Carson’s answer has many people freaking out on both sides. 

“I think that the people who are protesting certain feel that they are absolutely 100% right. But, of course, the people on the other side think that they’re 100% right, too, and that’s why we need to get back to a point of having civil discussions.

“Let’s put on the table: what is the reason for the Second Amendment? And is there a reason that we need to change those things right now? And let’s put the data on the table and let’s talk about like intelligent people, rather than getting in our respective corners and hurling insults at each other.”

Dr. Carson is a subtle man in a time of bombast, and I interpret his comments to mean that we should look at why there is a natural right to bear arms, because the merits of that natural right are unchanging and can stand up to any scrutiny once we strip away rhetoric and look at the facts and data.

Numerous gun rights advocates over the years have put it much more bluntly but essentially said the same thing in their rebuff to gun control groups, “You don’t like the right to bear arms? Try to repeal it.”

I view Dr. Carson’s statement to be a less confrontational restatement of that same idea and one more likely to persuade people who don’t have strong feelings about the issue one way or the other, and who would rather hear reasoned discussion that the vile hyperbole that took place during that staged Democrat fund-raising stunt.