Do you fancy yourself a gun enthusiast? Are you the proud owner of a handgun, rifle, shotgun or, possibly, an arsenal including several magazines. Do you hunt or target shoot? Maybe you are staunchly anti-gun or don't see the need for magazines and assault weapons outside of the military. I don't care if you are John Rambo or Gandhi, whatever the case, stop talking about it on Facebook and Twitter as if you are an expert on the Second Amendment and life, the universe and everything. You aren't commenting about being a gun enthusiast or an anti-gun liberal. It's past the gun debate, it's past mass shootings and safety. You want attention and have no interest in starting a healthy conversation as you, most likely, claim because, other than a healthy debate, what's the point?
I don't care about your opinion if it's set in stone. I don't care about an obscure gun fact you copied and pasted from an article you read online. What's the goal behind John Q. Public Tweeting: "Goodbye free America, socialism here we come! Hold on to your guns people, they will be as valuable as gold very soon!"
These rants come from a lack of education and ignorance. The more Americans devalue education and the more ignorance is celebrated, the more these types of things will happen -- could I sound like more of an old fart? Ignorance is celebrated, it's rewarded. People are paid millions of dollars to be idiots. What message does that send? Hey, I can rant online and suffer no consequence! People will pay attention to me like I'm a reality star! I'm never going to change my mind on anything, anytime, anywhere - people wear this gem like a badge of honor.
Morons go on social media and make ignorant comments because their moron friends applaud them. It's one thing to think something but quite another to share it with hundreds of people as if then, and only then, your opinions will matter. It's not polite in public but it sure as hell seems polite on ye ole Internet. Sure, people with differing views may comment but it's meaningless. No harm, no foul as responses are typed from keyboards or smartphones, a safe distance from face-to-face contact. Parents aren't willing to educate their kids and this is what you get - they didn't grow up in the Technology Age so they aren't sure what's happening. When I was a teenager, the most advanced technology were beepers and flip phones that, gasp, only made phone calls.
We are a nation of idiots who celebrate and idolize ignorance. The media doesn't celebrate Joe who finds common ground with others or Sally who is nice to everyone she meets - they celebrate John who is loud, proud and full of cheap flamboyance oozing from his pores.
I have views. I can compromise and respect other perspectives, to a point. Politics is supposed to be about bringing together differing ideologies to, eventually, compromise. Politicians should reach across the aisle. I'm here, you're there, let's meet over there. Each side feels like they gave something up but, in the end, they both end up better for having compromised.
The gun debate doesn't have to be everything or nothing. No one is coming to your home to take your guns, especially not the leader of the free world or a member of Congress. Similarly, no one is handing out assault weapons and magazines at the grocery store. It doesn't have to be everything or nothing -- like a fad diet, it will fail.
There are plenty of intelligent people who are responsible gun owners just as there are intelligent people who aren't gun owners. However, when talking about weapons designed to kill people, we should understand with great power comes great responsibility. The Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. There are other freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution the courts regulate: freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Courts consistently say the Constitution is not absolute and not unlimited - that's why it can be amended.
So, there needs to be a discussion. Personally I don't see the need for assault weapons and magazines outside of the military but I'm just some jerk writing a blog. The powers that be need to discuss and examine guns in America, including gun violence. As for the common man, stop trying to pretend you want a healthy discussion on Facebook or Twitter. We all know you're lying. It ain't all about you princess.
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