I'd like to preface this long tweet by saying that my passion comes from
my deepest sympathy and shared sorrow with yesterday's victims and with
the utmost respect for the people and the police/fire/medical/political
forces of Aurora and all who seek to comfort and aid these victims.
This morning, I made a comment about how I do not understand people who
support public ownership of assault style weapons like the AR-15 used in
the Colorado massacre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15
That comment, has of course, inspired a lot of feedback. There have been
many tweets of agreement and sympathy but many, many more that have
been challenging at the least, hostile and vitriolic at the worst.
Clearly, the angry, threatened and threatening, hostile comments are
coming from gun owners and gun advocates. Despite these massacres
recurring and despite the 100,000 Americans that die every year due to
domestic gun violence - these people see no value to even considering
some kind of control as to what kinds of weapons are put in civilian
hands.
Many of them cite patriotism as their reason - true patriots support the
Constitution adamantly and wholly. Constitution says citizens have the
right to bear arms in order to maintain organized militias. I'm no
constitutional scholar so here it is from the document itself:
As passed by the Congress:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free
State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed."
As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free
state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed."
So the patriots are correct, gun ownership is in the constitution - if
you're in a well-regulated militia. Let's see what no less a statesman
than Alexander Hamilton had to say about a militia:
"A tolerable expertness in military movements is a business that
requires time and practice. It is not a day, or even a week, that will
suffice for the attainment of it. To oblige the great body of the
yeomanry, and of the other classes of the citizens, to be under arms for
the purpose of going through military exercises and evolutions, as
often as might be necessary to acquire the degree of perfection which
would entitle them to the character of a well-regulated militia, would
be a real grievance to the people, and a serious public inconvenience
and loss."
Or from Merriam-Webster dictionary:
Definition of MILITIA
1
a : a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency
b : a body of citizens organized for military service
2
: the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
The advocates of guns who claim patriotism and the rights of the 2nd
Amendment - are they in well-regulated militias? For the vast majority -
the answer is no.
Then I get messages from seemingly decent and intelligent people who offer things like: : Guns should only be banned if violent crimes committed with tomatoes means we should ban tomatoes. OR : Drunk drivers kill, should we ban fast cars?
I'm hoping that right after they hit send, they take a deep breath and
realize that those arguments are completely specious. I believe tomatoes
and cars have purposes other than killing. What purpose does an AR-15
serve to a sportsman that a more standard hunting rifle does not serve?
Let's see - does it fire more rounds without reload? Yes. Does it fire
farther and more accurately? Yes. Does it accommodate a more lethal
payload? Yes. So basically, the purpose of an assault style weapon is to
kill more stuff, more fully, faster and from further away. To achieve
maximum lethality. Hardly the primary purpose of tomatoes and sports
cars.
Then there are the tweets from the extreme right - these are the folk
who believe our government has been corrupted and stolen and that the
forces of evil are at play, planning to take over this nation and these
folk are going to fight back and take a stand. And any moron like me who
doesn't see it should...
a. be labeled a moron
b. shut the fuck up
c. be removed
And amazingly, I have some minor agreement with these folks. I believe
there are evil forces at play in our government. But I call them
corporatists. I call them absolutists. I call them the kind of
ideologues from both sides, but mostly from the far right who swear
allegiance to unelected officials that regardless of national need or
global conditions, are never to levy a tax. That they are never to
compromise or seek solutions with the other side. That are to obstruct
every possible act of governance, even the ones they support or
initiate. Whose political and social goal is to marginalize the other
side, vilify and isolate them with the hope that they will surrender, go
away or die out.
These people believe that the US government is eventually going to go
street by street and enslave our citizens. Now as long as that is only
happening to liberals, homosexuals and democrats - no problem. But if
they try it with anyone else - it's going to be arms-ageddon and these
committed, God-fearing, brave souls will then use their military-esque
arsenal to show the forces of our corrupt government whats-what. These
people think they meet the definition of a "militia". They don't. At
least not the constitutional one. And, if it should actually come to
such an unthinkable reality, these people believe they would win. That's
why they have to "take our country back". From who? From anyone who
doesn't think like them or see the world like them. They hold the only
truth, everyone else is dangerous. Ever meet a terrorist that doesn't
believe that? Just asking.
