Monday, February 08, 2010

Nothing Ever Changes!

So King, North Carolina, has a blizzard and what do they do? The usual:
Other restrictions include a ban on the sale or purchase of any type of firearm, ammunition, explosive or any possession of such items off a person's own premises.
The moral of this story is don't wait until a major social dislocation strikes to stock up on beans, bullets and band-aids. Regardless of the nature of the problem, you should never have to run out and top up a few things. This is the risk equivalent of going to a biker bar way out in the desert wearing a t-shirt that reads, "HARLEYS ARE FOR PUSSIES!" You know in advance how the story ends.

A big ole RAH RAH to Joe Huffman out at The View from North Central Idaho — and BTW, Joe, we will be filming at BOOMERSHOOT 2010! — for his relentless slamming of antigunners as "bigots." The right to keep and bear arms is indeed a right, and people who oppose a right are indeed bigots. Here's one of the examples Joe posts...tell me if you don't think this is bigotry in its most virulent form:
I'm sorry, I see you are still wearing your little weapon and strutting about like you are the rather doughy, bad-skinned king of the sand castle. Perhaps we were not clear? Shall we try it again?
Clearly, you are not a police officer. Therefore, the management, our employees and pretty much everyone within a 100-mile radius would very much appreciate it if you would put away that ego-fluffing man-toy that is designed solely to kill other living creatures and induce fear and ignorance as it regresses every hesitant advancement in the human soul back to caveman grunting lunkishness. Thank you again!
Oh, please do not misunderstand! We are all terribly impressed. It is so very patriotic of you to show off your little popper! Are you in a gang? Are you a drug dealer? Are you going to shoot some scary terrorists, Mr. pallid paranoid Constitution-misquoting videogame-addicted guy? Protect all of us here in the casual neighborhood coffee shop from those crazy liberals and their health care reform and organic pretzels? Thank you so much! But really, I think we'll be OK without your little display. Enjoy your frappucino, won't you?
Cute, huh? That little tidbit is from Mark Morford at SFGate. Interestingly enough, in the NSSF media program we worked with writers from SFGate, who were shocked that we had gay instructors on our team. Once they realized that we weren't the "pallid paranoid Constitution-misquoting videogame-addicted guy(s)" they thought we were, they did a complete flip-flop on guns. Interesting.

I also agree with Joe's standards on testing for bigotry...in fact, I used the very same technique when lecturing to journalism students and talking to big city newspaper editors — substitute a different group of people as the "target" in the piece...instead of "all gun owners are pallid paranoid Constitution-misquoting videogame-addicted guys"...substitute..."all Jews are pallid paranoid Constitution-misquoting videogame-addicted guys." As I told the "J" class, if when you read the second statement out-loud you feel queasy, it's bigotry plain and simple.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree that that guy from SFGate was over the top and deserves all sorts of flack for what is a TERRIBLE piece of writing. Truly a load of crap.

I have to say though that I'm not a supporter of OPEN CARRY. I CC everyday but there is a HUGE ideological difference in my mind between CC and OC. I realize that's the only option in the Crazy state of CA. In many other states however, where CC is an option, why choose OC? You draw WAY too much attention to yourself and ruin any situational safety you may have hoped for.

No matter what way I look at it, OC seems confrontational. From watching the Best Defense regularly you bet you butt that my situational awareness goes WAAY up when I see a person OC. In my mind, ANY visible weapon (Firearm, EDC blade etc) makes my "radar" go off - even on a LEO.

Feel free to counter point me here (that's a service Michael's Blog allows!) but I've yet to see a good argument FOR OC when CC is available. Frankly, I don't think OC does much if anything to help support CC advocates either.

RKL said...

That blurb by Morford is just childish. People who can't think things through by using rational thought have to resort to that type of gibberish. He sounds like a 14 year old. If he's not, then he should be embarrassed. Just me 2 cents.

RKL

Joe Huffman said...

