He’s right
It’s hard to blog about guns and gun control because so many others already do it. Instead Mays offers some quotes for perusal. One that I hadn’t seen before:
“We did indeed know much about your preparedness. We knew that probably every second home in your country contained firearms. We knew that your country actually had state championships for private citizens shooting military rifles. We were not fools to set foot in such quicksand.” — A Japanese Admiral 15 years after VJ day on why Japan didn’t invade the US mainland after Pearl Harbor.
Good stuff. I should point out to Mays that it’s not just liberals attacking gun rights (his quote by Giuliani should evidence that) as all major party presidential candidates support the assault weapons ban.
December 8th, 2003 at 4:36 pm
I’ve seen something very similar attributed to a Japanese admiral but it was an urban legend. However, I can find no mention of it on Snopes.
December 8th, 2003 at 5:23 pm
Interesting. I, too, would tend to doubt the authenticity of that quote, since its attributions are exceptionally vague everywhere I’ve seen it. The other quotes generally have at least names attributed with them, and often dates as well. In this case, those specifics are conspicuous by their absence.
December 9th, 2003 at 9:16 am
Unless it was one of Yamamoto’s staff that visited in the 1920’s, I can’t think of whom else it would be. Many Japanese Generals and Admirals committed ritual suicide.
December 9th, 2003 at 12:27 pm
I’d also add that this quote is exceptionally difficult to square with the courage with which the Japanese fought in the South Pacific. It took two friggin’ atomic bombs to make them quit, and even then, it was only reluctantly. Something tells me people who stand brave in the face of nuclear attack aren’t going to be overly concerned about a few farmers with pistol and rifles.
December 9th, 2003 at 12:42 pm
The more I think about this, the more it smells bad. Where would the Japanese have staged the invading force? There are a lot more practical barriers to a US invasion than an armed populace.
December 9th, 2003 at 12:45 pm
Dunno. I did a google for the quote and it came up with quite a few sites. Some attributed it specifically to a certain japanese dude. But as with most things, you can never be sure.