CRS
Chandler, Arizona, United States

There's an old saying. If you don't want someone to join a crowd, you ask them, "If everyone were jumping off of a cliff, would you?" Well, I have. So my answer would be "Yes". True story.
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A Few Things I Learned Over the Summer of 2009 Part 2

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

this entry brought to you by radiohead, "in limbo"

if you like politics and don't mind reading really, really long editorials, please click here to read yesterday's blog





These people-- and when I say "these people", I mean the maniacs on the right-- over the month of August, have found it completely prudent to bring loaded weapons to town hall meetings with Congressmen, but have done it especially at rallies specifically with the President of the United States. When interviewed by the press and asked why they brought guns to public events about health care, they always respond by saying "It's my right."

The only reason to bring a gun to a public event with a politician having absolutely nothing to do with gun rights is to bully and intimidate. There can be no other reason for it. It certainly isn't to promote civility. If you were going to be civil, you would only use your words, which has much less chance of killing a person than a weapon. The reason cops have guns visible on their person is to do the exact same thing: to intimidate you. If you see that a police officer has a weapon, you are much more likely to not try to do anything he doesn't want you to do. But a cop, hopefully, is there to promote the safety of others. If you are bringing a gun to a public event with a politician, you are only promoting your ideas. You aren't there for the greater good. You are there to intimidate what you perceive as the opposition into doing your will.

Here's what I don't understand. It seemed to me whenever there was a school shooting, the NRA used to jump on television telling everyone that the proper reaction wasn't to pass more strict gun control laws, but gun education. Yet when some jackass goes out to a town hall on health care with a loaded fucking assault rifle-- the word "assault" is right there in the name!-- they don't come on the television to talk about responsibility and self control. They never chastise their side to act responsibly, they only yell when they perceive the other side encroaches on their supposed freedoms.

Let's say that I'm a politician, and I am trying to ban all guns of all types. When am I more likely to do it, when you are being civil and talking intelligently, or when you're trying to bully and intimidate people?
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with love from CRS @ 10:07 AM 

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