One of my favorite cult classic movies is "Idiocracy". It is Mike Judge's comedic depiction of an entirely average American soldier who volunteers to be a test subject in a suspended animation experiment. However, instead of only sleeping for one year, the experiment goes predictably wrong and he awakens 500 years later to find the world populated by dullards. Due to excessive reproduction by the least intelligent members of the population, he has become by de facto the smartest man in the country. While the movie is zany and obviously fictional, it contains many kernels of satirical truth. From our diets to our entertainment to our shopping habits we are slowly but surely becoming a country of lowbrow mouth breathers.
Nothing demonstrates this more accurately than the battle for gun control currently raging across the U.S. While the leftist anti-gunners love to portray American gun owners as violent unintelligent rednecks and inbreds, the reality is that the most unintelligent, the most uneducated, and the most ill conceived ideas statements, and actions come from the gun prohibitionists. I've compiled a small collection of gems from the past few months to illustrate my point.
Last month Vice President Joe Biden advised people who want to defend themselves to buy a shotgun. While this in itself is not bad advice, it was the next sage comment that induced incredulity in anyone who understands the legal and moral aspects of self defense with a firearm.
"...if there's ever a problem just walk out on the balcony here ... put that double-barreled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house."
Apparently Mr. Biden does not understand the very basic principals of physics which dictate that those shotgun pellets have to stop somewhere. And firing blindly and indiscriminately outside the house could result in some well-deserved criminal charges for the shooter. While we were still reeling in disbelief from that nugget of wisdom, Ol' Joe outdid himself a short time later. During an interview with Field and Stream magazine on the subjects of gun control and self defense this was the Vice President's advice to the American public.
"...you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.”
Sounds like the Girl Scouts better think twice about peddling their cookies at Joe Biden's house and heaven help the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The idiocracy isn't just limited to the second highest office in the land. In December 2012, just days after the Newtown shooting, the Journal News of New York published an interactive map showing the addresses of all of the residents in Westchester and Rockland counties who had firearms permits. They claimed it was a public safety issue and that people had a right to know who owned guns in their communities. The backlash was both predictable and severe. Their offices were flooded with angry calls and emails and within a short time the web was awash with links to the home addresses, phone numbers, and personal information of the editors, publishers, journalists, and other staff members of the Journal News. So what was the incredibly hypocritical response from the newspaper? They hired armed guards to protect their offices and their homes.
And in other incredibly stupid recent news,
- Bank Of America froze the assets of American Spirit Arms, a lawfully regulated and licensed firearms manufacturer because, according to one of their managers "...We Believe you should not be selling guns and parts on the internet.”
- Cable TV giant Comcast imposed a policy that refused to sell local advertising time to gun retailers.
- Administrators at the University Of Colorado in Colorado Springs oppose the right of students and staff to defend themselves with firearms. Instead, they actually advised women to prevent violent sexual assaults by vomiting or urinating on themselves.
- In Trappe, MD two 6 year olds were suspended from White Marsh Elementary school. Their offense? Using their fingers as pretend guns for a game of cops and robbers on the school playground.
- In Philadelphia, PA a 5th grade girl was searched, reprimanded and suspended for having a piece of PAPER shaped like a pistol.
- In Baltimore, MD a second grader was suspended from Park Elementary School for two days after chewing his Poptart into the shape of a gun and saying "bang bang". In an incredibly misplaced attempt at making things right, the school then sent notes home with students advising parents that counselors would be made available for any students who were traumatized by the pastry.
- In Mount Carmel, PA a kindergartner was suspended for "terroristic threats" after wielding a pink plastic Hello Kitty toy that blew bubbles.
- And in perhaps the most obscene reaction possible, a 16 year old student at Cypress Lake (Florida) High School was suspended after he physically disarmed another teen who had brought a handgun to school, presumably preventing yet another school shooting.
While I compiled these incidents as a semi-humorous look at people who are controlled by their own irrational fears and kneejerk reactionary way of thinking, the reality is that it really isn't funny. Not only are we becoming victims to our own fears, we are raising our children to believe that inanimate objects are inherently evil and that it is somehow morally superior to be a victim rather than to fight back. We are promulgating the nanny state and instilling a sense of dependency on the government to protect us and defend us. Remember gun control isn't about guns its about control and when seconds count the police are minutes away. Stay safe.
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