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NRA Followers Get Their Pelts In A Wad
Tampa Tribune ^ | November 1, 2005 | DANIEL RUTH druth@tampatrib.com

Posted on 11/01/2005 12:45:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

There's nothing like a gun control column to bring out the "Praise the Lord and pass the crybaby blankie" crowd.

Gracious, there hasn't been this much whiney pouting since Pat Buchanan learned President Bush had nominated Edith Bunker meets Olive Oyl to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The column that apparently got the fellow travelers of the National Rifle Association's pelts in a wad had to do with an effort by state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Baxley, Dennis Baxley, to deny the rights of private businesses to prohibit employees from bringing their weapons onto company property.

Insert duh-squared right about here.

While this space has been an unabashed advocate of stricter gun control laws, the issue in play with Baxley's cockamamie proposed legislation had more to do with upholding the principle -- and a rather conservative principle, at that -- of private property rights.

Fifth of Dewar's

Welllllllllllll!

You would have thought I was nominating Michael Moore to become the next NRA celebrity spokesman from all the froth. Ian Holm didn't foam at the mouth this much in "Alien."

Numerous e-mails flowed over the transom like the bullets flying in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

I was called "dangerous" by one missive sender, who claimed to have so many weapons he made Rambo look like Cindy Sheehan.

Let's see, here this chap is more armed than Central Command and he's annoyed. I operate with a dictionary and a fifth of Dewar's. And I'm the dangerous one? Oh well.

Another NRA hot-walker claimed his concealed weapons permit had come in handy since he and his family had been set upon by gangbangers, muggers, thieves, car jackers and home invaders.

I suggested perhaps he might want to move to a better neighborhood. He was not amused.

Oddly enough, not one word in the offending column ever suggested gun owners can't own their little guns if it makes them happy or more manly or more womanly, or filled with more bravado. Have a nice time.

Not Counting The Bean Counters

Rather, quite simply, the column made the argument that private employers have every right to dictate to employees what they can or cannot bring onto private property.

Indeed, if an employer can prohibit, say, smoking on company grounds, then most certainly guns can be banned as well.

And for good reason.

According to several sources -- the U.S. Department of Labor, the Centers for Disease Control, the Workplace Violence Research Institute -- violence is a leading cause of death in the workplace. Various estimates indicate workplace violence costs employers in excess of $35.4 billion a year.

The issue, contrary to the NRA blubbering, is that the workplace is not populated by fiends, murderers hiding behind the water cooler waiting to pounce, brigands (well, with the exception of the bean counters) and other assorted "criminals."

Rather, businesses across the country have seemingly normal, law-abiding people in their employee one tick, one crisis, one issue away from exploding.

And some of these people own weapons. Baxley and his fellow NRA dupes want to make it that much easier to enable the unhinged worker to vent his demons in the lunchroom.

Perhaps this could give rise to a new term for workplace mayhem in honor of Baxley and the NRA -- Going Heston!

It has a nice ring to it, and it sure gets the post office off the hook.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: babyruthinasnit; bang; barf; concealedweapon; guns; nra
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1 posted on 11/01/2005 12:45:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: All
His original rant: They're Armed, Dangerous And Next Door
2 posted on 11/01/2005 12:48:24 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Since when does the Tamp Tribune employ junior high school students as editorialists?

This thing reads as if the author has an emotional and mental age of around thirteen.

3 posted on 11/01/2005 12:51:09 AM PST by Ichneumon
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To: Ichneumon

Ha!

It sounds like he got an earful.


4 posted on 11/01/2005 12:52:29 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Ichneumon

Beat me to it.


5 posted on 11/01/2005 12:54:40 AM PST by dsc
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
"Perhaps this could give rise to a new term for workplace mayhem in honor of Baxley and the NRA -- Going Heston!"

Isn't that sweet - What an ass.
6 posted on 11/01/2005 12:56:35 AM PST by Texas_Jarhead
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

His metaphors, his metaphors--oh, how they stink.


7 posted on 11/01/2005 1:02:14 AM PST by sinanju
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To: Texas_Jarhead

Yes. He's a real moron.


8 posted on 11/01/2005 1:02:55 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Image hosted by TinyPic.com

9 posted on 11/01/2005 1:04:24 AM PST by Old Seadog (Inside every old person is a young person saying "WTF happened?".)
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To: sinanju
His metaphors, his metaphors--oh, how they stink.

He uses a lot of one-liners to fill the huge void in his thinking.

10 posted on 11/01/2005 1:05:18 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Old Seadog

Bump!


11 posted on 11/01/2005 1:06:01 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Rather, businesses across the country have seemingly normal, law-abiding people in their employee one tick, one crisis, one issue away from exploding.

The author believes this because this is how he sees himself.

I would recommend his immediate aprehension. This is as much a declaration of intent. If nothing else, it's a cry for help and he needs to be placed under observation. If I worked with them, I would immediate file a complaint with the management, if not directly, then via a lawyer with intent to pursue further.

OTOH, I believe everyone else is a normal, rational human being that values life as much as I do. Except for the criminals. That's why we need guns.

12 posted on 11/01/2005 2:04:05 AM PST by Caipirabob (Democrats.. Socialists..Commies..Traitors...Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Ichneumon
"This thing reads as if the author has an emotional and mental age of around thirteen."


Thanks for stating what I was thinking, although you were not only very polite in that criticism, you also added a few more years to the authors [?] age than I would have.



13 posted on 11/01/2005 2:11:11 AM PST by G.Mason
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Gracious, there hasn't been this much whiney pouting since Pat Buchanan learned President Bush had nominated Edith Bunker meets Olive Oyl to the U.S. Supreme Court.

well, now... in one line, the author is revealed to be irredeemable scum. very good.

14 posted on 11/01/2005 2:16:45 AM PST by King Prout (many accuse me of being overly literal... this would not be a problem if many were not under-precise)
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To: Ichneumon

Well put.


15 posted on 11/01/2005 2:17:16 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; Alice au Wonderland
Rather, businesses across the country have seemingly normal, law-abiding people in their employee (sic) one tick, one crisis, one issue away from exploding.

that'd be "in their employ", Genius.
So much for a fifth of Dewars and a dictionary, eh?

16 posted on 11/01/2005 2:22:40 AM PST by King Prout (many accuse me of being overly literal... this would not be a problem if many were not under-precise)
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To: Caipirabob

Great post.


17 posted on 11/01/2005 2:25:50 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: King Prout

The left has perfected hatefulness.


18 posted on 11/01/2005 2:26:32 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: King Prout

LOL


19 posted on 11/01/2005 2:26:55 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
"Dear Ruthie,

If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen. It's really a place for grownups anyway and you'd just be in the way. If you write a column be prepared for the reaction. If the reaction is massive and troubling to you, you said something stupid.

There now, do you feel a little better? Remember, no one cares how you feel"

20 posted on 11/01/2005 2:27:21 AM PST by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopechne is walking around free)
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