Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Oh Good

One of the major party's candidate for president would like to see teachers armed, locked and loaded for any situation that might call for suppressing fire. It's all a part of the "good guys with guns" program espoused by Wayne LaPierre and his followers in the National Rifle Association. I suppose at some level I should be pleased and thankful that, as a teacher, I am counted among the few, the proud, the good. I'm not sure exactly how virtue is ascribed in their eyes, maybe it's just being a "good shot" that puts one head and shoulders above the rest, but I suspect that there may be some additional subjective criteria that makes it important for us good guys to stick together. With guns.
The thing about the Second Amendment is that it allows all Americans the right to keep and bear arms. One of the questions that might be asked on one of those illusory background check forms could be "are you good?" That would help keep guns out of the hands of the bad guys. Problem solved. Except for that whole question of just exactly what makes one truly good. It's starting to sound a little more like an essay question, and that might run us into a little trouble. What if you're a swell person in so many ways, but not a good writer? You might not get your gun on account of how you ain't so good with your words.
And that would be a shame, since there are so many good people without a degree in philosophy.  Or urban pacification. Or writing. Like I have. You could be a really good mechanic but a lousy person. Just like I could be a really good writer but a flawed human being. Which may mean that  background checks won't solve a thing after all. Of course, if you lied on a government form that would probably kick you right out of that good person category.
Or if you thought professional wrestling was real. Patricia Anne Crowe jumped into the ring at an AWF show in Georgia last week to rescue fan favorite "Iron Mann" from bad guy Paul Lee. With a loaded gun. A police officer suggested that Ms. Crowe pulled the gun "because of the way he'd (Lee) talked to her." That pistol was a way to put some order into chaos. Or is that the other way 'round?
That can't be good.

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