A note to the LA Times: you can own a gun, be a “lifelong hunter,” hail from California’s “rugged North Coast and the premier Napa-Sonoma wine country,” and still be a would-be fascist looking to use your temporary power as an elected official in a likely gerrymandered district to steal away the natural rights of millions of others. This is not, as you put it, the “voice of sense.” It is the voice of tyranny. It is the voice of presumptuousness. And it is a voice that at one time — at the birth of a nation, no less! — led to a Declaration of Independence and revolution.
It’s true. I’ve seen paintings!
And honestly: this attempt to pretend that those fighting for our 2nd Amendment rights are fringe paranoiac crazies — at a time when we’ve listened to people talk openly about confiscation? It’s not remotely “journalism.” It’s statist, liberal-fascist propaganda. And it’s hamfisted propaganda at that. Like, for instance, this piece on “blue dog” Democrat Mike Thompson:
It’s not about government agents swooping down in black helicopters to seize the guns of innocent, law-abiding citizens.
“As a hunter and gun owner, I will not give up my guns and I will not ask other law-abiding Americans to give up theirs,” says Thompson, 62, a former state legislator and eight-term congressman. “But as a father and grandfather, I also know we have a responsibility to keep our kids, communities and country safe from gun violence.”
He resists the term “gun control.”
“My philosophy is it’s not gun control, but gun violence prevention,” he asserts. “We ought to have reasonable laws that protect the 2nd Amendment and keep our communities safe, and I think we can do both.”
Now, doesn’t that sound “sensible”? Except for one thing: the absurdity of needing “reasonable laws” to protect an unalienable right. The right is the right is the right. It shall not be infringed. So the only “reasonable laws” to protect that right are ones that prohibit lawmakers from trying to lay claim to it.
Thompson, who the LA Times reminds us again and again, in numerous iterations, each attempt a new appeal to the same “authority,” has “been a shooter practically all his life.” Therefore, when he tells us that the NRA’s concern that gun owners need to protect themselves from would-be gun grabbers is “ridiculous,” it’s only sensible to listen. After all, Thompson “has been a shooter practically all his life” and, as a “lifelong hunter” (have me mentioned this yet?) who he hails from the “rugged North Coast and the premier Napa-Sonoma wine country,” if anybody knows about guns, it’s him.
Whereas the NRA? Or other gun-rights groups? Are evidently made up of the wrong kinds of lifelong hunters and shooters, the proof being their failure to see how “ridiculous” is their fear that anyone would try to take their guns. To Thompson, a lifelong hunter — who’s been shooting practically his entire, rugged life! — the argument that gun-owners need to fear government aims at restricting their second amendment protections is “an argument ginned up as a means to generate more members for the organization.” That is, it comes from base motives — ginning up paranoia and hysteria to enrich the organization, not out of any genuine concern that, say, some party-line leftist vote would hurry through laws to ban all semi-automatic weapons, or pass bans on magazines that make obsolete nearly every single firearm not already owned — against the will of their constituencies. And we know this because the motives in question are attached not to progressives, whose motives are always pure and whose intentions are always admirable, but rather to the more conservative element of society, whose ranks are notorious for their racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, hatred of the elderly and the earth, and desire to see its ideological ends reached, no matter the means.
So lying comes as easy to those kind as breathing.
“I know a lot of NRA members and I don’t know of any who think they should have the same weapons as the police or military — or should be able to buy a gun without a background check. What we’re hearing from is the real extreme.”
Ooh! Let me introduce myself, Rep Thompson. I’m Jeff, an NRA member, and I do think we should have the same weapons as the police — who, amazingly, I don’t conflate with the military, law enforcement being a civilian peace-keeping force, not soldiers. Whereas you seem to think the two interchangeable, which is frightening for a number of reasons I need not go into, save to say there’s a reason we in the NRA and other gun-rights organizations are perfectly correct in fearing dissembling legislators such as you, who think they can casually conflate the police and the military, suggest that the weapons they use are the same, and sneak that kind of baldfaced lie by us.
So now you know at least one. And I suspect there are millions more like me.
Of course, the LA Times knows this. Thompson knows this. And most of the Democrats pushing this line of bullshit know this — “blue dog” or no. They just think we’re stupid. Or rather, that in a post-constitutional America, enough of us are stupid or disinterested to allow our rights to be taken thanks to a temporary crisis ginned up by — wait for it — the government!
So Thompson’s right in one respect. This has nothing to do with “government agents swooping down in black helicopters to seize the guns of innocent, law-abiding citizens.” At least not yet. Instead, it has to do with self-satisfied, cynical, tyrannical elected officials in suits “never letting a crisis go to waste” in their attempt to control us, manage us, and remold society into one in which they get to control the blueprint, rather than allowing an organic society to form around the aims of free people with certain unalienable rights.
