Rabid, anti-NRA OP-ED by alleged journalism professor

[Tom Servo]

I am not a New York gun control liberal, either. I support a shotgun for home defense, a handgun for limited conceal/carry, and an assortment of hunting rifles to balance West Virginia's exploding deer population (as evidenced by hourly collisions with cars). So, I am hardly out of the mainstream.

Spats, I noticed that as well. It's the equivalent of "I don't hate ____. I have plenty of ____ friends. But I don't think ____ should be allowed to move in next door to me."

[Bluestarlizzard]

His claim to "mainstream" is just as insulting as those ads bloomburg put out a few months ago.

It's that old stupid sterotype of the white, middle class man who has nothing but wooden stocks, revolvers and hunting gear.

The thing is that's not the "mainstream" anymore...

Actually, this could be a topic for a new thread...

Excuse me.

[MikeG]

I do believe anyone who paid to take this "professor's" course expecting to be educated got...swindelled.

[KyJim]

I didn't realize he was a broadcast journalist until Vanya mentioned it. That explains the grammar. He is used to writing colloquially. A LONG time ago, I was a broadcast journalist. Heck, we typed our copy in ALL CAPS. Yes, I said "typed" and some of that was on manual typewriters.

[SIGSHR]

Remember William F. Buckley's statement that he'd rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the combined faculties of Harvard and Yale. I live in an Ivy League town, teach community college part-time, academia probably has the highest proportion of knuckleheads of any profession because they never have to live with the consequences of their ideas and theories.
I have met a number of people in various medias who said journalism courses are a waste because they never get above generalities. Much the same way the worst teachers are the ones who majored in education instead of subject matter.
"Knuckle dragging Cretans" ? I actually did know a real Ku-Klux years ago. When I kidded him about how he studiously avoided the N-word he said "You use language like that in public and people subtract 50 points from your IQ."

[Tom Servo]

He is used to writing colloquially.

So am I, but I can express myself with more clarity and eloquence than a high-school journal with "Ozzy Rulez" scrawled on the cover

[Bluestarlizzard]

He is used to writing colloquially.

Some people just shouldn't go there.

Examples:

Ad exec's who are trying to market feminine products.

Bible school teachers

Anyone who is not actually from that part of town.


It either comes across as condecending or pandering, and it rarely works.

[SamNavy]

About F-22s against the population. Given the number of F-22s in service and the number of NRA members - each F-22 has to be responsible for about 27000 people.

And not to mention that the F-22 is almost exclusively a fighter. It does have limited air-to-round capability, but Hellfires (very short range) are not in it's inventory. He should have said "F-35's and JDAMS"... a few dozen more billion dollars may actually see a squadron up and running. However, I will continue to feel secure in my home with my firearms and FIOS that the leaders of my elected civilian-run gov't won't be able to convince my co-workers to drop bombss their neighbors no matter what plane they fly or tank they drive.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

F-35 isn't doing so hot lately either.

The point of the military vs. gun owner conjecture that is raised - supposes some fixed battle on the plains of Mordor (Wayne in the Tower) with hordes of Orcish like gun owners with ARs facing waves of Abrams, F-22s, Bradleys, Apaches while Arleigh Burkes fire cruise missiles.

Such conjectures only make the author look stupid - I don't want and nor do we want a discussion of revolution. I simply point out the silliness of that conjecture.

[Kimio]

Lets not forget a very large swathe of our military functions due to civilian assistance to begin with. What happens when you suddenly lack the logistics and planning sections of your force when (I bet a large portion) refuse to follow your orders to attack the civilian populace. Furthermore, we are under oath to protect and uphold the constitution of America. How many of us that serve actively or in the reserves would actually follow such an order?

For sake of argument, lets just say the order is set at a time where it's extremely morally grey, and interpretation can lead our troops to agree with said order. Even with a force as formidible as our military, we make up such a small percentage of the countries population that it would be virtually impossible to take control of the populace. That's not even taking into account that even if they tried, we have hundreds of thousands of ARMED citizens (if we're not disarmed by then *Takes off tinfoil hat*) both veterans of the military or active/retired LEO's that could oppose such a force.

Who fuels our military with the necessary materials also? Kind of hard to run a military that doesn't have fuel or ammunition to suppress a civilian uprising.

