Anyone entering our home cannot miss the antique weaponry on the walls and shelves interspersed with the paintings and prints of Ardyn Halter. There is a Union cavalry sword from the US Civil War (thanks, CQ), assorted Minié balls, a 150-year-old scimitar from Afghanistan, two 150-year-old Ottoman pistols crafted from olive wood, a 2,700-year-old bronze Luristani dagger, and arrow heads dating from the Stone Age.
Assault rifles? Over the course of several decades spent in the regular army and reserves, I have had to eat and sleep with my weapons. Sometimes, I've even had to bring them home while on leave, but was always careful to disassemble them and lock them away from my inquisitive children, separately hiding the firing pin.
Glocks and the like? I've also served in law enforcement, but don't want them anywhere near the house.
In her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Guns and the Slog" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/opinion/guns-and-the-slog.html), Gail Collin has the integrity to observe New York Mayor Bloomberg's scalding criticism of both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney "for limiting their post-Aurora remarks to expressions of sympathy for the victims."
On the other hand, in his New York Times op-ed "Mourning and Mulling" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/opinion/blow-mourning-and-mulling.html), Charles Blow fails to relate to the absence of a meaningful response from either US presidential candidate to yesterday's tragedy.
Bloomberg's reaction to the horror (see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/michael-bloomberg-nyc-mayor-reacts-colorado-shooting_n_1689211.html):
"And everybody always says, 'Isn’t it tragic,' and you know, we look for was the guy, as you said, maybe trying to recreate Batman. I mean, there are so many murders with guns every day, it’s just got to stop. And instead of the two people – President Obama and Governor Romney – talking in broad things about they want to make the world a better place, okay, tell us how. And this is a real problem. No matter where you stand on the Second Amendment, no matter where you stand on guns, we have a right to hear from both of them concretely, not just in generalities – specifically what are they going to do about guns?"
Bloomberg is right. No matter where you stand with respect to the Second Amendment, there is need for urgent discussion, particularly regarding the sale of assault rifles.
Will we hear from Obama or Romney with concrete proposals involving guns, or even the economy, anytime soon? Don't hold your breath. After all, honesty could cost them the election.
Jeff, I must respectfully disagree with you here. I do not believe honesty with regard to the Second Amendment and the sale of assault rifles would cost either Obama or Romney the election. This is, of course, because if they were honest, each would admit that they are not willing to do s--t about the sale of assault rifles. It's a shameful political calculation by both men.
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