Commentary on Now Public ammunition feature story

by smkovalinsky | August 30, 2009 at 01:12 pm

348 views | 58 Recommendations | 23 comments

A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes. ~ Mark Twain

We live in the midst of alarms; anxiety beclouds the future; we expect some new disaster with every newspaper we read. ~ Abraham Lincoln

To hate is the road to disaster. ~ L R Hubbard

This evening, this Now Public feature story has prompted me to write some commentary. I find it alarming that apparently weapons and ammunition are being stockpiled. I understand that there is some fear - I believe unfounded - that second ammendent rights will be infringed on and so forth. But surely this will lead to some horrific self-fulfilling prophesy. How could it possibly do otherwise?

In the earlier years of this decade, I thought that the radical left - Naomi Wolf was a prime intellectual instigator - were being silly and downright irresponsible when they insisted W. Bush would not leave office in 2008. The idea was that he would not allow free and fair elections; that he and Cheney and Rove would not rest until they had conducted a fascist take-over behind the mask of the Patriot Act and the smokescreen of vamped up Office of Homeland Security procedures.

After the election of Barack Obama, when similar charges and suspicions of fascist takeover were voiced against him by the right, in the same shrill tone, and with the same force, at last I felt the two sides were now at least even: Both had been equally silly and paranoid. I thought it must quite simply be the stresses of post-modernism that were getting all in a tizzy, and I was careful not to become unduly annoyed by what was obviously only the ramblings of human neurosis. "We must be in the 'the- other- side- are- fascist' phase of political and cultural transitioning" , I had thought, and gave the matter no further reflection.

But my feeling changes, breaks out, becomes different, when I read a story such as the Now Public one I have linked to. There is something deeply disturbing about such a report; something which gives stern pause.

First of all, there is something actually taking place here : It is not "all talk" in this case. Not this time. Moreover: The situation is a virtual powder keg, needing only the drop of a tiny lit match to cause a massive explosion. For the first time, I can see that some sort of violence and mass chaos facilitating a massive crackdown might really be possible. And not only possible, but probable. Someone's fear will get the better of them. Someone will speak, when he should be silent. Someone will feel that theTree of Liberty must be watered now, and quicker than you can say "Thomas Jefferson", a group will be incited to action. We saw what happened at Kent State. The National Guard being called out is not a good thing. Something could go wrong: In fact, it always does.

And this time, the stakes are higher. The resentments are deeper, having done a slow burn on both sides of the partisan line for nearly two decades now (if not longer). The tone is sharper; the debate no longer makes for comic relief: It has grown deadly serious. A self fulfilling prophesy is in the offing: There can scarcely be doubt of that. What exact form it will take, who will be on the offense, and who will rise victorious are matters dependent on many factors, most of them suspenced in mid-air for the timebeing. But all the ingredients are there: the whole combination and constellation of factors are present; it takes only a movement to propel them into shape and motion.

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Rhonda J Mangus

at 14:07 on August 30th, 2009

"it takes only a movement to propel them into shape and motion."

"It takes only a thought acted upon...".

smkovalinsky

at 14:15 on August 30th, 2009

Yeah. That is the scary part. :(

politisite

at 17:07 on August 30th, 2009

The guns and ammunition are being bought through a federal back ground check and is completely legal. What should worry folks is the laws n the books are not being enforced by our law enforcement. Then their are sanctuary cities which have no legal prescient in any court. The truth is that when law abiding citizens and concealed carry states have less crime is statistically significant to those cities like Washington DC. Buying guns and ammunition is not a crime. Gun violence is perpetrated by guns that are unregistered and performed by criminals who have not business having guns in the first place. Any crime statistic will show that. It is ashame that this subject come us often and the statistics are not resented because they don't correlate with the fear of Americans buying guns for personal protection.

In any financial down turn gun and ammunition sales go up. It has nothing to do with the president. It has more to do with the economic crisis.

Because there is gun violence in tis country by criminals who should not possess guns, does not negate the second amendment for law abiding citizens. I challenge you to give examples of law abiding citizens who have a license to carry perpetrating crimes. If you are able to produce one or two, I can produce thousands of criminals who perpetrated the majority of the crime in the united states.

