This week in politics....the NRA

kimmiinthemitten

I refuse to link to the ad, so below is the transcript.

Two weeks after a former cop was found not guilty for shooting a black man after learning he was a legal gun owner, and two weeks after four people were shot by a legal gun owner over partisan politics and this is apparently how they respond; by inciting more violence.

I'm not often a doomsday person, but the fact that people support, encourage and even cheer on this shit terrifies me.

They use their media to assassinate real news. They use their schools to teach children that their president is another Hitler. They use their movie stars and singers and comedy shows and award shows to repeat their narrative over and over again. And then they use their ex-president to endorse “the resistance.”

All to make them march. Make them protest. Make them scream racism and sexism and xenophobia and homophobia. To smash windows, burn cars, shut down interstates and airports, bully and terrorize the law-abiding — until the only option left is for the police to do their jobs and stop the madness.

And when that happens, they’ll use it as an excuse for their outrage. The only way we stop this, the only way we save our country and our freedom, is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth.

I’m the National Rifle Association of America. And I’m freedom’s safest place.

short+sassy

I agree with some of the (general) things the NRA stands for and am strongly against other things.  For example, I think citizens should be allowed to bear legal arms.  I don't think the laws are stringent enough but, at least for retail stores, there are at least some standards.  However, I'm extremely disturbed that gun shows and private citizens are MAJOR LOOPHOLES.  Neither one of those entities need to follow the same standards to sell a gun to somebody.

As for the article pasted, I agree with some of those items also (ie people should not engage in lawlessness under the guise of protest).  But I am very disturbed and bothered by HOW it was said.

The whole article is rife with "theys" and "them".  It's an assumption that the entire country is divided and that's how it should be.  The U.S. should strive to be an US.  The whole world should strive to be an US for advancing and uplifting all of humankind.

So, to purposely use divisive language is disgusting.  I'd love to offer myself up as an example for whomever wrote the piece.  I can think the President is a POS.  I can think that celebrities have the SAME FREEDOM OF SPEECH WE ALL DO and can use it to espouse their political opinion however they wish*.  And I can also think citizens should be allowed to buy guns under legal circumstances.

*Ummm...isn't Chuck Norris your own spokesperson?  Yeah, darn those celebrities being used to "repeat their narrative".  You f**king, idiot hypocrites.

kimmiinthemitten

short+sassy said:

I agree with some of the (general) things the NRA stands for and am strongly against other things.  For example, I think citizens should be allowed to bear legal arms.  I don't think the laws are stringent enough but, at least for retail stores, there are at least some standards.  However, I'm extremely disturbed that gun shows and private citizens are MAJOR LOOPHOLES.  Neither one of those entities need to follow the same standards to sell a gun to somebody.

I'm 100% on board here.  If you want to own a gun in your own home, I fully support that....but as soon as you want to leave your home with that gun, especially concealed you have a greater responsibility than yourself and should and be required to have regular training and a license.  Michigan just made it legal to conceal carry without either I'm afraid.

It's not just the words, it's the accompanying imagery that goes with it.  I totally get why minority groups and leaders of opposition groups feel threatened by this ad.  It's highly irresponsible.

The NRA used to be an organization for gun owners, now it's the lobby for the gun manufacturers and gun owners should consider whose side the NRA really is on.

As for the celebrity line:  you elected a reality show host whose three marriages have been on page six!