Joan Peterson, board member of the Brady Campaign and Chair of the Board for Protect Minnesota, writes that We Need to Talk about gun violence and gun control:

We do need to have a serious discussion about what’s going on in our country concerning guns and gun permit holders.

[…]

We need to talk about the wisdom of letting citizens carry guns around with them wherever they go. We need to talk about why it is dangerous to ramp up fear and paranoia amongst people who have been led to believe in myths and outright lies about our nation’s President. Violent talk and promoting fear and paranoia just may lead to tragedy. What is the sense of all of this? I say there isn’t any. We need a whole lot more common sense when it comes to American gun laws and the American gun culture. Will we have the serious discussion that the nation deserves about this public health and safety issue? Please talk to your own legislators and Congress members and ask them to get busy and have a discussion that will lead to action in the name of the victims of gun violence and the devastation to our families and communities.

Except that Joan and her organizations, along with the majority of the gun control / anti-gun community, never engage in this sort of discussion. Across their events, their Facebook pages, twitter posts, blogs, and elsewhere they censor, refuse to post, refuse to debate, and generally talk only within their own community.

For example, I submitted the following comments to Joan’s post above – none of which have been posted:

japete writes: “We do need to have a serious discussion about what’s going on in our country concerning guns and gun permit holders. “

Yes, we do need to have a serious discussion. Let’s have that discussion.

I’m curious where it is that you propose to have this discussion considering the heavy handed censoring that occurs here on this blog, on the Protect MN Facebook page, on the Moms Demand Action Facebook page, on the Protect MN / Northland Chapter Facebook page, on the Brady Campaign Facebook Page, on the CSGV Facebook Page, on the Moms Demand Action Twin Cities Chapter Facebook page, on Baldr’s blog (which now simply doesn’t have comments at all), on the Mayors Against Illegal Gun Facebook page…

Where is it that we’re going to have this discussion? Freely, in the open, without censorship of comments, facts, and opinions?

This is one of more than one hundred and thirty comments that I have submitted to Joan’s blog that have never been posted. None of my comments are insulting, demeaning, use profanity, or blame the victims – Joan’s most common reasons for censoring her comments.

Others are writing on this issue today as well – including Sebastian at Shall Not be Infringed and Weer’d Beard at his own blog.

So here’s my challenge to Ms. Peterson: I’ll engage in a discussion with you anytime, anywhere, as long as there’s no censorship, an open/public forum, and that the proceedings are recorded with both video and audio.

About two hours should provide a good discussion. I’m free on Monday, Labor Day.

How about it?

Update: Joan has more…