Since we have those who drive automobiles under the influence and kill incident people, I see no attempt to ban automobiles because they are the vehicle that killed the people in the accident. The law goes after the intoxicated driver for operating a vehicle impaired. I submit to you that a criminal, who has not registered his gun, undergone a background check, an has undergone a class of proper gun handling is the problem, not the automobile he wishes to drive.

The_Cynic

at 17:24 on August 30th, 2009

Where are all these surplus guns coming from? I know you can get a lot of cheap stuff from China, but surely you can't just import a truck load of guns - or can you, has the law changed?

Where are the 'criminals' getting the guns? In Canada we know that a lot, if not all, weapons (illegal) are coming from the US - can you stop that please, Canadians are getting killed. Same for bullets!

I have no truck with Americans having the right to bear arms - their country, their constitution and all that, just stop transporting them elsewhere thanks and all that.

Personally I would make guns free, go into the shop, order your gun, sign the licence and it's yours. I would though, make every bullet and shell cost $100 each, before tax.

albertacowpoke

at 18:11 on August 30th, 2009

Have you been in downtown Toronto lately. A lot of those truck loads of illegal guns came from one particular gun shop in Georgia.

The_Cynic

at 18:46 on August 30th, 2009

It's cool, ACP, the US is exporting shedloads of guns to Mexico, too. But there are no problems in Mexico that I know of. (/sarc)

Paschen

at 18:38 on August 31st, 2009

There is one problem with that Cynic, it is fairly easy to make your own bullets at home, however it far more difficult to make your own guns at home.

Babel-Fish

at 17:35 on August 30th, 2009

One buys a gun to have the ability to kill, one buys an automobile to drive and not to kill.

There is a big difference some license gun holders do in fact become crooks or murderers, crooks do have access to unlicensed guns. You live in a gun culture, if you live by the gun you can be killed by the gun.

The problem is guns are so embedded within your society USA would never be able to ban them and probably should not for the sake of its innocent citizens who need to protect themselves due to the gun culture society. .

Karen Hatter

at 17:23 on August 30th, 2009

SMK, I wrote of the beginnings of what gave me "stern pause" two months shy of a year ago in Playing with Fire, also here at NowPublic.

smkovalinsky

at 17:25 on August 30th, 2009

Thanks for all the nice comments-----I must go link to that, Karen, thanks!!!!

albertacowpoke

at 18:07 on August 30th, 2009

You make some very good points. Without getting into the debate, I really feared that there seemed to be too much hatred pouring out from both sides of the political spectrum. Aren't you all Americans in this together?

Rory Cripps

at 19:19 on August 30th, 2009

ACP: America is no longer a melting pot. So there's no sense of "together". It's every man, woman, child, ethnic group, and tribe out for themselves and their own "special interests". Things have changed in America throughout the past 40 years. Some things for the best but most for the worst, in my humble opinion. Hey! What can you do? There's no sense in fighting progress . . . .

Karen Hatter

at 22:29 on August 30th, 2009

Rory, America has never really been a melting pot, with all elements condensed down into an unidentifiable, newly merged 'flavor'.

It has always been more like a stew, with each 'element' in the stew providing its own special 'flavor' to the stew.

Of course, we all know, there is always someone who doesn't like 'everything' that is in stew, working, for instance, to separate the 'peas' and 'carrots' out of the mixture.

Rory Cripps

at 17:17 on August 31st, 2009

Karen: I'm just applying the term in its original sense. We know that the term essentially applied to European immigrants, however I see no reason why it should not apply to all immigrants. Whether the term fits today's ethnic realities is questionable. I do know, however, from my experience growing up in New York that the term did in fact apply. Many of my friends had parents and grandparents that were from Italy, Germany, Ireland, etc. and when it was time to go to war against country's such as Italy and Germany, there was never a question as to their American patriotism.

