I do not allow my 3 year old child to play with toy guns, or even pretend to have a gun. If I notice someone trying to engage in some play with him involving pretend violence of any kind, I shut it down. I always explain that my child is only 3, and he cannot tell me the difference between a real gun and a toy gun. He also does not understand the permanence of death, or how severe bodily injury can actually be. My fear of him picking up a real gun and mistaking it for a toy (since he does not know the difference) is what motivates me to stick to my no toy gun policy. But what also motivates me is that GUNS ARE NOT TOYS. They are not funny. They are certainly not a joke. They are not interesting. They are not entertainment. They are not for anything but wounding or killing people or animals. You may excuse it away, but any other target practice is called practice because it's just practicing for killing people or animals. There is no other reason to have them. They don't make good home decor. You can't use them to clean your house. You can't cook with them.... there is just no excuse.
When I see adults so proudly bragging about their guns, it makes me sick. What are you trying to say? "I can really kill someone with this thing! They will be way more dead then they would be if I shot them with that old, crappy thing I used to carry around." So you can imagine my disgust with "Don't retreat, reload.", and especially when these ignorant comments are aimed at specific people. Those folks who ran their negative campaigns with the target over Congresswoman Giffords, and encouraged folks to get rid of her and come shoot an M16, are simple and ridiculous. Obviously they have nothing interesting, and nothing of substance to say if they are resorting to using gimmicks like encouraging violence or making light of harming others with a firearm. I'm sure their intentions were not to have someone actually attempt to kill her, but as public figures, these people have a responsibility to monitor the things they say and do so they cannot be taken the wrong way with tragic results. I'm not talking about little things here, I'm talking about not trying to act like shooting someone is a joke.
About a year ago now, my family was traveling down the highway when we saw an SUV with a sign taped to the rear window. It was homemade, and it said "Save America. Shoot a Liberal." What a despicable human being. I'm liberal. You'd take my children's mother from them? We are human beings. These people they are targeting are human beings. It is not funny or even acceptable to try to make a joke about killing someone because you have different politics. If you're a public figure, you have a responsibility to behave in a respectable manner, and to refrain from instigating violence.
It's sad and sickening that these people who claim to be the ultimate Americans allude to killing other Americans. Listen to yourselves! That is horrible to suggest. These conservative folks claim to love America. Well, in case it is not clear, liberals also love America. We just disagree with each other on how we should express that love to nurture our country. It's not about threatening each other, instigating violence, or acting like the other half aren't "real Americans". I'm sick of it. I've been sick of it for a long time, but maybe now some more folks will be sick of it as well. Dare to stand up and reject violent rhetoric. If you can't handle having a conversation without mentioning guns and using them to oust your adversaries, perhaps you need not be in public office. I'd like someone with a stronger moral fabric, and actual solutions to problems than with some catchy, violence laced tune they sing about locking & loading to blow away the people instead of solving any of the actual issues.
Alright, 2 rants in a row. I'll try to be more upbeat tomorrow. No one screw that up for me, please. Try to control your violent urges.
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