I don’t get a lot of comments on the blog, but the ones I do, I like to respond to. Sometimes those comments are in need of a little longer response, either because a) well, I have to post something, or b) because I wanna, and it’s my blog. This is one of those times. They commented on this post showing some well-meaning (and not terribly bright) individuals demonstrating their right to carry really scary assault rifles around in public.

Your a very smart guy. The disconnect surprises me. I don’t care if a law or right makes me or you for that matter, nervous. Blacks making white people nervous used to be an acceptable excuse for ‘no blacks on the street after dark laws’.

If we’re going to have a discourse that equates black people with assault rifles, then I’m pretty sure I know the direction this particular dialogue is heading. Discrimination due to skin color has nothing whatever to do with asking people like the Juggalo Band there in Oregon to think a little bit before dragging their 100-round magazines into the public sphere.

And go ahead and fall right in line with all the other intelligencia ridiculing the okies and fat slob gun owners. You remind me of a few of the steroid head police officers I used to work with. They loved to point out the fat slobs in which they seemed to infer that their own DNA was clearly a bit better.

Having never been a member of law enforcement (I need to get my badass card punched by Steven Seagal at some point), maybe it’s different than in the infantry, but there is something to be said for at least appearing physically capable of protecting yourself and others. If SWAT rolls up and you have to shoehorn someone out of the minivan (LOVE it when they roll like that), a) why is that person on that team, but b) they’re a liability. I’m not a steroid head, and I’m not at all someone who’s going to give someone a ration of hate because they’re overweight (glass houses, and all of that), but as soon as you step into the arena, which you do if you’re carrying an assault rifle, then I expect you to be capable of defending yourself against something other than whoever’s trying to snag your last Twinkie.

Yes, this was a thing.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You also remind me of other cops I worked with that seemed to believe because they had been to the police academy, they were much more qualified to posses guns than the average citizen (not from what I’ve seen. ever heard of ‘keep your finger off the trigger?).

Some of my best friends are LEOs. They’ve told me horror stories of fellow officers and their misuse of firearms, but there is something to be said for training on a weapons system. I have to take a test to drive a car, which is admittedly potentially lethal. Why not for a firearm, which is specifically designed for lethality?

Just because you carried a rifle in war (i am assuming combat. and yes I am envious) means pretty much zip (except to guys like me who find that shit interesting). And yes, I have shot someone and been shot at and been around a lot of dead and dying people.

You used the word “envious.” I think we’re done here.

The only discussion we need about firearms in this country is about the amount of stupid gun laws on the books, which the government does not adequately enforce. The obvious answer to this persistent conundrum is more laws, less freedom and bigger government.

Any person who is even being remotely intellectauly honest will quickly admit, guns are way down on the list of causes of death in this country.

Last time I checked, there was no mention of cars in the constitution, or healthcare for that matter. Far more are killed by those two separately, than guns.

The only thing we have to fear more than gun toting , video gamer shut ins on serotonin uptake inhibitors (besides another FDR), is government officials on serotonin uptake inhibitors who basically have all of law enforcement as their gun toters (We gots the guns and law on our side!).

No reason for me to lose any sleep then, is there?