{"id":2444,"date":"2023-10-29T11:26:45","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T11:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=2444"},"modified":"2023-10-29T11:26:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T11:26:45","slug":"its-strange-the-things-for-which-some-people-are-willing-to-make-liberty-tradeoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=2444","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s Strange the Things for Which Some People Are Willing to Make Liberty Tradeoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946.jpg\" data-caption=\"Bigstock\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"464\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-770x513.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-217x145.jpg 217w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-430x287.jpg 430w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bigstock-203238946-597x398.jpg 597w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" alt=\"guns alcohol booze\" title=\"guns alcohol booze\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bigstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Watching the usual <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/2Aupdates\/status\/1717964719372357961\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anti-gun tirades<\/a> by gun-haters in the aftermath of a high profile shooting like the one in Lewiston, Maine, it\u2019s interesting to see the things that people will and won\u2019t make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/research_briefs\/RB9535.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">liberty tradeoffs<\/a> for. Even those who can only argue by spouting things like, \u201cHow many people have to die for your rights?\u201d make these tradeoffs. One that comes up frequently is alcohol.<\/p>\n<p>The United States famously gave prohibition <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/articles\/2020\/pov-the-100th-anniversary-of-prohibition-reminds-us-that-bans-rarely-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a try<\/a>. Thanks to widespread non-compliance with the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cato.org\/policy-analysis\/alcohol-prohibition-was-failure#the-iron-law-of-prohibition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noble experiment<\/a>\u201d combined with the inevitable increases in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/kenburns\/prohibition\/unintended-consequences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">corruption and organized crime<\/a> that resulted, it didn\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n<p>No one seriously talks about banning alcohol today and there\u2019s very few practical restrictions on its sale. You just have to be 21 years old (a rule that\u2019s easily flouted) and you can buy it at any store or bar that sells it.<\/p>\n<p>You can literally have just been released from a drunk tank or after a DUI arrest and go right back out and buy more. There\u2019s no push by any interest group to change that, and no cries about lax alcohol regulation costing too many lives.<\/p>\n<p>And let\u2019s be clear, while most people can and do use it responsibly, alcohol use costs <em><span class=\"r-36ujnk\">a lot<\/span><\/em> of lives.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_528486\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-528486\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-528486 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"auto accident car wreck crash\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-560x373.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-scaled.jpg\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-528486 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"auto accident car wreck crash\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-696x464.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/shutterstock_1929744833-560x373.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-528486\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A comparison is in order here. According to the CDC, gun-related causes of all types (suicide, homicide, negligence) killed <a href=\"https:\/\/wonder.cdc.gov\/controller\/datarequest\/D176;jsessionid=BCA8E46296E1444C08A862F19A57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">about 48,000<\/a> people last year. But also according to the CDC, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/alcohol\/features\/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">over <span class=\"r-b88u0q\">140,000<\/span><\/a> people die from alcohol-related causes each year. And while many of those are people drinking themselves to death, in 2021 over 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving incidents. That same year, 21% of suicide victims had a blood-alcohol level above 0.1%.<\/p>\n<p>Alcohol-related causes also kill 3,900 people ages 0-20 each year. That\u2019s not quite as high as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/sorry-beto-gun-violence-isnt-the-biggest-killer-of-kids-in-america-gang-violence-is\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gun-related deaths<\/a> in that age group, but it\u2019s in the ballpark. And who knows how many cases of abused children or spouses who are ultimately murdered involved angry drunken fathers?<\/p>\n<p>So with all that in mind, why are some of the very same people who are continually outraged about civilian gun ownership perfectly okay with the status quo on alcohol, which kills about three times as many Americans annually?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Lewiston shooter used a gun by Ruger. So did mass shooters in Boulder, Sutherland Springs and UVA. When will they be held accountable?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kris Brown | President, bradyunited.org (@KrisB_Brown) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KrisB_Brown\/status\/1718085175119356333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 28, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Remember, while some people legitimately do need a gun for self-defense, no one ever \u201cneeds\u201d a drink. Guns are used to stop about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/largest-survey-in-history-shows-americans-defend-themselves-with-guns-1-67-million-times-each-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1.6 million<\/a> robberies, assaults, rapes, and murders every year. How many crimes are prevented and lives saved by alcohol?<\/p>\n<p>Alcohol is a worse liberty tradeoff in that sense, because its only utility is having fun and feeling good. To put it in terms the Gun Control Industry might understand, \u201c<span class=\"r-36ujnk\">By continuing to oppose banning alcohol, you\u2019re saying you\u2019re okay with over 100,000 people dying so you can enjoy an occasional beer. You evil monster!<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>None of this is to say I want us to take another run at prohibition. Of course not. Rather, it\u2019s to demonstrate that everyone implicitly understands and accepts liberty tradeoffs. But when it comes to guns, a lot of people pretend not to.<\/p>\n<p>Never mind that alcohol use isn\u2019t even a constitutional right, yet we have given it <em>de facto<\/em> protection anyway. I see <a href=\"https:\/\/oohtoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/rabbit-hole-dist-larger-view-times-square-2020-12-29_4-20-00.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alcohol advertising<\/a> everywhere in ways that would be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/heres-daniel-defense-superbowl-gun-ad-banned-nfl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">utterly unthinkable<\/a> for guns.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"eJs_c3Phfdo\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Banned Daniel Defense Super Bowl Commercial\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eJs_c3Phfdo?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"r-36ujnk\">Many<\/span> more people die because we can easily buy a drink than because we can (not nearly as easily) buy a rifle.<\/p>\n<p>And to be clear, none of this is to say we shouldn\u2019t do our best to reduce firearm suicides and homicides in ways that still respect the Second Amendment. I just can\u2019t grasp why people don\u2019t see the obvious parallels.<\/p>\n<p>It probably comes down to mass shootings specifically. They\u2019re horrifying enough in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/while-mass-shootings-are-rare-they-prompt-more-action-by-state-and-federal-legislators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">their rarity<\/a> and randomness that people don\u2019t think of the numbers in aggregate. They focus instead on the single atrocity. Yet at any time, a drunk driver can take you out of this life, and it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhtsa.gov\/risky-driving\/drunk-driving\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">far more likely<\/a> that will kill you than a mass shooter.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Konstadinos Moros is an Associate Attorney with Michel &amp; Associates, a law firm in Long Beach that regularly represents the California Rifle &amp; Pistol Association (CRPA) in its litigation efforts to restore the Second Amendment in California. You can find him on his Twitter handle\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MorosKostas\">@MorosKostas<\/a>. To donate to CRPA or become a member, visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/crpa.org\/\">https:\/\/crpa.org\/<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/its-strange-the-things-for-which-some-people-are-willing-to-make-liberty-tradeoffs\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bigstock Watching the usual anti-gun tirades by gun-haters in the aftermath of a high profile shooting like the one in Lewiston, Maine, it\u2019s interesting to see the things that people will and won\u2019t make liberty tradeoffs for. Even those who can only argue by spouting things like, \u201cHow many people have to die for your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2444","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}