Needless to say, the arguments that this "professor" tossed out there is absolutely ridiculous IMO.

[armoredman]

"Ozzy Rulez"

"I'm going off the rails, on the crazy train!!!" Oh, sorry, instant reaction...

I pity this poor thinker, and hope enough people catch a clue from this exposure that he is a hack to be avoided.

[eldermike]

Elitist types quickly turn to name calling such as knuckle or something of that like. Especially when some high thought is verbalized for all our benefit, but then gets quickly shot down by someone with a bit of common sense and a few facts to boot. There is no doubt that he went straight away to grab a pen and write a letter. I even imagine he stomped his feet and said “well”……..and then started writing not willing to look up until he finished putting the world back together, the one he keeps in his head.

[Armorer-at-Law]

Seems he may have softened his position and apologized: http://gunssavelives.net/blog/journa...ad-apologizes/

[thallub]

Seems he may have softened his position and apologized:

Yep, the prof ate a dish of unseasoned crow.

[armoredman]

I doubt that was sincere, but time will tell. Just work with the school to gently make him irrelevant, and let him scream into his personal paper sack.

[Tom Servo]

This is Swindell's tweet, in which he apologizes:

Very important change of tune. When someone shared Mexico bans guns, I realized I was wrong. NRA members (I still disagree with leadership) are DEFENDING freedom. Not threatening it. Would you accept a recent convert’s apology?

He's still writing on the grammar-school level, and I'm not sure what makes his personal change of tune "very important." If it only took one piece of evidence for him to come in from that far afield, then this is a guy who forms very emotional opinions based on very unsound assumptions.

[YARDDOG(1)]

"[He's still writing on the grammar-school level, and I'm not sure what makes his personal change of tune "very important." If it only took one piece of evidence for him to come in from that far afield, then this is a guy who forms very emotional opinions based on very unsound assumptions]"

Yes,, He's in Left Field for SURE ; )
Y/D

[Spats McGee]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

This is Swindell's tweet, in which he apologizes:

He's still writing on the grammar-school level, and I'm not sure what makes his personal change of tune "very important." If it only took one piece of evidence for him to come in from that far afield, then this is a guy who forms very emotional opinions based on very unsound assumptions.

I was also struck by the ease with which he was converted. It says to me that his convictions are not very deep, and he'll shift positions the first time the wind blows the other way. It also didn't strike me as a very sincere apology. Then again, I have some reservations about any apology which is "tweeted," but I'm kinda old-fashioned that way.

[Evan Thomas]

Oh, I don't think it was sincere at all, and it was probably important only to his department chair. And as for "tweeting" an apology.... :regurgitate:

The interesting thing is why the Whosis Gazette published it in the first place. Either they were desperate for words, or the editorial staff has, um, low standards -- or both.

[Bart Noir]

supported by an F22 Raptor squadron with Hellfire missiles

Now, this just makes my blood boil!



He should know that the F-22 is not ever armed with the Hellfire

Bart Noir

[SHE3PDOG]

I simply can't believe that this man is a professor. Apart from his grammar being atrocious, he seems to be implying that race is a large factor in the gun control debate. He makes a point to add that the POTUS is black and that the NRA president is white. What difference does it make?

If not for his clear lack of English comprehension, I would assume that he, a journalism professor, would have realized the subtle undertones that he placed in the article.

Furthermore, I've always found it funny that people assume that the military would be on either particular side. At least he has seen the error in his ways.

[Bluestarlizzard]

*snort* he hasn't seen the error of his ways. I've no doubt he was informed by the powers that be in his pathetic little life to change his tune quickly or his little world would get very uncomfortable very quickly.

The ivory towers of acedemics may be isolated, but they have internal politics at play that could make your average congress critter wet his pants.

[SHE3PDOG]

I guess I just like to be optimistic.

[olddav]

He seems to call for the government to fire on it citizens who do not want gun controll, thus providing new evidence as to why we want to protect our second amendment rights.
To accuse someone of treason for demanding that the government respect the constutition is just a little absurd!

[Ignition Override]

He probably heard from prospective students for next semester, and worried about fewer students to lecture.

Many professors are former, or frustrated revolutionaries (it's so much safer to teach), and a fraction of the others are big fish in a small pond, especially if tenured.