Originally posted by Christy
Surf, you shoulda been around during the "Million Mom March", they were out in droves recruiting support for "common sense" gun laws.
"They were out in droves" --
they being NOW members? Feminists? Parents of both genders, all ancestries, all political parties? Women in pink?
In a way, I was here for the Million Mom March... it was several months before I moved out here to join her, but my mate, KJ, was there, along with four military friends. For days before the event I got a nightly review of the local news about the rally; that evening, I got a two-hour description of the day. I've asked KJ about the NOW presence at the rally, and gone through her photos of the day (about 40). She doesn't remember hearing members of NOW identify themselves as such, doesn't remember seeing those ubiquitous round blue signs of NOW's -- in fact, she doesn't remember seeing anyone inserting any other message or agenda into the day other than what the march & rally were specifically about. (Except for the counter-demonstrators. God Bless America!)
My point, which I've belabored enough now, is that I don't buy that NOW is a "huge proponent of banning firearms." Do they have an interest in the issue? Of course they do, as do many other groups and millions of individuals. But from reviewing NOW's materials, I can see that seeking a firearms ban is not a main part of their agenda.
Originally posted by cmcdanal
(P.S. I am a democrat and a mother, with a Master's degree, so those who want to stereotype me as a gun-toting, conservative, ignorant, redneck, TOUGH LUCK!)
I for one wouldn't so stereotype you, or anyone else. Some of my relatives are gun-toting, conservative, ignorant rednecks, and I love 'em and wouldn't stereotype them, either.
Look, here's what I think about guns & political parties: It seems that most members of the NRA are politically conservative. It seems that most attendees at the Million Mom March were politically liberal.
Big fat deal.
I don't care what party one affiliates him- or herself with. I absolutely refuse to generalize about a person's morality, intelligence, or politics based upon what party s/he aligns him- or herself with, or based upon what s/he thinks of the 2nd Amendment, the separation of church & state, the pedophilia scandal in the Catholic church, the 1st Amendment, the 14th Amendment,
Roe v. Wade, the war in Iraq, the tax cut,
Lawrence v. Texas, the pledge of allegiance, flag-burning,
Brown v. Board of Education, or any other politically charged and potentially polarizing issue, case, news story, or discussion.
Everyone is an individual. Everyone has a different lifelong set of experiences that's gone into making him or her who s/he is. Everyone approaches life from a different perspective.
That's going to make for some very different, unexpected people. Some people are shocked at the thought of someone being a member of both the NRA and the Democratic Party. Others are shocked at the existence of the Log Cabin Republicans (a gay Republican organization). Still others can't imagine a liberal Catholic who participates in anti-abortion protests, and others' minds boggle at the thought of an atheist who supports prayer in schools.
We're all different, and IMO until we learn to quit generalizing about each other (I need that lesson badly) and learn to listen to each other (I need that one too) we're going to keep butting heads and getting nowhere.
I'm now stepping off my soapbox for the evening....
Whatever you're doing on Memorial Day, have a blast -- and remember to fly the colors if you have them.
'night, all.