Which of necessity requires of me this response: we see who you are, Representative Thompson. And your having slapped on a camo lid and shot at pheasant on occasion doesn’t change that fact. The same goes for you, LA Times.
Consequently, go fuck yourselves — sideways, with a Halibut. You are liars and propagandists and would-be tyrants. And know that no matter how hard you push this “gun violence prevention” agenda aimed not at criminals but at lawful gun owners, there are a large number of us out here prepared to resist — even if that means “sensible” people like Mr Thompson or the LA Times of Joe Scarborough, et al., will try to demonize us, marginalize us, and create out of erstwhile law abiding citizens a new criminal class to be hated by all who hope to be seen as sober, rational, and most certainly not filthy filthy extremists.
Because the truth is, in a world gone mad, it is the “crazies” who are the “voice of reason.”
Molon Labe. And outlaw.
“My philosophy . . .,” says Democrat Mike Thompson, and therewith proudly exposes his bare hindquarters for all the world to see.
the “gun violence” propaganda has been turned on. brought to you by taxpayers like you.
“With support from The Pittsburgh Foundation, WQED presents this multiple platform project encompassing television, interactive, social media and civic engagement. We are telling the stories of people impacted by gun violence, as well as those who are working for positive change.”
note url
http://www.wqed.org/tv/gunviolence/
I can think of a reasonable law that protects the rights of gun owners AND helps to keep our communities safe: The Castle Doctrine.
For some reason though, I don’t think Mr. Thompson is nuanced enough to understand that not gun violence is the same, and in need of prevention.
By the way, do you Californians still have the duty to retreat? Or did the right person finally get killed, and that came off the books?
Now Playing on Broadway — in the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Vivian Beaumont Theater, no less !
ANN!
Imagine the thrills! Imagine the delights!
I think the line between what people ought to be able to own readily and what ought to be restricted should be drawn at “crew served.” We’ll probably have to say something about “rocket propelled,” and “high explosive” as well.
And they ought to treat possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime as worse than having a couple of joints in your backpack.
Of course, none of that will stop gang violence. But then, Chicago is already effectively disarmed, and the ‘bangers don’t seem to have any trouble banging away at each other, and innocent bystanders.
We’ve seen this “blue dog” act before during the Obamacare run-up to the vote. The big blue dog then was U.P. Michigan’s Bart Stupak who was always pro-gun and anti-abortion until his vote actually counted for something and then he sold it for a mess of pottage.
These “blue dog” Democrats are as wedded to freedom and the Constitution as Kennedy (any), Kerry, Pelosi are to the Roman Catholic Church. They are all leaves and no figs.
They are all leaves and no figs.
Very good, Geoff. Well said.
So now you know at least one. And I suspect there are millions more like me.
I am Spartacus too.
Yeppers, let’s hobble the law-abiding in CA while all the thousands of felons cut loose out of state prison by Gov Moonbeam in his “prison realignment” insanity produces stuff like this
There is no duty to retreat in California. People call it a “modified Castle Doctrine State” but it’s pretty much castle doctrine, the “modification” is some prosecutors in LA and SF really don’t give a shit about the law. They usually fail in prosecuting home defenders anyway, on the odd occasion they try.
There are some major dumbass laws here, and they keep passing them, even though the courts have shot down several. I guess when your legislature is left enough, even the Black Robed Tyrants look reasonable.
There’s also the weird “pro-gun democrat” thing which is quite common here, it is mostly BS as they keep voting for the same people, then run around whining about it.
On the big discussion board Calguns, there’s a pretty massive contingent that spends off-years calling Republicans paranoid, and on-years trying to change the subject. Very little useful discussion. It’s pretty much “nobody is trying to take your guns away you ninnies” until 45 new gun laws are proposed, and then it’s “this never would have happened if you reich-wingers had been more leftist.” Or whatever.
It’s kind of a pathetic dynamic.
Outlaw
Over by Stacy’s, the answer “Merkin Muffley, 1964” to
the query “Who was the last bald guy elected president?” is considered deletable.
Adieu, senses of humor and celluloid wisdoms!
On the big discussion board Calguns, there’s a pretty massive contingent that spends off-years calling Republicans paranoid, and on-years trying to change the subject.
I noticed that myself. For a discussion board that’s supposed to be devoted to firearm ownership and second amendment rights here in CA, there are a disturbing number of people posting there scoffing that anyone’s going to ban/register/confiscate our guns.