Melting pot was a Jewish contribution to the discussion. It was apparently first used by Rabbi Samuel Schulman, who spoke of America as "the melting pot of nationalities" in a 1907 Passover sermon at his New York temple. But the term owes it popularity to a Jewish playwright, Israel Zangwill, whose drama The Melting-Pot opened in Washington, D.C., in October 1908 and was soon published and performed to applause throughout the country. The hero of the play is a young Jewish composer who falls in love with the daughter of an anti-Semitic Russian nobleman. Since the young couple lives in America, old-world animosities are overcome, thanks to the melting pot. This is how the young man explains it to his beloved:

smkovalinsky

at 18:15 on August 30th, 2009

One thing you must understand about Americans: We have Civil War in our history, in our unconscious; it is "hardwired" into us, carried down through the decades. I think we just HAVE to go red versus blue. At least, so it seems to me , from a Jungian, Nietzschean perspective. :(

The_Cynic

at 18:44 on August 30th, 2009

Most European nations have had civil wars, too. But most European nations are democracies and not republics, maybe that's the problem?

albertacowpoke

at 14:28 on August 31st, 2009

I wonder what it was the different Germanic tribes went through. Hell even in todays Germany they still don't all speak the same language. The dialects vary from town to town. The civil war was a cake walk compared to what Europeans went through, yet they finally got their act together and speak mostly with one voice.

Paschen

at 18:59 on August 31st, 2009

ACP, they speak the same languish with many variation in accents and phonetics. Same for Japan and France or Spain.

Even in the US English American Spoken in Boston is in total contrast to that spoken in Texas and should you go to Briton and hear the English spoken in London and then try to understand that of Liverpool you may be in for a big surprise and back to learn English all over again.

I agree though that the American Civil war was a cake walk compared to what the European or Asian went through.

Paschen

at 18:47 on August 31st, 2009

Ouch, Half of the European Nations are Republics, Germany, France, Italy... and the other half are constitutional Monarchies, Briton, Spain, Netherlands...

Rory Cripps

at 18:24 on August 30th, 2009

Great post SMK! I think that you've said many things that needed to be said no holds barred!

In my opinion, there's some deadly serious and hateful stuff regurgitating from the hearts and minds of millions of Americans today. In my "ammunition" story, I posted two videos. One video was of a black man that was consumed with the "N" word and killing and the other video was of a white man that railed against Jews and Obama and told his viewers that he's "very stable". If you had to bet, which one do you think has the most guns and the most ammunition stockpiled? And which one do you think is the craziest and the biggest hater? In my opinion, it's a toss-up--for I believe that they're both equally crazy and hate-filled . . . .

America, today, is at a cultural and political crossroad. This is nothing new, for the country has arrived at the crossroad many times throughout its history. Many have suffered and died at the crossroad. But most kept on living. And in spite of the suffering and dying at the crossroad, life in America gets better once America figures out which direction to head in.

Ah! Liberty! Yes liberty! Something that many Americans have taken for granted for all too long! Life has no guarantees--especially when it comes to liberty . . . .

smkovalinsky

at 18:42 on August 30th, 2009

Thanks for your kind words. And yes, they are equally depraved. And liberty: I have seen it eroded for 3 decades, by BOTH parties, but each points the finger at the other; the pot calls the kettle black, and nothing changes. *Sigh*.

albertacowpoke

at 19:36 on August 30th, 2009

In the midst of the madness, here is a little comical relief:

The Coyote is a survivor

I reckon he.s go to be

he lives in the snow at 40 below

and in Malibou by the Sea

Now I.m just an old cowpuncher

who likes to listen to his song

I get high on a bottle of rye

the little coyote on the big prairie moon

the bottle of rye costs 40 bucks

the big prairie moon is free

so who is the dumber son of a bitch

the little coyote or me.

smkovalinsky

at 19:56 on August 30th, 2009

Yes, I want to be like that lil' ol' coyote! Actually, Jung gave a mystical meaning to coyotes. But yes, as for others' comments, it is the Republic which is casting its shadow, the old South, cannot forgive the North for winning. The America of today is the America that conquered the South. That old ghost of what might have been lingers on.......