One morning about fifteen years ago, I was sitting in a gray carpeted cubicle in an office building and ranting about some Hollywood actor who was pushing some gun control law or other.
The fellow in the next cube over decided to pull that chain and see what would happen. “So I thought you were all about equal rights. How is what she’s doing different from what you’re doing? You won’t shut up about your opinion, why should she?”
As I recall, I opened my mouth to say something about how everything this chick knew about guns she learned from a prop department, and people should shut the hell up on topics about which they know nothing. But that was a trap. Abysmal ignorance never stopped me before, and my cube-mate knew it. And so instead I said something like,
“There’s a difference between stating an opinion and trying to run everybody else’s life. I’m not trying to ban shit just because I find it icky. I think tattoos are stupid, but if I was king of the world I wouldn’t outlaw them.”
At that point my heavily tattooed co-worker shut up – and concentrated on his ultimately successful campaign to get me fired.
I should stop websurfing first thing in the morning, because that’s what brought all this to mind in the form of a Huffpo editorial titled – wait for it …
Dear Congress: Pry Those Guns From Our Cold, Dead Fingers
…now with extra lies, damn lies and statistics!
What causes mass shootings? The same thing that causes 61% of all deaths by gun violence (suicides): easy access to guns. If no one in your family has suffered the negative effects of gun ownership, it’s not because you are a “responsible gun owner.” You are just lucky.
This woman does not want to ban your guns, you paranoid silly. No. She just wants common-sense control.
I believe that Americans should be allowed to own any type of gun they want to–as long as they are stored in locked cases at gun clubs. Want to shoot a semiautomatic and feel like an action movie hero? Knock yourself out–at the gun club. Want to take your kids hunting for the weekend? Check out your hunting rifles–from the gun club.
Yes, gun ownership is totally okay with this woman, who knows what she’s talking about because she once no fooling totally saw a gun and lived to tell. She just wants to ban access to them. Because – and this is bolded in the original, as it’s the article’s actual thesis –
Because all parents who own and store guns in their homes are irresponsible, regardless of whether anyone in the family has a mental illness.
No, gun safes are no good either. Because Adam Lanza.
“Gun violence,” as any sensible person knows, is caused by guns. So much so that our brave correspondent actually fears for her life now that she has made herself heard…
I’ve avoided talking publicly about guns for this simple reason: I am afraid one of my Second Amendment-worshipping, gun-toting neighbors will shoot me. As I wrote this essay, my husband, reading over my shoulder, said, “Let’s update our wills before you publish.”
But our fear speaks volumes about why we need to talk about guns. In fact, we all are afraid–to go to the store, to the movie theater, to school. It’s time to face that fear head on and do something about it.
Lady, you have said something with which I completely agree – your fear speaks volumes. But it doesn’t say anything about me or my guns. I wouldn’t dream of shooting you, or indeed of molesting you in any way. Pity you’re not willing to return the courtesy.
But I know – you have stated explicitly – what form you want ‘doing something about it’ to take. Not womanning up and taking responsibility for your own defense, no. Of course that wouldn’t be ‘facing your fear head-on.’ Instead you’ll settle for getting lawmakers to send heavily-armed thugs to disarm all your lightly-armed neighbors. This, you somehow believe, will bring you freedom from fear – no matter how many people will need to be slaughtered in the process so that Congress can pry their guns from their cold, dead fingers.
She has taken a principled stance and should now demand action in the form of disarming all the congresscritters and their protectors. Lead by example.
Our local paper has been running anti-gun editorial cartoons regularly under the heading “Another View”. Oddly, they never seem to run anything supporting gun ownership unless the gun owner is depicted in a negative way. Pisses me off…
The stupid . . . it burns. And there is apparently no cure.
Which brings us back to…It is not the tool, stupid, but the operator of the tool, that is the problem.
“I should stop websurfing first thing in the morning…”
Le sigh. Unfortunately, Joel, for me I think this may be the most important takeaway of all, here. (The more unfortunate because your actual point is brilliantly made.)
“All politics in this country now is simply dress rehearsal for civil war.” No offense to Billy Beck, but I still don’t want that to be right. Unfortunately–and this seems to be one of the core things that separates freedom people from control freaks–I do understand that the truth does not require my consent, my approval, my acknowledgement, or even my awareness.
“Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” Look, I’m no sort of religious man at all, but it’s hard to imagine something more on-the-mark than that.
Strange as it may seem for a non-religious type, I ask forgiveness for me too. For what I may some day have to do in response. Don’t want it, won’t have chosen it, will have tried to avoid it, sucks to be everyone on that day. But as Horton the elephant said, “I meant what I said, and said what I meant.” Just so. (And just one irony among so many…that this crowd cannot–will not–understand that “no” really does mean “no”.)
Shit. The outrage fatigue…it really brings to life the magnitude of the curse of Cassandra, doesn’t it? Those Greeks weren’t screwing around with their curses.
And all because people have forgotten–I really suspect that’s what it is–that absolution…isn’t.
Sorry for ramble. Struggling today.
“It’s time to face that fear head on and do something about it.”
Like buy a gun and learn to use it? That would be doing something.
It is a lot easier to try and ban guns than deal with the root of the violence problem.
The hard way would be to stop mollycoddling kids, to let them face failure and learn to deal with it. Let the kids deal with teasing, with failing a grade or not winning in track. But no, it’s easier to bow down to parents demands because “the curriculum is too hard,” or “there is too much homework, or “the other kids are too fast/strong” etc. So the curriculum gets dumbed down, in track everyone get a medal. It’s easier to do this and later blame the gun, the flag etc. It’s easier to do this then dealing with an angry mom or dad who uses social media, who votes, who pays taxes, who hires lawyers…
On a somewhat more positive note, two of our Wisconsin legislators claim to be seeking support for a bill to allow carry on public campuses AND inside buildings. Campus carry is presently at the whim of the schools and the UW has signs at every door of every building prohibiting weapons. Predictably, there is hue-and-cry about being less safe with guns around. Well, yeah, when the loony with ill intent is the only one carrying.
“I’ve avoided talking publicly about guns for this simple reason: I am afraid one of my Second Amendment-worshipping, gun-toting neighbors will shoot me.”
Yes, it could happen, if you are successful in your ardent desire to kick off a civil war. Actions do have consequences…