Then there are the folks who write that if everyone in Colorado had a
weapon, this maniac would have been stopped. Perhaps. But I do believe
that the element of surprise, tear gas and head to toe kevlar protection
might have given him a distinct edge. Not only that, but a crowd of
people firing away in a chaotic arena without training or planning - I
tend to think that scenario could produce even more victims.
Lastly, there are these well-intended realists that say that people like
this evil animal would get these weapons even if we regulated them. And
they may be right. But he wouldn't have strolled down the road to Kmart
and picked them up. Regulated, he would have had to go to illegal
sources - sources that could possibly be traced, watched, overseen. Or
he would have to go deeper online and those transactions could be
monitored. "Hm, some guy in Aurora is buying guns, tons of ammo and
kevlar - plus bomb-making ingredients and tear gas. Maybe we should
check that out."
But that won't happen as long as all that activity is legal and unrestricted.
I have been reading on and off as advocates for these weapons make their
excuses all day long. Guns don't kill - people do. Well if that's
correct, I go with , let them kill with tomatoes. Let them bring baseball bats, knives, even machetes --- a mob can deal with that.
There is no excuse for the propagation of these weapons. They are not
guaranteed or protected by our constitution. If they were, then we could
all run out and purchase a tank, a grenade launcher, a bazooka, a SCUD
missile and a nuclear warhead. We could stockpile napalm and chemical
weapons and bomb-making materials in our cellars under our guise of
being a militia.
These weapons are military weapons. They belong in accountable hands,
controlled hands and trained hands. They should not be in the hands of
private citizens to be used against police, neighborhood intruders or
people who don't agree with you. These are the weapons that maniacs
acquire to wreak murder and mayhem on innocents. They are not the same
as handguns to help homeowners protect themselves from intruders. They
are not the same as hunting rifles or sporting rifles. These weapons are
designed for harm and death on big scales.
SO WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM? WHY DO YOU NOT, AT LEAST, AGREE
TO SIT WITH REASONABLE PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES AND ASK HARD QUESTIONS AND
LOOK AT HARD STATISTICS AND POSSIBLY MAKE SOME COMPROMISES FOR THE
GREATER GOOD? SO THAT MOTHERS AND FATHERS AND CHILDREN ARE NOT
SLAUGHTERED QUITE SO EASILY BY THESE MONSTERS? HOW CAN IT HURT TO STOP
DEFENDING THESE THINGS AND AT LEAST CONSIDER HOW WE CAN ALL WORK TO TRY
TO PREVENT ANOTHER DAY LIKE YESTERDAY?
We will not prevent every tragedy. We cannot stop every maniac. But we
certainly have done ourselves no good by allowing these particular
weapons to be acquired freely by just about anyone.
I'll say it plainly - if someone wants these weapons, they intend to use
them. And if they are willing to force others to "pry it from my cold,
dead hand", then they are probably planning on using them on people.
So, sorry those of you who tell me I'm an actor, or a has-been or an
idiot or a commie or a liberal and that I should shut up. You can not
watch my stuff, you can unfollow and you can call me all the names you
like. I may even share some of them with my global audience so everyone
can get a little taste of who you are.
But this is not the time for reasonable people, on both sides of this
issue, to be silent. We owe it to the people whose lives were ended and
ruined yesterday to insist on a real discussion and hopefully on some
real action.
In conclusion, whoever you are and wherever you stand on this issue, I
hope you have the joy of family with you today. Hold onto them and love
them as best you can. Tell them what they mean to you. Yesterday, a
whole bunch of them went to the movies and tonight their families are
without them. Every day is precious. Every life is precious. Take care.
Be well. Be safe. God bless.
