INSIGHT FROM NEWWEST READERS
Comments Worth Repeating II, 2007
By Bill Schneider, 6-28-07
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I’ve said it before, but like all of the following comments, it worth saying again.
Thanks to all the amazingly engaged readers of NewWest.net, we continue to get many insightful comments worth repeating. Read on. You won’t be disappointed.
This is the second selection of notable comments I’ve published so far this year. You can read the first one here.
The Zumbo Affair, Afterthoughts
“The ‘radicals’ (a la Thomas Jefferson) just wait. They are the silent ones. Staying off lists, staying off the radar. Not NRA members, not even JPFO members. Not Gun Owners of America members. Not writing to gun manufacturers about wrong-minded editorials. Not militia members. Just….waiting. That’s who the radicals are, Bill. Thankfully, I only know of them--not where they are or who they are. You could be looking across the table at one now.” (kldimond)
“The fanatical response of some of your readers just validates the concern that people like me, who believe in gun ownership, own a lot of them and have a concealed weapon permit and yet still do not see why anybody needs to own an assault rifle. I wrote about this subject in my own blog and got the same basic response you did although not as angry. Why can’t people discuss things without it turning into threats and vendettas?” (Rain)
“I have long since reconciled myself to the fact that people like Schneider, Zumbo and others will always view us as fanatics and nuts. They have their own ideas about ‘common sense gun laws,’ and they do not see the big picture in the same way as we do. It just amazes me how so many folks who read your excellent comments, and my own words here, are ‘afraid’ of us, thinking our positions to be unsupportable and unreasonable. Those people must live a comfortable and secure life to think that way. We are the least of your worries, and free people of this country should be thankful (but never will) that there is a large portion of the population that is uncompromising on gun rights.” (wdelaune)
“You cannot have an ethical hunt within the confines of a fence. It is that simple. The new definition of ‘high fence shooters’ seems to fit them well. As Arnold would say ---Girlie Hunters.” (Timothy Border)
“The Dems in Congress can’t help themselves on gun control. It’s like the old story of the frog and scorpion. Scorpion begs the frog to give him a ride across the river, frog says no, you’ll sting me and I’ll die. Scorpion says no, I’d drown too. Frog gives in. Scorpion stings the frog and as they both go under the Frog says why? The scorpion answers, stupid, you should never have trusted me because I’m a scorpion.” (DonP)
“I agree that hunting and gun rights go hand-in-hand. I read Machiavelli in high school, and remember the much-quoted line (and I’m not sure this is exact…’An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man is a subject,’ and thought that was pretty sharp---although I recognize now that it is the CHOICE to be armed or not that makes the ‘citizen’ ....because you choose not to be armed does not make you any less a citizen, of course. But not having the choice could indeed make you a subject....I feel that the Second Amendment gives us the right to be armed in the manner we choose, up to (and not including) full-auto weapons, which are already heavily regulated, and which nobody that I know thinks should be more readily available than they already are....We put up with a certain level of danger in return for a certain level of freedom....and I see the old exchange of freedom for more security....Disarm the populace, don’t let the little boys and girls play with toy guns, and when they are of age, they will know nothing of violence. Seems so idyllic. But it also seems to me an ultimate arrogance given the history of our species, and the daily news. I’ll argue for the Second Amendment, and for teaching the sane and safe use of arms to young people who are interested in them, and for no more gun controls than we have already.” (Hal Herring)
(Editor’s note: Hal Herring’s comment was long, and regrettably, I had to cut it down, but check it out. This one is worth re-reading in its entirety.)
“If a serial murderer took a wrench around and managed to kill your spouse and children, would you want to outlaw wrenches? Come on, let’s make sense. On the gun issue, the only concession I might be inclined to make--and only if the terms were specific and concrete and done by amendment (not statute)--is to restrict those weapons that impact, say, an entire section of land in one detonation, with a kill or critical injury rate on humans of something like 80%.” (kldimond)
“It has been rightly said that Democracy is defended in 3 stages: Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box.” (Rose Mary)
Montana, Don’t Be Another Wyoming
“Too many are the lazy road hunters with 4-wheelers in the back of the truck with 12-packs riding shotgun. I hunt and kill elk and deer almost every year--on foot way back in with the wolves and grizzlies. I love it that way and I go to those places on purpose. There are easier ways to kill elk, but for the true hunter, it’s not about the kill--that is the worst part. The true hunter enjoys the wild and isolation that comes with stalking and tracking ungulates in remote country. The true hunter doesn’t care about the individual, but cares deeply for the species. I’d gladly give up an elk or deer to watch a wolf or grizzly unencumbered by the anthropogenic greed of the so-called elk friends. We are in wolf/bear/cat country, and it deserves respect. If you don’t have it, don’t come here.” (pendejo)
“I think seeing and experiencing wolves in the wild is a fantastic experience. So, if I get to shoot a few less elk during my lifetime, is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!” (elfman)
“Our wildlife deserves a calmer, more knowledgeable human support system than they are getting from the non-hunting urbanites and hindsighted agriculturalists who are being so loud in this debate.” (Ron Moody)
“My guess is keeping the anti-wolf parade going allows people to continue to deny the root of their problems. Things are changing, which is scary if you aren’t sure you can or know how to adapt to the changes. The wolf receives the end of a long line of xenophobic rhetoric that blames everyone but oneself. My advice, for what it’s worth is, adapt. Life is change, and unless you admit that and work with it, you will be left behind, a human statue in the midst of a bustling street.” (Kate)
Wildlife and Energy: Making the Connection
“I heard about the hydrogen cell cars from a certified, long time, successful Ford dealer who told me, not too long ago, that inside every Ford dealer was a little voice that was telling them to get a Toyota franchise.” (bearbait)
Baucus Berates Recreation Fee Policy
“Next time you call 911 because someone at your house is having a heart attack, how about if they ask you for your VISA card number before they send an ambulance? Why should I have to pay for your 911 service, when no one at MY house is having a heart attack? Same analogy: fire department, public library, FEMA, city parks, I could go on. If we were to go to a total ‘user pays’ society, what role would there be for any government at all?” (Kitty)
“Wilderness areas are the playgrounds of the rich!? Yes, we all know how requiring folks to walk in will definitely keeps out all those poor urban kids with their snowmobiles, four wheelers and ATV’s. Those poor people with all those toys!! Who do they think they are anyway? We’ll make ‘em walk in...that’ll teach ‘em!” (Frank N.)
Mount Evans Fee Caught in Impasse
“I find it interesting that the Colorado State DOT is playing footsie with the FS when the State Legislature came out with a resolution clearly opposing the recreation access tax the FS is abusing. Maybe someone should remind them that the ‘other branch’ of State Government has made a statement that should guide their behavior and agreements.”
(Woody Hesselbarth)
“Fee or no fee, Mt. Evans is a place everyone should experience.” (Steve)
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