Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Journalist writes well reasoned letter accusing those that advocate overthrowing the government of treason, gets accused of calling for the "mass slaughter of the NRA."

So Christopher Swindell. a journalism professor, writes an editorial about gun control for the Charleston Gazette.

Here is a portion of what it says: 

This foaming at the mouth, Obamar is coming for the guns, Nanny Bloomberg is a bad billionaire, and most despicable of all, those survivors and victims are pawns in the liberal agenda is knuckle-dragging Cretan talk. 

And no matter how many times Sen. Joe Manchin tries to explain his compromise (a decent attempt thwarted by extremists), the hard right lies and foams. The repeated lies now seem like the truth, what with the likes of Sen. Kelly Ayotte telling them. 

Probably the most serious miscalculation opponents make is the guest list for the NRA speaker's podium. To let the half-wit half-term quitter Sarah Palin have a microphone is to alienate the very people Republicans need to work with on future legislation. To say nothing of the other speakers. 

And how does choosing a white, rich old man with an offensive degrading speech about the war of "Northern Aggression" as NRA president forward a sense of reasonableness? History lesson: It was an awful Civil War won decisively some 150 years ago. Over slavery. The Confederacy wanted to keep African-Americans in chains and President Lincoln didn't. 

Sure, there were states' rights issues, but nullification, secession, and treason were settled at Appomattox Courthouse. Sure, Reconstruction left a bad taste. But, resurrecting these same things, the way South Carolina is as we speak, is to invite a return to the whole concept of a Union. 

Here it is. The NRA advocates armed rebellion against the duly elected government of the United States of America. That's treason, and it's worthy of the firing squad. The B.S. needs a serious gut check. We are not a tin pot banana republic where machine gun toting rebel groups storm the palace and depose the dictator. 

We put the president in the White House. To support the new NRA president's agenda of arming the populace for confrontation with the government is bloody treason. And many invite it gladly as if the African-American president we voted for is somehow infringing on their Constitutional rights. 

Normally, I am a peaceable man, but in this case, I am willing to answer the call to defend the country. From them. 

To turn the song lyric they so love to quote back on them, "We'll put a boot in your ---, it's the American way." 

Except it won't be a boot. It'll be an M1A Abrams tank, supported by an F22 Raptor squadron with Hellfire missiles. Try treason on for size. See how that suits. And their assault arsenal and RPGs won't do them any good. 

So, to return to reality, all of us. Let's make common sense gun safety a deciding issue for 2014 and beyond. The NRA certainly has. Let's push back. We the People. The 85 percent who support more robust background checks. And when the next domestic terrorist with an assault rifle comes along, we can blame the leaders and fringe of the NRA for arming them.

Seems reasonable, right?

Nope. not if you are a conservative website catering TO the Right. If you are them you write a response with the headline "LEFT-WING JOURNALISM PROFESSOR CALLS FOR MASS SLAUGHTER OF NRA" and say the following:

It’s difficult to parse this level of pure stupidity, but apparently this is what passes for a “thought experiment” in the deranged recesses of the Swindell mind. You see, NRA types are given to accurately citing the Founders’ view of the Second Amendment as a check against tyranny. That means they’re all secretly dreaming of violently overthrowing the U.S. government, which these knuckle-draggers think is liable to degenerate into tyranny. Therefore, the government should… live down to the most hostile caricature of illegitimate, tyrannical government by sending the military out to murder them?

The rest of the article takes a defensive, almost injured tone, that anybody would suggest that those  calling for their fellow Teabaggers and 2nd Amendment fetishists take up arms to "defend their freedoms" would actually be treated as a threat to the government or that it might elicit an armed response from the military.

In fact the author seems to be under the assumption that the United States Military would refuse orders to engage armed domestic terrorists and actually join their side. (A fantasy by the way that one Schaeffer Cox, now serving time in federal prison, also shared.)

You know I read the professor's article three times and I do not see written ANYWHERE a call for the "mass slaughter" of the NRA, or anybody else actually.

To me it reads like a much needed reality check to those fantasizing about using their arsenals of military style weapons to hold off the ACTUAL military, that should they convince the government that they pose a very real danger to their fellow citizens that NOTHING they bought off E-Bay will fend off the might of the United States of America.

And that is NOT a threat, that is a promise.

21 comments:

  1. Balzafiar10:01 AM

    Gryphen, your headline has an error: "rights" should be "writes".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nikogriego10:19 AM

    Title misspelling: "Journalist rights..." should be "Journalist writes..."

    Also, the journalist misspelled the word "cretin." He wrote "Cretan," which is an insult to all my brethren from the island of Crete.

    cretin |ˈkrētn| noun
    a stupid person (used as a general term of abuse).

    Crete |krēt|
    a Greek island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea; pop. 536,980; capital, Heraklion. It is noted for the remains of the Minoan civilization that flourished here in the 2nd millennium bc. Crete played an important role in the Greek struggle for independence from the Turks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that resulted in it becoming administratively part of an independent Greece in 1913. Greek name Kríti .

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  3. I think it should be "write" in the title... not "right." Once I got past that, the editorial echos my feelings. Yes, the NRA nutcases are flirting with treason. Yes, it's time someone called them out on it. It would be nice to see on of their "leaders" tell them to knock it off, but we all know their leaders are either as crazy as they are, or spineless.

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  4. Looks like a case of fumble-fingers during composition.

    The titles uses the word "rights" instead of its homonym, "writes".

    Also, the href of the link to the Charleston Gazette is not a valid URL.

    I appreciate what you write, so take care, and keep on antagonizing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Randall10:57 AM

    Encouraging armed response when your side loses an election is not patriotism - it is sedition.

