract their disapproval when they get a call from the White House. True leaders would hold their values despite the possible loss of support from the President, and true leaders would not compromise their well-reasoned beliefs for the sake of politics.

Buchanan also spoke briefly about the failure of the Republican Party to deal with illegal immigration and excessive spending. She was also critical of the Democratic Party‘s perpetual negativity and inability to pick up any issues that the Republicans are weak on.

In addition to her political commentary, Buchanan encouraged everyone to discuss and debate his or her beliefs with people of opposing viewpoints. She noted that only through contact with the other side is it possible to strengthen the logic of your own arguments and build enough confidence to be a leader.

Altogether, Buchanan’s talk was a welcome treat for campus conservatives. Her principled, uncompromising beliefs were a delight to hear, especially during a time when most of the political landscape is tainted by corruption and political expediency. Hopefully, more great leaders like her will appear and reinvigorate the conservative movement.

 

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