Harsh Realities

Harsh reality, what is to you? I know to me it is a cold bitch that repeatedly slaps the shit out of you until you open your eyes and see something for what it truly is. There is along the way smaller and gentler steps to try and get you to either see where you are going, or what the end result might be of the action(s) you are taking. Harsh reality it seems is something that is blocked from ever gaining entrance through the doors of our illustrious leaders to whom we entrust the governance of this country. Then there are the fringe groups on both sides that we have so conveniently labeled the right or left. It seems that these extremes are being embraced by a broken, disgraced and humiliated Republican Party. That at least was a point so saliently made by columnist Frank Rich in today's New York Times.

Case in point, in today's piece when he talks about how shocking it is the GOP leaders can, on national TV defend wackos that feel the need to bring semi automatic weapons to a political rally. Mr. Rich points out the completely unrealistic excuse that it is the government's fault some nut job brought an AR-15 to a speaking engagement the President appeared at. Stating on last Sunday's Meet the Press show that:

“Well, I’m troubled any time when we stop having confidence in our government,” the senator said, “but we’ve earned it.”

The speaking engagement was to answer questions in a Town Hall style meeting about health reform, a topic that many could argue was the antithesis of health issues. The Senator in question was Tom Coburn (R-Ok). Somehow this right wing wack job equated health care reform with a suppression of his so called "second amendment rights". Hey wacko, how did you come up with that comparasin? Maybe it was that if we fixed our ailing health care system we might be able to save a couple of people we normally wouldn't have when you went on a shooting rampage? This question goes out to all those gun toting fools who have shown up carrying loaded weapons at a Presidential gig. If you ask them their party affiliation, they will either tell you Republican, Libertarian, or Lyndon LaRousch, both parties have close to to the radical right so for this article's purpose we will connect then to the Republicans.

This where normals like you and me can see a complete divergence from reality. See today, in spite of all the lies and misrepresentations, along with a drop in the polling numbers for President Obama on his handling of the health reform debate, his approval rating is 98% higher then the approval rating for the Republicans as reported in an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. Obama's ratings are at 41% approval (a drop from 55%) while the Republicans handling of the health reform issues are 21% approval. That by the way is the same percentage of the population that identifies itself as Republican. Look seriously President Obama and Michael Steele. 21% is less than a quarter of the population, Mr. President that might be a harsh reality slap in the face about the chances of success for bipartisanship). This is that part of the population that candidate Obama so succinctly described as "clinging to their guns and religion". Also that portion of the population that the NRA has so completely brainwashed.

I bring up another case in point here. At one time I was a very good shot, one that very few could beat. I have shot in competitions with Marines, police, FBI and even the Secret Service and won. When I hear people from NRA talking about assault weapons as hunting rifles and home protection I laugh and explain, "liar". You can't really hunt with an AK-47 or AR-15. You can hunt with a .308, which by the way I could easily use to snuff out your lying lives had I that inclination (did I mention I was a sniper at one time and the 308 was a great weapon for both hunting and sniping). At the same time these folks buy big caliber hand guns thinking they are a better man and in some cases woman for it. Yet they forget that those firearms are not much use past 25 yards because of the recoil which makes aiming hard. You want home protection, buy a Remington 810 12 ga. riot gun. Load it with #6 buck and store it safely. The 810 can be bought legally with an 18" barrel (ideal for in the house) and that ammo will take out any intruder without taking out 15 of your neighbors. Hell, you don't even have to be a good shot just point and shoot.

Getting back to my reality issues though, imagine you were sitting on a warm sunny afternoon in your home and your next door neighbor came over about a mutual problem with tree roots. However, in this case he was strapped with a 9mm and was demanding you dig up your tree. Wouldn't that seem a bit intimidating to you? Imagine that same neighbor going to a health reform debate strapped like that? Wouldn't the purpose be the same? We have seen the loons compare Obama with Hitler over health reform please tell me how annihilating 6,000,000 Jews equates with trying to get everyone an opportunity at health care? Yet Republican leaders say nothing about this and often defend or encourage it. Yes, we have the first amendment, however that does not preclude civil decency or shaming those who abuse it.

Republicans after the last election saw their demographics shrink to areas most likely described as "southern white" areas of the country. These are the same that love to carry their rifle or shotguns in the rear window of their pickup trucks ( I will admit here they are not the majority of gun rights advocates). They are silent at these outrageous comments made by the fringes when in the past they and the Dems would have condemned the speakers for their out landishrantings (does anyone remember the out rage over General "Betray Us?).

The gun advocates will respond they have a right to protect their homes and families and whole list of other American values. They cry about how Big Brother is trying to steal their hard fought liberties away. Yet these same people had no problem when the government under the guise of fighting terrorists tapped their phones, emails, checked out their preferred reading materials at the local library (maybe the Obama Justice Dept could start checking out those who picked up gun books that described how to turn semi auto weapons into fully auto weapons?), turn about is fair play you know but in the end two wrongs don't make a right. If though gun owners continue to use the second amendment as an excuse to intimidate their opponents, eventually they will enable that long dreamed nightmare of government coming to snatch their guns away. Home defense will mean nothing against an M-1 Abrams tank or Bradley, forget the F16's. Your actions of bringing a gun to a meeting where the President is because "it's your right" will end the first time that your actions provide the cover (and that's what they will do folks) for someone who really is out to harm our elected leader. That's right, you will have aided and abetted that lunatic. Kinda makes mincemeat out of your chant "give me my country back" when democracy (you know that thing that says majority rules) gets tossed aside. You want to know by the way the folks who will take your guns away? It's not the left, but more likely the right who fear anything that challenges their ideals and perceived authority (remember Dick Cheney? Looked in the mirror lately?)

Harsh reality here you guys. You are not furthering your cause. Believe it or not there are as many on the left that served their country and own guns as you. Probably more. Trying to blur the lines of reality with fantasy in the name of claiming that reality serves only as a self fulfilling prophecy. Trying to abuse your constitutional right to intimidate or scare another can only lead to your loss of that right. Don't believe me? Try yelling "fire" in a crowded theater and then using the first amendment as your defense in court. The bitch just gave you that cold hard slap.