BANG BANG, YOU'RE POINTLESS
The recent shootings in Arizona once again brought up the issue of gun control, and the ease at which one can obtain a gun in the United States. The scariest fact of course is that someone with serious mental problems falls under this umbrella, and the result is never a good one. A few days after the shooting there was a gun show virtually down the road from the tragedy. Of course thousands showed up all brimming with anticipation to handle the latest semi automatic – at least that’s what I think they do at a gun show? Clearly not my area of expertise or interest. They interviewed the man promoting the event and when he was asked about the sensitivity of proceeding with the show on the heels of the atrocity, he said that one bad apple in 300 million people shouldn’t spoil the rights of others to bear arms. ONE bad apple. This man is drinking some very strong delusional Kool-Aid.
To be honest, I am always surprised people don’t choke on their tongues when they’re spewing such crap. Sorry, my eloquence escapes me in times like these. So, that idiot that opened fire at the political rally (I refuse to use his name and give him any more air time) and killed a nine-year-old girl, amongst many others, is just ONE bad apple? Does Mr. Gun Show watch the news at night? From high school shootings, to guns being used in suicides, domestic disputes, gang warfare…the list is as long as the King’s tongue (the Kid looks like Gene Simmons, it’s alarming). Guns are absolutely everywhere, and there are a ton of apples out there using them and it’s not for good. In fact, it's rarely for good.
The NRA of course would beg to differ; I'm sure 'guns are great' are one of their many slogans. What I’d like to know is if any member of the NRA were a Father or Mother to that nine-year-old, how would they feel then? Would they be up on their soapbox screaming for a right to bear arms? And of course, as we all know, this country remains one of the few that places so few restrictions on gun sales. I think Michael Moore adeptly proved that in one of his films when someone literally walked into a gun store and had a gun hours later – and of course it was one of those towns that had a gun store on every corner. His films always do a good job of scaring the bejeezus out of me.
Just in case the NRA is reading this and needs the point fully illustrated, the following snippets are plucked from the news in the last few years. It’s just a very small taste of course of what joy guns bring to our world, but it is a sobering reminder that guns are about as useful as a blender in a blizzard (just you try and find out a good reason for that one).
-Rapper shot to death over a fight during a flight
-Man shot and killed in his front yard
-Police shoot and kill man at birthday party
-Teen shot to death in argument
-3 year old fatally shot dead at home
-Woman charged in shooting death of live in boyfriend
-Storeowner fatally shot
-Man kills girlfriend holds children hostage before turning gun on self
I could go on and on and on....Gene Simmons, remember.
And I do speak from experience from this one; when I was a teenager - and a daft one at that - I had a party and two guys disappeared from the flock, found my father’s gun, and decided it would be a good idea to ‘play’ Kojak with it. The end result, one of them almost blew off his finger. And trust me, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t know how lucky everyone was that it was only a finger.