Target practice

I promised myself that I would give the whole gun control issue a bit of a break. I find it depressing in the extreme and it only exacerbates my feeling of helplessness. I broke that promise to myself because a) no matter how I tried my thoughts still carom back to the subject, b) I had my fingers crossed when I made the promise and c) I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get the words ‘exacerbate’ and ‘carom’ in one paragraph.
I was prepared to suck it up and soldier on (ironic pun duly noted) when the gutless senate killed (see previous parenthetical statement) the latest gun control bill, but then I saw clips from the NRA’s absurdist comedy in Houston. I believe the official name of this event was the ‘NRA Annual Meeting.’
Have you ever been to Houston? I have. It’s a big, rambling collection of glass, steel and randomness. That’s the best I can come up with. As is the case with most cities, most states and, zounds, even most countries, there are some good folks, some extremists, and a lot of people in the middle. I ran into this first-hand when I lived in the south for 10 years. I encountered racism and sexism sure, but I also found socialism and Win-Dixie-ism. So, tempting as it is to brand a city, a state or a country with a one-size-fits-all label, I prefer to think of us all as a mosaic in progress. Seen up close you recognize the uniqueness of each tile, but viewed from a distance you see only one single picture made up of those pieces. Yes, I know, how startlingly original of me. That’s why I make the big bucks folks.
But I digress.
When I hurl invective at a city or a national fear-mongering organization, I acknowledge that there are some perfectly rational, reasonable and socially aware people mixed in with the wing nuts, blow hards and loons. Some.
What is baffling to me is how congress and the NRA continue to completely ignore public opinion. When 70 to 90 percent of the citizens of these United States  (depending on the poll) say they want tighter gun and/or ammo control, isn’t it our representatives’ duty to see that it happens? They can hide behind all the phony facts they want (‘Gun control does not reduce gun violence!’ Uh, actually pretty much every report concludes that it does), the real reason seems to be much more cynical and much more troubling:
From CNN: Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania blamed political polarization for the failure of last month’s background check compromise he reached with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, saying some in his party simply voted against the measure to prevent the president from winning a legislative victory.
“In the end, it didn’t pass because we’re so politicized. There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it,” Toomey said.
Jeez, I thought you had to have graduated from junior high to serve in the senate.
Obama is not coming for your guns — or your lunch money. All we are asking for is, if you buy a weapon that has potential to kill another human being, show some guts, show some accountability, show your face and take responsibility for your purchase. It’s not about the second amendment, it’s not about the tenth amendment, it’s about common humanity. Something I had assumed we all had in common, but now I’m beginning to wonder.
Representing ‘America’ at the Houston NRA trigger fest were the great visionaries of our time, such insightful minds as Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, and Glen Beck. And get this; you also had such family values vendors as Zombie Industries. I will pause while you chuckle at the stupid name, but be prepared to catch that chuckle in mid-chuck. They were hawking zombie mannequins to be used for target practice including one called ‘The Ex’, the only female zombie in their arsenal (see earlier parenthetical statement) designed to bleed fake blood when shot. And it’s only a hundred bucks, kids!
This sanctioned from an organization who held the charmingly named “Stand and Fight’ rally at their Houston confab, where you could hear such inspiring oratory as this:
“The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
— Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the NRA
That’s both incorrect and, what’s the word? Oh yes, stupid.
You know what I say? I say we stand up and fight. Fight this network of well-funded bullies. But instead of bullets, let’s use reason, compassion and common sense.
That’ll throw ‘em for a loop.
Steven welcomes your comments. You can reach him at

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