Jake, I think you have been suckered by an urban myth spawned by the gun-grabbers.
Here is the text of
NRA members are in City Hall, Fort Carson, NORAD, the Air Force Academy and the Olympic Training Center. And yes, NRA members are surely among the police and fire and SWAT team heroes who risked their lives to rescue the students of Columbine from evil, mindless executioners.
"Don't come here?" We are already here. This community is our home. Every community in America is our home. We are a 128-year-old fixture of mainstream America. The Second Amendment ethic of lawful, responsible firearm ownership spans the broadest cross-section of American life imaginable.
So we have the same right as all other citizens to be here ... to help shoulder the grief... to share our sorrow ... and to offer our respectful, reasoned voice to the national discourse that has erupted around this tragedy.
One more thing. Our words and our behavior will be scrutinized more than ever this morning. Those who are hostile toward us will lie in wait to seize on a soundbite out of context, ever searching for an embarrassing moment to ridicule us. So let us be mindful ... the eyes of the nation are upon us today.[/i]
Yes, Heston
did refuse to buckle under to emotional media and public pressure in the wake of Columbine - and I think he did right. To fold would have been an admission of responsibility for the shootings. But as for Heston's "cold, dead hands" performance, I believe it was taken out of context, as he predicted, from another occasion unrelated to Columbine.
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Jack,
As I read your posting of the speach, I do remember it. And, no offense to your take on it, but I also remember what a dumb thing I thought it was to go forward with that convention at that time and in that place.
As for the "cold, dead hands" spectical, I swear I saw it at the same time. It was an over the top public display. Maybe not in that speach, but I thought it was at the same time.
At any rate, I just think an intellegent discussion about guns is socially responsible. The instantanious reactionary slogans and position of the NRA may do more to alienate them from the main stream than they think. And, like it or not, the main stream has the power.
If every member of the NRA found a few democratic folks to befriend and took them to the club for a few clays it would do more good than chanting the slogans and drawing lines in the sand. At least, that is what I think.
Regards, Jake
