SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
(Photo: M Glasgow/cc/flickr)
The NRA's Accidental Brush with Sanity
The group blames an unnamed and lowly staffer for accidentally criticizing Texan gun advocates for hanging out at restaurants while brandishing assault weapons.
Jun 22, 2014
Whoa, that was close. The National Rifle Association nearly shot itself in the foot recently with a common-sense editorial it posted online.
The group of rootin'-tootin', bullet-spittin', doctrinaire, guns-everywhere extremists finally saw something involving firearms that even it considered too extreme. In Texas (naturally), worshippers of the glorious gun god have taken to shouting out their ideological absolutism in coffee shops, museums, chain restaurants, and other public places by having a dozen or more of their ilk walk in together with shotguns, assault rifles and other weaponry strapped onto them.
"Any gun, anywhere," is their message, expressed in an unsubtle, don't-mess-with-us swagger.
"Scary," exclaimed the NRA editorial, calling the macho show counterproductive to the cause of gun rights, adding that such peacocking is downright "weird." That is, of course, a sane response.
But sanity isn't comfortable turf for gun dogmatists. The NRA soon got hit with a barrage of fire from its own ranks, plus an explosion of rage from gun groups that are -- believe it or not -- even gunnier than the NRA.
So the big, bad, never-surrender rifle organization quickly threw in the towel. It recanted its momentary lapse into sanity, and cravenly blamed some unnamed lowly staffer for the ideological impurity.
The upshot is you can expect to see newly sanctioned NRA gun strutters parading into cafes near you. But let me ask this: How would those strutters react if a band of African-Americans or Latinos were to stride into one of their cafes, armed to the teeth?
I'm with the president on this one: "There's no reason," he said, "why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons."
Oh, that wasn't Barack Obama. It was Ronald Reagan, in 1967 -- back when he served as the governor of California.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Whoa, that was close. The National Rifle Association nearly shot itself in the foot recently with a common-sense editorial it posted online.
The group of rootin'-tootin', bullet-spittin', doctrinaire, guns-everywhere extremists finally saw something involving firearms that even it considered too extreme. In Texas (naturally), worshippers of the glorious gun god have taken to shouting out their ideological absolutism in coffee shops, museums, chain restaurants, and other public places by having a dozen or more of their ilk walk in together with shotguns, assault rifles and other weaponry strapped onto them.
"Any gun, anywhere," is their message, expressed in an unsubtle, don't-mess-with-us swagger.
"Scary," exclaimed the NRA editorial, calling the macho show counterproductive to the cause of gun rights, adding that such peacocking is downright "weird." That is, of course, a sane response.
But sanity isn't comfortable turf for gun dogmatists. The NRA soon got hit with a barrage of fire from its own ranks, plus an explosion of rage from gun groups that are -- believe it or not -- even gunnier than the NRA.
So the big, bad, never-surrender rifle organization quickly threw in the towel. It recanted its momentary lapse into sanity, and cravenly blamed some unnamed lowly staffer for the ideological impurity.
The upshot is you can expect to see newly sanctioned NRA gun strutters parading into cafes near you. But let me ask this: How would those strutters react if a band of African-Americans or Latinos were to stride into one of their cafes, armed to the teeth?
I'm with the president on this one: "There's no reason," he said, "why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons."
Oh, that wasn't Barack Obama. It was Ronald Reagan, in 1967 -- back when he served as the governor of California.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Whoa, that was close. The National Rifle Association nearly shot itself in the foot recently with a common-sense editorial it posted online.
The group of rootin'-tootin', bullet-spittin', doctrinaire, guns-everywhere extremists finally saw something involving firearms that even it considered too extreme. In Texas (naturally), worshippers of the glorious gun god have taken to shouting out their ideological absolutism in coffee shops, museums, chain restaurants, and other public places by having a dozen or more of their ilk walk in together with shotguns, assault rifles and other weaponry strapped onto them.
"Any gun, anywhere," is their message, expressed in an unsubtle, don't-mess-with-us swagger.
"Scary," exclaimed the NRA editorial, calling the macho show counterproductive to the cause of gun rights, adding that such peacocking is downright "weird." That is, of course, a sane response.
But sanity isn't comfortable turf for gun dogmatists. The NRA soon got hit with a barrage of fire from its own ranks, plus an explosion of rage from gun groups that are -- believe it or not -- even gunnier than the NRA.
So the big, bad, never-surrender rifle organization quickly threw in the towel. It recanted its momentary lapse into sanity, and cravenly blamed some unnamed lowly staffer for the ideological impurity.
The upshot is you can expect to see newly sanctioned NRA gun strutters parading into cafes near you. But let me ask this: How would those strutters react if a band of African-Americans or Latinos were to stride into one of their cafes, armed to the teeth?
I'm with the president on this one: "There's no reason," he said, "why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons."
Oh, that wasn't Barack Obama. It was Ronald Reagan, in 1967 -- back when he served as the governor of California.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.