And as bad as things gotten in states like CO, they are on the verge of getting even worse than they already are here in CA (i.e. banning/registering ANY semiautomatic rifle including rimfires, 50% tax and/or license required to buy ammo, banning bullet buttons for magazines, etc.). CA should be ground zero for outrage over 2A infringement. Instead, we get “silly wingers, no one’s taking your guns”.
Your comment has been restored, guins. Perhaps you were playing to an overly young audience?
That’s kind of funny, daveinsocal, considering that one must have ALREADY registered so-called “assault rifles” in CA or be labeled a felon.
A guy I know recently brought a Mini-30 back from CA to the midwest, and at the time it had a flash hider on it. With that flash hider, that gun was illegal, and should have been registered. He took it off before taking it out of the house, and all was well again.
Of course, you said that. That’s what I get for not finishing my reading.
The Hill: *** Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (R-Ariz.), on Sunday warned GOP lawmakers not to filibuster efforts to pass gun control in the Senate.
“It is important to take action and the American people are demanding action now,” said Kelly on “Fox News Sunday.” ***
Here’s an action to take Mark: Blow me. Demanding blow jobs now.
It’s important to legislate away rights that existed since the dawn of time while public opinion is sort of in favor of it.
Because it’s all about the ducks:
we need a panel discussion on peeps violence
If you aren’t sure whether or not your CA semiauto rifle is legal, here is a handy chart to clear things right up.
Unless pending legislation is passed, in which the chart is moot because ALL new semiautos will be illegal and all existing ones must be registered. For the children.
“It is important to take action and the American people are demanding action now”
Tell us, Mark, when are the dick owners of “Assault” dogs going to take action to prevent their “military-style” canines from brutally killing defenseless baby sea lions?
Demanding action? How about a square dance, that’s action.
Oh, you meant you are proxy-demanding restrictions on the civil liberties of the innocent because you’re a hypocritical control freak.
How about no. Can I go with no? ‘Cause I’m gonna go with no.
Ducks don’t shoot back.
I’m pretty sure that there are federal laws against manslaughter, homicide and murder unlike duck hunting. We don’t regulate murder. We outlaw it. There is no controlled seasonal licensed hunting of human beings to prevent overpopulation.
If you think people are just ducks then you are one confused little asshole and no one should be listening to your political ideas or trying to pass them off as catchy or clever.
My .357 isn’t for hunting. It’s for defense. It’s for killing someone who has entered my house with an intent to do harm. We don’t need laws to prevent me from hunting people with it because we have those. Hunting people is ALWAYS illegal. Because people are not ducks. And Ducks do not break into houses with intent to rob, hurt, rape, or kill. We do not need to defend ourselves from ducks.
Mike Thompson was evidently a waste of sperm and egg as far as deep thoughts go. He is either a liar, or an idiot. What he calls a “philosophy” is a patina of lipstick on a particularly ugly pig. It is a sophistic misuse of words and a deformation of their definitions to form a dishonest untenable pretext to cover what he really wants which is to disarm some people while leaving other people armed. And if we look at mexico or Brazil we see that it does not necessarily reduce gun violence. at all.
But, the Utopians came back,
They wouldn’t stay away
They were standing on the (poor) plebs
The very next day
Look for Markie Lightyear to be running as a “sensible Republican” in the near future.
Oh, yeah, and wrt “action”: what sdferr said.
And too, if Kelly really wanted to make a big difference potentially saving lives, he could spend more time with his astronaut cred working on the asteroid earth impactor problem, thus doing more extensive good in an enterprise certainly better than spending his efforts on a losing rights grabbing scheme.
One is left wondering is Kelly isn’t simply a racist as he hasn’t focused his humanitarian efforts on something worthwhile like clean drinking water in places that he ignores through his ignorant cloud of privilege.
I think the line between what people ought to be able to own readily and what ought to be restricted should be drawn at “crew served.”
I disagree. Our Constitution explicitly recognizes not only our intrinsic right to bear arms for the protection of ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nation — it also grants Congress the power to send us out as privateers to fight against our nation’s enemies. What good is a Letter of Marque if I have nothing bigger than a 30-06 with which to capture prizes?
I won’t be happy until the sight of people towing their howitzers to a weekend get-together is a common weekend occurrence. Punkin’ chunkin’ is nice, but it’s really just a pale shadow of what we should be celebrating.
[…] The myth of the contemporary “blue dog” Democrat | protein wisdom […]
There is no controlled seasonal licensed hunting of human beings to prevent overpopulation.
Damnit pal, don’t give them any ideas!
(Though perhaps that explains Chicago; the ‘season’ is just 365 days a year.)