"A Modest Proposal" from a Violently Deranged Journalist

[Alabama Shooter]

Normally I would say that this is satire. However the author makes it pretty clear that his calls for violence against gun owners and the leadership of the NRA are from years of pent up frustration and come from a place of anger.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/app...=2012312300033

During my 50-year career, every time some demented soul would take a semiautomatic gun and clean out a post office, a school or a picnic, I’d get up on my soap box and let loose with a withering diatribe about guns, the National Rifle Association and weak-kneed politicians. Did it about 75 times, give or take.

And in every case the main effect was a spike in gun sales.

Still, I thought I’d give it one more shot ... er, chance.

The thing missing from the debate so far is anger — anger that we live in a society where something like the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre can happen and our main concern is not offending the NRA’s sensibilities.

Declare the NRA a terrorist organization and make membership illegal. Hey! We did it to the Communist Party, and the NRA has led to the deaths of more of us than American Commies ever did. (I would also raze the organization’s headquarters, clear the rubble and salt the earth, but that’s optional.) Make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony. If some people refused to give up their guns, that “prying the guns from their cold, dead hands” thing works for me.

How he expects to make this happen I am not sure.

Then I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, our esteemed Republican leaders, to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot until they saw the light on gun control.

And if that didn’t work, I’d adopt radical measures. None of that is going to happen, of course. But I’ll bet gun sales will rise.

A bit more lunatic ravings at the link. I do not think that if the NRA were calling to drag the President around with a pick up truck there would be media silence? The fact that he wrote this and that the paper thought publishing it was a good idea is pretty indicitive of where the paper stands on a lot of things.

[MTHall720]

I've seen a lot of things lately but this is absolutely wildly crazy. Thanks for posting this! I for one want to know just how rabid some of the anti gun crowd is getting.

[PawPaw]

I also linked to a modest proposal, to wit:

Any level of the US government which utilizes armed escorts for its officials shall authorize its citizens to carry the weapons carried by those escorts. A lower level of government shall not prohibit weapons authorized by a higher level of government.

That's from a commenter at Legal Insurrection. I like that proposal better than the other one.

[Webleymkv]

Actually, we should probably thank Mr. Kaul for providing us with such a graphic illustration of why we have and need the Second Amendment. With a disarmed populace, it would be much easier for would-be tyrants like Mr. Kaul to inflict their malice on those who dare to disagree with them.

[Strafer Gott]

The building of his mind has been razed, and the soil of his thoughts salted.
I fear there is little hope of saving the likes of this.

[Alabama Shooter]

One of the many things that strike me as odd is the note about the communists. Communists throughout the world have killed hundreds of millions of people in the name of communism. Saying that they are innocent and that the NRA is guilty of something is an interesting lie.

[jimbob86]

Communists throughout the world have killed hundreds of millions of people in the name of communism. Saying that they are innocent and that the NRA is guilty of something is an interesting lie.

Ah, but that was the State, doing what was necesssary for the greater good, you see. The Law only applies to the Little People.

[DaleA]

Thanks for posting this.

I ASSUMED the article would be from some nobody's blog.

It's from the "Des Moines Register - A Gannett Company".

Says so right up top of the web page. IIRC it was a Gannett Company that recently posted the addresses and a map showing where gun owners lived.

He says he's spoken up for gun control in the past after a tragedy...

And in every case the main effect was a spike in gun sales.

Well who does he think is buying the guns? The NRA??? It's PEOPLE! Citizens, folks, guys and gals. Shouldn't that make him think? How can he possibly think everyone buying a gun is deranged? How many MILLIONS of gun owners are there in the country. How can he possibly think they are all wackos?

(And my apologies if I offended anyone with the 'it's people' Charleton Heston quote from the movie Solent Green. I couldn't resist.)

[jimbob86]

I know if I did not have any guns and loons were openly speaking about dragging political opponents behind pick-up trucks in a regional newspaper, I'd sure as hell get some......

[Dwight55]

Just remember, guys, . . . if it ever does become a meeting on the tarmac between the gunners and the anti gun crowd, . . . what are they going to do?

Throw spit balls? Lay down in the floor and have a tantrum?

Ahhh, . . . forgot, . . . yeah, . . . they'll go home and tell your mom that you didn't play fair.

