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So I have both radical liberals and militant conservatives (or radical conservatives and militant liberals) on my facebook feed. Most of both are family, so I can't exactly excise them from my life - nor would I want to. Regardless of what they believe - how different it is from what I believe, I love them, they're family. Sometimes I can't believe such sane seeming folks are so NARROW in their thinking. I expect that they think the same of me - that I am a bleeding heart and slightly crazy. Its fine, but I try to keep that off my facebook because I have professional contacts on my facebook, and I am very cognizant of who has access.
Some of the more strict conservatives shared this today:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=556708591019410&set=a.381310341892570.91810.201409103216029&type=1&theater
And I've been trying ALL DAY to figure out why I am so disturbed by this story.
It comes down to, if the interviewer was a man would the General have responded the way he did (and why not - why, because she is a woman did he immediately make the leap to prostitution)? How much did she threaten his masculinity for him to have said what he did?
And why would ANYONE think his response was okay - or even a "win" for him?
I believe in gun control - I think it should be way harder than it is for people to buy a gun. But I do NOT want to curb someone's right to go hunting with an appropriate hunting rifle or bow (I say "appropriate" because I do not think an assault rifle is an appropriate weapon to turn on deer) if that is their thing. Or even keep a revolver or handgun in their own home if they want to. I even think teaching people the safe way to handle a gun is a GOOD thing. My brother took a rifle-shooting class at summer camp one year - he was maybe twelve/thirteen - and he was pretty good at it.
I have no issue with a boy scout troop learning safe rifle procedures and discipline. I also think up until the comment he made that the General was doing pretty well. I find it interesting the General responded to a comment, not a question. It would have been far better for him to respond to the comment by saying that they were not planning to give the boys guns, but to teach them respect and safety for weapons. Not as polarizing a comment, but also not one that demeans more than half you population, either.
ETA: Even if the story is not true, it still made me think... so I'm going to leave this as is.
Some of the more strict conservatives shared this today:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=556708591019410&set=a.381310341892570.91810.201409103216029&type=1&theater
And I've been trying ALL DAY to figure out why I am so disturbed by this story.
It comes down to, if the interviewer was a man would the General have responded the way he did (and why not - why, because she is a woman did he immediately make the leap to prostitution)? How much did she threaten his masculinity for him to have said what he did?
And why would ANYONE think his response was okay - or even a "win" for him?
I believe in gun control - I think it should be way harder than it is for people to buy a gun. But I do NOT want to curb someone's right to go hunting with an appropriate hunting rifle or bow (I say "appropriate" because I do not think an assault rifle is an appropriate weapon to turn on deer) if that is their thing. Or even keep a revolver or handgun in their own home if they want to. I even think teaching people the safe way to handle a gun is a GOOD thing. My brother took a rifle-shooting class at summer camp one year - he was maybe twelve/thirteen - and he was pretty good at it.
I have no issue with a boy scout troop learning safe rifle procedures and discipline. I also think up until the comment he made that the General was doing pretty well. I find it interesting the General responded to a comment, not a question. It would have been far better for him to respond to the comment by saying that they were not planning to give the boys guns, but to teach them respect and safety for weapons. Not as polarizing a comment, but also not one that demeans more than half you population, either.
ETA: Even if the story is not true, it still made me think... so I'm going to leave this as is.
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