Some random thoughts from the 137th NRA Convention

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My dad’s in his 70’s, not in adequate health to make this trip alone, so I’m here with him.

  1. Louisville KY is just as nice a town as it was the last time I was here in 1982, still with plenty of decayed buildings and friendly people.

  2. Oliver North is shorter and grayer in person, but just as wholesomely evil as on TV.

  3. The NRA’s convention is no exception to the “people who live in their parent’s basement” factor.

  4. I’m discomforted by the fact that we’re a species who can create incredibly sophisitcated firearms, but not smart enough to manage ourselves without them.

  5. I’m sophisitcated enough to keep this to myself.

  6. There sure are a lot of fat white guys in this world

  7. If people who so firmly feel the need to defend themselves with firearms, why haven’t they considered that their own bodies are a major component of their weapons system? These fat guys are still asking a lot from their guns.

2

You might be surprised by the offensive/defensive capabilities of some of those “fat white guys” (myself being one of them). I’m pretty beat up physically (as I type this, I’m dealing with some serious pain in my right shoulder), but all that would fade to nothing if I had to kick the snot out of some young punk.

And I think the “personal defense” angle is seriously overblown. Most of the people who tout that ideal have never had to use a firearm to defend themselves, unlike say…me.

3

I keep wanting to join a little bit, but then I get worried about associated mailing lists. What’s the good word on membership?

4

Spoken like someone who’s never gone target shooting with a fine semi-auto and plenty of ammo.

Some people just can’t understand that guns are like cars: Potentially dangerous but a whole lot of fun in the majority of circumstances.

5

Life Member here. I get a magazine (You get a choice of American Rifleman, which I get, or a handgun associated one, I forget the title of). About once or sometimes at worst, twice a month I get a mailing that goes straight in the garbage. I get far more junk mail from the local grocery store and I always pre-sort and toss junk without bothering to read it, so it’s not a big deal to me. Heck, if I had a fireplace, I’d consider it free firestarting material.

No, I don’t agree with all of their positions. But I seriously doubt that every member of a political party agrees with every position of said party, or that every member of a grassroots organization (PETA, Sierra Club, hell, Pheasants Forever) agrees with every single one of their positions either.

6

Just checking in to say hi, before I’m off the tonight’s banquet. Guest speaker: Radio & TV pundit Glen Beck! I’ts good to be exposed to viewpoints I disagree with, but not as constructive as when I do it here on this board. I guess I’m just leery at any gatherings of thousands of people who are so perfectly self-assured of any one thing - I felt the same way when I attended a rally for John Kerry in 2004.

BTW, I’ve been target shooting, and that’s a worthwhile challenge, too. But I’m not impressed with whatever capability I may have to kill anyone, or even beat the snot out of him.

7

Hey Slithy Tove, is there still a big Ehrler’s Dairy there? Heh. My Dad grew up in Louisville and my Grandpa used to give a little ‘humph’ when we drove by. He’d say, "Why, I remember when Old Man Ehrler only had one cow’.