May God bless,
Dwight

[Hal]

Dwight,
Nah - they're all just like this gutless dirtbag that hides behind the first amendment....

They expect someone else to do the dirty work for them.

Make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony. If some people refused to give up their guns, that “prying the guns from their cold, dead hands” thing works for me.

I don't own an assault rifle.
I'd be willing to compromise on the point though and let him (Kaul) label my .30/30 Winchester as one if it made him feel better.
Only on one condition though....

He shows up in person to pry it from my hands.
I'll have his sorry butt arrested in a heartbeat.

I'm even willing to wait until he gets out of prison for making threats to kill two elected officials.

• Then I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, our esteemed Republican leaders, to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot until they saw the light on gun control

The FBI is going to look into that aren't they?

[rebs]

I would hope someone look into it because he sounds like he is about to go off the deep end.............

[zxcvbob]

Reported to the FBI tipline.

[Rembrandt]

Coming from a "journalist", I'd write it off as satire. If it came from a politician who has a vote in such matters, it should be dealt in a more serious way. Kaul has been doing "shock commentaries" for years, just to stir reaction and get attention for his meaningless dribble. While he is factually illiterate and historically incorrect, this is part of his journalistic style. It says all you need to know about this mans mental midget thought process. Working for the Des Moines Register is proof he surrounds himself with small minds.

[Alabama Shooter]

Reported to the FBI tipline.

I was wondering about that. He is openly threatening violence against sitting members of congress. You would think the Secret Service would be trying to figure out if he is off his meds or on them. Given the fact that nearly all the mass shooters start by making open threats before they go off; he could be a prime candidate.

[Joe_Pike]

Reported to the FBI tipline.

I would just about guarantee that nothing will ever come of that.

[zxcvbob]

It might get *my* name on a list somewhere for reporting it.

[Hal]

Satire is one thing - he's way over that line.

He does show exactly which side of the gun debate is the violent one though that's for sure.

[jimbob86]

The FBI is going to look into that aren't they?

It'll get even less attention than the Black Panthers of Philly patrolling polling places with clubs ....nothing to see here, move along!

[Nathan]

Maybe he should really look at his options where his mindset is more welcome. No reason for him to be an American if accepting basic American principals pains him so much.

There are other countries. Has he researched finding a new home in China, North Korea or possibly Iran where maybe his ideology would be a better fit?

There is really no reason he has to stay as it pains him so.

In America, we pride ourselves on dumping the overly taxed tea ship and taking control of our country with our own guns and using our creativity to adapt our warfare to beat the better numbers of the English.

[Ronbert]

I see terroristic threats against elected officials.
Maybe some men with guns in uniform should go arrest the journalist?

This is proof that there should be a waiting period and a license issued before exercising one's First Amendment rights.

[tyme]

Originally Posted by PawPaw

Any level of the US government which utilizes armed escorts for its officials shall authorize its citizens to carry the weapons carried by those escorts. A lower level of government shall not prohibit weapons authorized by a higher level of government.

I'd go further than that. Any small arm (guns, blades, batons, etc.), ammo, or accessory purchased by or offered for sale to any level of government or military should be legal for private citizens to own and carry responsibly.

[Mr.Scott]

Just be sure to keep this and all of the other leftist gun grabbing articles as proof of who the violent people really are. They constantly call for and say gun owners should be killed. If nothing happens to him for saying he would kill congressmen because he's in the "media" can I create a blog and be protected like him if I called for McCarthy and Feinstein to be dragged behind a pickup truck until they see the light?

[jimbob86]

Just remember, guys, . . . if it ever does become a meeting on the tarmac between the gunners and the anti gun crowd, . . . what are they going to do?

Send troops that YOU paid for to meet you.

[DaleA]

-can I create a blog and be protected like him...

No you can't. The First Amendment only applies to the hand fed printing press that they had in 1781 not modern newspapers, radio, TV, the internet blogs...

Oh wait...YOU CAN! Because obviously the 1st Amendment DOES cover you. (What an idiotic thought, that the 1st Amendment would not apply to modern communications...whatever was I thinking.)

Well, it covers you from 'prior restraint'. That is, you can publish whatever you want but you have to take the consequences for it.