Glad to hear you are definitely going to be there. I presume you will be bringing your guns for both long range (375->700 yards) targets on Sunday and the close up (25 yards) High Intensity event on Friday and Saturday evenings.

You are also welcome to attend "Media Day" on Thursday April 22nd with the bloggers.

Filming of the explosives and target making on Friday and Saturday might be of interest too.

Damdoc said...

good youtube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TC2xTCb_GU&feature=player_embedded

Machiavelli's Window said...

@Anonymous...just like your name suggests you would prefer it if gun owners would 'stay in the closet'. Gee...where have I heard that argument before? Let's see, YES- back in the stone age of "don't ask- don't tell" way before gay rights brought an entire class of human being the right to be who they are in public. I can remember living in SFO then and watching the parade down Castro St.
Yes, I'll admit to having been a bit nauseated in my bigotry at the time. But, I was also impressed that gays had the balls to be who they are in public.
So, what is it? Do you have the balls, Punk? Well, Do ya? Or are you really just hiding your insecurity behind what others might think of your being proud to be an American with the right to defend yourself. Screw your "makes my radar go off".

Kristophr said...

Anon: 1234:

If you have to hide the fact that you are doing it, then it isn't really a right.

Come out of the closet ... I dare you.

Rivrdog said...

Are we talking preferences here? Seems to me that Anon was talking preferences.

I prefer CC where I have a choice, OC where there is no choice and I need to be armed.

OC as advocated and practiced in CA is very important, but if CC-shall issue is ever achieved there, I hope that the OC citizens "go back in the closet", as it is so eloquently (not) put above.

I want my fellow citizens armed, polite, and ready. Dealing with the PSH that goes with OC is a fact of life, but that doesn't mean that we have to like it.

The PSH is really the issue here, isn't it? Why aren't reasonable folks trying to deal with the PSH from directions that solutions might have a chance of working from? The in-your-face solution will convert few.

Anonymous said...

I live in Florida and am very, very thankful that our state is a Shall issue state. While I am licensed to carry concealed I would like to see open carry allowed also. For me it is a matter of what works according to my task at hand that day and what type of environment I will be in. If I am attending a dinner social or other function where OC will upset the natives then I will carry concealed. OTOH, if I am heading out in the woods and expect to be places where I can be more relaxed with my style of carry I would prefer to carry OWB. MB, as I have seen in photos posted here enjoys the advantage of open carry and OWB and I am sure each time he puts on his holster and gun he is grateful he can do just that, not think of where to hide the gun and how his draw techniques will fare as he is wearing heavy winter clothing.

I do not feel the need to be concerned about the other person, the other licensed carrier and if their style of carry will draw attention to them. Why is it that if one person mentions open carry that others will raise a fuss as to why they do not want to carry openly? Why can’t a legal American citizen have the ability to choose? Why is it that if I say I want open carry that my choice has to somehow affect your choice of carry?

In New Mexico there are rules about open carry versus concealed and I would be ecstatic if Florida had the same rules but I much rather prefer only one rule; to keep and bear arms and in no way infringed upon.

Why is it that if I decide to go to the corner stop-n-rob with my licensed firearm on my side that it should affect any other licensed carrier? If I approached each day with the forethought that someone else’s actions and style of carry in another state was going to somehow affect me and my gun rights then I would be a nervous wreck! Thankfully in this country (while it is still under the Constitution) someone else’s actions with a garden rake does not affect me or my ability to use a garden rake. Therefore, if a person does something that brings harm upon themself mishandling a firearm, looking for trouble then trouble will find them. Please do not lump me in with that crowd or any other crowd but rather let me exercise to the full extent my God given right to defend my life and those of my family preserved for me under the Second Amendment and not be a nanny.

You do as you want and I will do the same, so long as the end of my fist does not touch the end of your nose we are good.

Palmbay lou.

Kristophr said...

You do as you want and I will do the same, so long as the end of my fist does not touch the end of your nose we are good.


Agreed.