Jason Alexander
http://tl.gd/if2nht
· Reply
I'd like to preface this long tweet by saying that my passion comes from
my deepest sympathy and shared sorrow with yesterday's victims and with
the utmost respect for the people and the police/fire/medical/political
forces of Aurora and all who seek to comfort and aid these victims.
This morning, I made a comment about how I do not understand people who
support public ownership of assault style weapons like the AR-15 used in
the Colorado massacre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15
That comment, has of course, inspired a lot of feedback. There have been
many tweets of agreement and sympathy but many, many more that have
been challenging at the least, hostile and vitriolic at the worst.
Clearly, the angry, threatened and threatening, hostile comments are
coming from gun owners and gun advocates. Despite these massacres
recurring and despite the 100,000 Americans that die every year due to
domestic gun violence - these people see no value to even considering
some kind of control as to what kinds of weapons are put in civilian
hands.
Many of them cite patriotism as their reason - true patriots support the
Constitution adamantly and wholly. Constitution says citizens have the
right to bear arms in order to maintain organized militias. I'm no
constitutional scholar so here it is from the document itself:
As passed by the Congress:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free
State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed."
As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free
state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be
infringed."
So the patriots are correct, gun ownership is in the constitution - if
you're in a well-regulated militia. Let's see what no less a statesman
than Alexander Hamilton had to say about a militia:
"A tolerable expertness in military movements is a business that
requires time and practice. It is not a day, or even a week, that will
suffice for the attainment of it. To oblige the great body of the
yeomanry, and of the other classes of the citizens, to be under arms for
the purpose of going through military exercises and evolutions, as
often as might be necessary to acquire the degree of perfection which
would entitle them to the character of a well-regulated militia, would
be a real grievance to the people, and a serious public inconvenience
and loss."
Or from Merriam-Webster dictionary:
Definition of MILITIA
1
a : a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency
b : a body of citizens organized for military service
2
: the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
The advocates of guns who claim patriotism and the rights of the 2nd
Amendment - are they in well-regulated militias? For the vast majority -
the answer is no.
Then I get messages from seemingly decent and intelligent people who offer things like: : Guns should only be banned if violent crimes committed with tomatoes means we should ban tomatoes. OR : Drunk drivers kill, should we ban fast cars?
I'm hoping that right after they hit send, they take a deep breath and
realize that those arguments are completely specious. I believe tomatoes
and cars have purposes other than killing. What purpose does an AR-15
serve to a sportsman that a more standard hunting rifle does not serve?
Let's see - does it fire more rounds without reload? Yes. Does it fire
farther and more accurately? Yes. Does it accommodate a more lethal
payload? Yes. So basically, the purpose of an assault style weapon is to
kill more stuff, more fully, faster and from further away. To achieve
maximum lethality. Hardly the primary purpose of tomatoes and sports
cars.
Then there are the tweets from the extreme right - these are the folk
who believe our government has been corrupted and stolen and that the
forces of evil are at play, planning to take over this nation and these
folk are going to fight back and take a stand. And any moron like me who
doesn't see it should...
a. be labeled a moron
b. shut the fuck up
c. be removed
And amazingly, I have some minor agreement with these folks. I believe
there are evil forces at play in our government. But I call them
corporatists. I call them absolutists. I call them the kind of
ideologues from both sides, but mostly from the far right who swear
allegiance to unelected officials that regardless of national need or
global conditions, are never to levy a tax. That they are never to
compromise or seek solutions with the other side. That are to obstruct
every possible act of governance, even the ones they support or
initiate. Whose political and social goal is to marginalize the other
side, vilify and isolate them with the hope that they will surrender, go
away or die out.
These people believe that the US government is eventually going to go
street by street and enslave our citizens. Now as long as that is only
happening to liberals, homosexuals and democrats - no problem. But if
they try it with anyone else - it's going to be arms-ageddon and these
committed, God-fearing, brave souls will then use their military-esque
arsenal to show the forces of our corrupt government whats-what. These
people think they meet the definition of a "militia". They don't. At
least not the constitutional one. And, if it should actually come to
such an unthinkable reality, these people believe they would win. That's
why they have to "take our country back". From who? From anyone who
doesn't think like them or see the world like them. They hold the only
truth, everyone else is dangerous. Ever meet a terrorist that doesn't
believe that? Just asking.