    Policies passed by a majority vote are not "tyranny" - even if you disagree with said policies.

    The very fact that some can publicly claim our president is a tyrant puts a lie to the statement.




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:04 PM

      Agree on all points.

      The tea party is comprised of resentful, sub-literate white guys who basically spent their entire lives (particularly their school years, if any), as time-wasting, incurious, goof-offs. Now they are in an extreme state of outrage because life has passed them by, and things are not being handed to them on a silver platter. Rather than address their own shortcomings, they behave as classic losers – angry for being ignored; and unable to come to grips with the fact that they are clearly unqualified to 'run the show' (ANY show) and ill-equipped to perform any job that would bring them 'honor'.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous11:35 AM

    I personally think we could end up in war again - within our own country - Americans vs Americans. The Reds would be against everyone else...the (government supposedly), independents, Dems and the white, black and brown people throughout our nation.

    It is being called for by the extreme right of the Republican party and the NRA - just listen to their speeches! Sickening!

    They are committing treason and should be stopped before people get totally riled up which is what they are wanting! Fear is all they holler!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous11:37 AM

    Hey, Gryph, I think you meant for the headline to read "writes" not "rights".

    What's really disgusting is the way the so-called leaders of the Republican party never call these treasonous assholes out.Thanks for sharing this letter from the professor and the response.More people need to be made aware. of this horrific behavior and threat to our country.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous11:39 AM

    To quote the Second Amendment, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of A FREE STATE, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

    Note to all NRA micro-penised whackos, it says "a free state," not "a free people." In other words, the founders, in establishing rule by "We the People" believed that BY DEFINITION there would never be tyranny by the government since WE ARE the government. They believed they were founding and creating A FREE STATE.

    So, if you folks think we all have a right to be armed in case we decide to act like a bunch of cry-babies who don't like the results of free and fair elections or who don't like the laws passed over us by our duly elected legislators, and decide to overthrow the government, well, you are engaging in sedition and treason no matter how many flags you wrap yourselves in (and a reminder that that Gadsden Flag that you all love so much, is NOT the flag of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA).

    Oh and BTW, you'd better be on notice, that when the time comes, there are a lot of loyal Americans just like me who will be equally well-armed and prepared to fight to the death against you should your warped, selfish, hellish vision of freedom ever threaten to take over in this country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:17 PM

      Glad you're on our side, 11:39!

      Delete
  9. Okay THAT was embarrassing!

    Here I type this out right before going on a hike only to find out that got my "right" and "write" mixed up.

    At a time like this all I can say is "Oops! Shit happens!"

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:48 PM

    Gun lobbyist Aposhian ordered to give up firearms

    A justice court judge Tuesday ordered gun lobbyist and concealed weapons permit instructor Clark Aposhian to surrender all firearms in his home, office and on his person because of domestic violence charges pending against him.

    "I’m going to prohibit you at this point as part of the protective order from having any firearms," Judge Augustus Chin said in a brief arraignment and hearing. "If there are any weapons in your home, I’m giving you 24 hours to remove them, that’s in effect immediately."

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56409319-90/aposhian-gun-charges-utah.html.csp

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:17 PM

      hen he was a convicted felon. As a gun owner your tactics are shameless.

      Delete
  11. It was a pretty strong editorial, that's for sure. I'm not surprised the NRA right wing types got their panties in a twist.

    I particularly liked the reference to half term half wit. Kind of catchy, don't you think

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  12. Anonymous4:15 PM

    And being President and lying to his voters about HUGE things isn't treason? I see nothing wrong with the country wanting real answers, even if they're superficial, to the very real issues being lied about. I'm not saying put us in danger but man there's never been a more deceptive admin

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:16 PM

      That was GWB, you must have been asleep for those 8 yrs.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:30 PM

      "Huge things" is a little vague

      Can you be more specific or does that take too much effort?

      And if you think there has never been a more deceptive admin then you are one stupid fuck.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous5:15 PM

    Gryph,
    I am a gun owner ( I chose to call them weapons) and have been since my first bow and 22 at age 7. Many might think that is too young, but if you are raised on the 3rd poorest Reservation after your Dad dies and you have 8 siblings that is reality.
    No one is coming for my weapons that I have collected from 7 on, no one is asking me to do anything but register my weapons ( and without that my homeowners will not pay with theft)
    White peeps are sure scared now a days, it may have more to do with them being a dying minority
    Little Rabbit

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:48 PM

      I'm kind of the antithesis of your story. I've never owned nor ever shot a firearm; there simply is no reason in my life to have one. I'm happy that you agree that registering your firearms is a sane approach to ownership. If only more folks felt as you did then the world would be a better place.

      BTW, I'm a white person, and I'm not afraid. I'm disappointed in the stupidity that has run rampant on the right, making other white people afraid for no good reason, but really, very little has changed in America in the last 20 years; we're still fighting the same battles and will continue to do so probably forever.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous7:58 PM

    It really looks like these idiots won't be happy until they've staged their little rebellion and gotten a lot of decent, innocent people killed so they can feel vindicated.
    M from MD

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  15. Anita Winecooler8:16 PM

    Everything goes from zero to infinity with the NRA nutjobs on the victimization scale. If President Obama burps, it's a sign he's coming for your guns!

    It's a conspiracy of biblical proportions! Quick, paint the blood of a lamb on your doorstep so The Angel of Death passes over your home, folks! Buy more guns!

    Fear drives people to complete madness.

    OT, but in a similar vein... Chris Christie decides to let the people decide who fills Frank Lautenburg;s seat. Christie becomes RINO persona non gratta. Congratulations, Corey Booker!!!

    http://www.politicususa.com/republicans-chris-christie-dead-opts-special-election.html

    ReplyDelete

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