Before making the points I make here, let me first say that my heart goes out to the all firearm-related tragedies, including the recent Sandy Hook incident.
Every time a firearm related tragedy makes news (which I’ll get into in a second) the question of firearms and their various legalities as far as what should and shouldn’t be legal, and where, even onto things like ammunition sizes/amounts, become front and center for heated debate. The first thing to remember, regardless of party affiliation, religious affiliation, or gun ownership, is that news is presented in a chosen format by network heads, and told in a way to generate “news” and ratings. My point being: news is (unfortunately) only news because someone decides it is news. So when tragedies like Sandy Hook are overly covered, sensationalized, and referred to months after it’s essential to keep in mind that this is for one reason; to benefit the networks and news outlets.
The main point I would like to make here, is on the way that gun control is discussed in this country. It is literally unlike any other killer whether in the hands of another human being, or inherently a killer. Guns, and consequently as if in a “guilty-by-association” viewpoint, the gun-owning community are the presupposed cause for the deaths surrounding a given tragedy. As if every gun owner somehow contributes to the tragedy like every automobile owner holds part of the blame for drunk-driving accidents.
Nothing else in western society is handled or discussed in such a way. Even after 9/11, arguably the greatest tragedy in our lifetimes, flights resumed, people climbed aboard planes before the week was out because for some reason when looking at tragedies that don’t involve guns, people can divorce evil people from the tools they use to commit tragedy. The same is true with DWI incidents, drugs, cancer, etc etc. After a high-profile actor or celebrity dies of a drug overdose, or goes completely crazy on medically induced meltdown, they are made fun of, and society as a whole moves on, while lives are still being ruined by whatever the given medium is. Rarely is there a mention of the “killer” in such circumstances, and certainly no form of lengthy debate on how to enact some legal measure as a means of prevention. But when guns are involved in an evil act, the focus becomes instantly on the tools used, and methods with which to eliminate them unlike any other type of tragedy.
As a law-abiding gun owner who has many friends and acquaintances who own guns and would never in a million years be involved in incidents such as Sandy Hook, it’s nothing short of offensive to be categorized alongside the purely evil individuals that commit these types of atrocities. It is as if the entire population of bicyclists were to demonize cars upon every fatal car accident. Every part of this mindset is absurd and does not hold water in any other situation. Why then are guns responsible for killers, when no other item or element is responsible for killing but the people involved are? That’s unfair, cruel, and an outrage to law abiding gun owners the globe over.
This Thanksgiving, I’m unashamedly going to say how much I’m looking forward to Zach Snyder’s Man Of Steel. In lieu of saying anything further, I leave you with this awesome picture.
Superman Thanksgiving
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This is a re-post from Dr. Paul’s Facebook, wherein he address the fundamental problems facing America, and calls for his Republican colleagues to “to join the liberty movement in fighting for a brighter future.” This is posted here for two reasons, firstly, I admire Dr. Paul and his views, and completely agree with his statement here. Second, the idea that a politician can release official statements via a social medium like Facebook is fascinating to me. As a side note, the following is why I support Dr. Paul. He articulates here what I attempted last week.
From Dr. Paul’s Facebook:
America is over $16 trillion in debt. The “official” unemployment rate still hovers around 8%.
Our federal government claims the right to spy on American citizens, indefinitely detain them, and even assassinate them without trial.
Domestic drones fly over the country for civilian surveillance.
Twelve million fewer Americans voted in 2012 than in 2008, yet political pundits scratch their heads.
It’s not hard to see why, though.
To go along with endorsing a never-ending policy of bailouts, “stimulus packages,” and foreign military adventurism, the establishment of neither major party questions the assaults on Americans’ liberties I’ve named above.
As my campaign showed, the American people are fed up. Many realized heading into Tuesday that regardless of who won the presidential election, the status quo would be the real victor.
GOP leadership is now questioning why they didn’t perform better.
They’re looking at demographic changes in the United States and implying minorities can only be brought into the party by loudly advocating for abandoning what little remains of their limited government platform and endorsing more statist policies.
My presidential campaign proved that standing for freedom brings people together.
Liberty is popular – regardless of race, religion, or creed.
As long as the GOP establishment continues to not only reject the liberty message, but actively drive away the young, diverse coalition that supports those principles, it will see results similar to Tuesday’s outcome.
A renewed respect for liberty is the only way forward for the Republican Party and for our country.
I urge all my Republican colleagues to join the liberty movement in fighting for a brighter future.
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