Then there are the folks who write that if everyone in Colorado had a
weapon, this maniac would have been stopped. Perhaps. But I do believe
that the element of surprise, tear gas and head to toe kevlar protection
might have given him a distinct edge. Not only that, but a crowd of
people firing away in a chaotic arena without training or planning - I
tend to think that scenario could produce even more victims.
Lastly, there are these well-intended realists that say that people like
this evil animal would get these weapons even if we regulated them. And
they may be right. But he wouldn't have strolled down the road to Kmart
and picked them up. Regulated, he would have had to go to illegal
sources - sources that could possibly be traced, watched, overseen. Or
he would have to go deeper online and those transactions could be
monitored. "Hm, some guy in Aurora is buying guns, tons of ammo and
kevlar - plus bomb-making ingredients and tear gas. Maybe we should
check that out."
But that won't happen as long as all that activity is legal and unrestricted.
I have been reading on and off as advocates for these weapons make their
excuses all day long. Guns don't kill - people do. Well if that's
correct, I go with , let them kill with tomatoes. Let them bring baseball bats, knives, even machetes --- a mob can deal with that.
There is no excuse for the propagation of these weapons. They are not
guaranteed or protected by our constitution. If they were, then we could
all run out and purchase a tank, a grenade launcher, a bazooka, a SCUD
missile and a nuclear warhead. We could stockpile napalm and chemical
weapons and bomb-making materials in our cellars under our guise of
being a militia.
These weapons are military weapons. They belong in accountable hands,
controlled hands and trained hands. They should not be in the hands of
private citizens to be used against police, neighborhood intruders or
people who don't agree with you. These are the weapons that maniacs
acquire to wreak murder and mayhem on innocents. They are not the same
as handguns to help homeowners protect themselves from intruders. They
are not the same as hunting rifles or sporting rifles. These weapons are
designed for harm and death on big scales.
SO WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM? WHY DO YOU NOT, AT LEAST, AGREE
TO SIT WITH REASONABLE PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES AND ASK HARD QUESTIONS AND
LOOK AT HARD STATISTICS AND POSSIBLY MAKE SOME COMPROMISES FOR THE
GREATER GOOD? SO THAT MOTHERS AND FATHERS AND CHILDREN ARE NOT
SLAUGHTERED QUITE SO EASILY BY THESE MONSTERS? HOW CAN IT HURT TO STOP
DEFENDING THESE THINGS AND AT LEAST CONSIDER HOW WE CAN ALL WORK TO TRY
TO PREVENT ANOTHER DAY LIKE YESTERDAY?
We will not prevent every tragedy. We cannot stop every maniac. But we
certainly have done ourselves no good by allowing these particular
weapons to be acquired freely by just about anyone.
I'll say it plainly - if someone wants these weapons, they intend to use
them. And if they are willing to force others to "pry it from my cold,
dead hand", then they are probably planning on using them on people.
So, sorry those of you who tell me I'm an actor, or a has-been or an
idiot or a commie or a liberal and that I should shut up. You can not
watch my stuff, you can unfollow and you can call me all the names you
like. I may even share some of them with my global audience so everyone
can get a little taste of who you are.
But this is not the time for reasonable people, on both sides of this
issue, to be silent. We owe it to the people whose lives were ended and
ruined yesterday to insist on a real discussion and hopefully on some
real action.
In conclusion, whoever you are and wherever you stand on this issue, I
hope you have the joy of family with you today. Hold onto them and love
them as best you can. Tell them what they mean to you. Yesterday, a
whole bunch of them went to the movies and tonight their families are
without them. Every day is precious. Every life is precious. Take care.
Be well. Be safe. God bless.
Jason Alexander
http://tl.gd/if2nht
· Reply
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/if2nht
