I’m still on semi-hiatus from the blog for a while, but this was too important. WARNING: Images and video contained in this post are not suitable for viewing by all. Please exercise discretion. The NRA had their big convention over this last weekend. Not only did people like Glenn Beck speak, but vendors from all
Category: Gun Control
NAGR Lies, Yet No One Seems to Care
The National Association of Gun Rights – or NAGR, for short – has displayed this graphic for a long time. They have been posting this graphic since before the massacre of human life at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. See, before the Sandy Hook gun massacre, POTUS had done
That’s ‘god,’ Not God
First problem, any organization whose profile picture combines the “Don't Tread On Me” snake and the NRA acronym sitting atop the Arizona state flag, should be approached with extreme caution.
Apparently, this is a Facebook group. It exists, and has 4,200+ followers. YIKES!
Another problem is the group's name – “God, Guns & Free Speech.” If you are going to perform any act of alliteration with the name of God, you should ensure that the next word isn't “guns” – or any of the words after that, for that matter.
The third problem I spot is their line about “unconstitutional laws.” This is – technically – a true statement. However, just because you disagree with a law, doesn't make it unconstitutional. It's kinda like how you are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.
This seems an important distinction to make when you speak to radical gun nuts.
Finally, it's important to note the highlighted quotes. The one which shows most prominently is the one noted in this screenshot – from Thomas Jefferson. There has been enough shoddy scholarship surrounding Thomas Jefferson – thanks to David Barton and the Cult of the Constitution(tm) – that I won't delve into it, lest I become a culprit. What is true to say, without a doubt, is who groups like these choose to quote when making their arguments for “god” and guns.
They never quote Jesus. They rarely quote scripture. In fact, this quote from Jefferson is a direct refutation of the well-known quote from Isaiah 2.
The fact is that groups like these – and all the other communities claiming the name of God right along their greater devotion to the 2nd amendment (a splinter group from the Cult of the Constitution(tm)) – often ignore scriptural themes like non-violence, especially when it doesn't line up with their desires or interests.
This is not to say that myself or others aren't guilty of that from time to time, but I digress…
The “god” these people are referring isn't the God they think it is. If they wish to use a lower case “g”, I would gladly drop my objections to their organization's motivations.
If that “G” stays in the upper case, then there remains a problem.
The NRA & NAGR Never Give Up Their Fight
One of the most shocking facts about the social media strategy of absolute gun rights advocacy groups – such as the NRA & NAGR – is that they didn't really have to create much new content to continue their fight against any sort of gun control regulations. That is, they didn't have to change a
Mr. Tooley (Pot) – @MarkDTooley – I’m The Kettle
In response to a press conference that featured prominent clergy people from across the ecumenical spectrum, Institute on Religion & Democracy president Mark Tooley decided he needed to weigh in on it – as if we didn’t already know what he was going to think about it. However, he didn’t just go to the point of saying
NAGR’s Increased Race-Baiting
My friend Joel – @eJoelWatts & unsettledchristianity.com – has commented on some of the racist rhetoric permeating the various gun rights advocacy groups online (here and here). I have been taking on a particular group, NAGR (it is beginning to look less and less like a coincidence) – The National Association for Gun Rights. Here
Joel Nails It On “The Cult of the Constitution” – @ejoelwatts
Joel Watts – http://www.unsettledchristianity.com – wrote a nice little piece about how the Constitution of the United States takes on cult-like status with many of it's staunchest supporters. This hasn't been more clear than in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. There are many highlights from the article, but here is
NAGR & (Not So Veiled) Racism
I don't tend to be one to care much about being politically correct. I do, however, understand the context around which certain terms were used to promote hatred and persecution of a particular group of people or ethnicity. I also understand the relationship between certain ethnic groups, which have often led to one believing it
