David Hogg is the 17-year-old face of the reaction to the Parkland, Florida school shooting. While I vehemently disagree with almost all of his publicly stated positions, I acknowledge that he is poised, charismatic, intelligent and, if he chooses to stay committed to his cause, an absolute force to be reckoned with.
What I find fascinating is that criticisms of he and his classmates are neither allowed by the mainstream nor welcomed for two stated reasons; the “targets,” are children and they’re still grieving over the trauma they had to endure at their very own school.
Ummmm….OK. Yes, technically they are, according to the law, children (although many of them, including Hogg, are less than a year from being adults) but they have thrust themselves into a very adult topic, and have done so with calls for activism, marches, and changes to American laws. Criticism of their ideas, claims, and demands is not only to be welcomed, it is a necessity. As for the tragedy they have endured; of course it was awful. And, I would suggest it is something that will not only live with them, but in many cases will haunt them for life. Yet it is that very tragedy that has elevated them to the main stage of American Politics. To simply announce that the presence of that tragedy makes them immune to disagreement is abjectly silly on its face.
With that said, I do not side with the clown show that has become Fox News; Tucker Carlson saying that because they are children they are not to be taken seriously is beyond asinine. Especially when one day after he made that brilliant comment, he then lauded high school kids who are pro-gun. Which is it, ass-hat? Are they, as kids, not be taken seriously or are they? Oh, that’s right…it’s 2018 America; those who agree with you are to be celebrated, those who don’t are to be demeaned. Got it.
And then there’s the walking C-word known as Laura Ingraham who, inexplicably was given her own nightly show on FNC a few months ago and hasn’t failed to disappoint in her ability to lower the discourse to even below Sean Hannity levels. It is amazing how Fox News rightfully complains about what pinko commie slime-balls Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon are on CNN and then finds a way to counteract them with borderline fascists.
And now, back to the column…
Ingraham decided it would be smart to mock Hogg via social media for not getting into various colleges, despite the fact that he was not whining about it as she stated. In fact, no less than Fox News’ own Harvey Levin of TMZ is the one who sought Hogg out for comments in the first place and made it clear that Hogg was in no way playing the victim. Ingraham eventually apologized and Hogg refused to accept it and called on her to be fired (showing his own immaturity). I swear, the line of juveniles, regardless of actual age, is endless in this story.
By the way…quick side note…none of the advertisers who “pulled their ads,” from Ingraham’s show pulled their ads from Fox, thus the network lost no revenue nor its ability to pay Ingraham’s obnoxious salary. It’s the oldest trick in the book…Fox just moved Hulu and others to different shows on the network to give the companies coverage. Oh, and they’ll be airing again on Ingraham’s show by May (if she survives this). It’s akin to those of you sticking it to Facebook by closing your accounts and moving to Instagram…which is owned by Facebook. Nicely done.
And then there’s one of the oldest clowns on Earth, former (thank God) Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, calling for the 2nd amendment to be repealed (along with that wizard of smart Larry King who repeated the long-disproven conspiracy theory that the 2nd amendment was written because of a fear of slaves. Jesus Jumped Up Christ).
http://www.tmz.com/2018/03/29/larry-king-second-amendment-created-fight-slave-uprisings/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-met-second-amendment-kass-0329-story.html
Let’s break this down, shall we? The 2nd amendment is not getting repealed. Repealing any amendment is beyond difficult for obvious reasons. These are the inalienable rights granted us by our creator…taking them away shouldn’t be easy…and if you truly want actual civil war in America, go after the 2nd amendment. The bloodshed would be epic.
With that said, I say to my fellow gun owners…please, for the love of God, stop with the terrible counter-arguments. While I don’t believe that the constitution is a “living document,” we MUST acknowledge that it isn’t 1787 anymore. If it weren’t a live document then women and blacks still wouldn’t be voting…c’mon. Get with it.
When the 2nd amendment was written it was done so by people, who using guns (and horses and cannons), were overthrowing an oppressive ruling government. In their tiny little 18th century brains, they wanted citizens to be able to do the same moving forward if future American governments got drunk on power and needed to be kept in check, so they wrote it in a manner that allowed for the citizens to form a militia to defend themselves against such. Great…that’s absurd today. If the government, backed by the power of the U.S military wants to “take us over,” guess what? We lose. Period. We, as citizens, don’t have F-14’s, submarines, access to nuclear weapons, etc. etc. etc.
I don’t care about the 2nd amendment as it relates to the government. No, of course they (the government) shouldn’t be allowed to come to my home and confiscate my guns, but in the end, they’re not the ones I’m going to be firing at (because it’s a losing proposition as just outlined). I want to protect myself and my family from YOU PEOPLE! We live in a screwed-up world where life has little value and class warfare is at an all-time high. If a person (or 4 of them) want to attack my home, my possessions, my dogs, and my wife, I want access to the same firepower they have obtained illegally…so that I can fire back. That’s what the 2nd amendment means to me today. Argue that, fellow advocates. When four scumbags home invade my ass, how, absent semi-automatic handguns are my wife and I going to survive? The dogs will provide a brief respite (allowing us to get our weapons) and will probably die doing so. In return, those who violated our 4th amendment private property rights must die at the hands of our 2nd amendment rights. Don’t you dare make me the bad guy in that scenario…don’t wanna die? Don’t break into peoples’ homes. Period.
And so I say to David Hogg and his ilk…make your case. You actually have some good points to be made and heard. And in return, please listen. And while you’re at it, reject the dopey calls for repeal of the 2nd amendment.
This reminds me of the very average employee who walks into their bosses’ office for the annual review and asks for a 200% salary increase. That’s a great way to get nothing and like it. Can we try to work on reasonable ideas on all sides…
Never mind…I dozed off writing that knowing how ridiculous it is. Take our guns…or don’t…whatever. I’m heading online to find that private island I’ll be buying and moving to.
