generalspeaking

Crickett "My First Rifle"

Ah, human nature. It is so compellingly various and complex, and people's commitments to their emotional investments in values and priorities so diverse, it's little wonder that societies evolve their cultures that set them apart from others - even within the same society there are such distinct and adverse differences in opinion that set people at odds with one another.

In the United States, Second Amendment advocates are passionate about their 'right to bear arms', even though when that right was enshrined in law it represented an entirely different social background and historical era. The right to bear arms advocates seem to express the determination to extend what they feel is traditional individualism, self-responsibility, the pioneer spirit.

In the wake of the Tucson rampage that injured fourteen people and killed six, the two solitudes of opinion in America are still seething with discontent with one another's perceptions. There have been sobering moments of introspection and cautionary remonstrations for people to recall civility of tone and action in the over-heated political arena, but distrust and anger persist.

No political, ideological group on either side of the spectrum, nor their more extreme offshoots will take responsibility for incrementally edging up the hostility levels between Americans. The Congresswoman whose reasonably moderate political accommodation has been lauded even while she recovers from a brain wound that should have killed her, was an ardent proponent of gun ownership.

In overt attempts toward reconciliation Republicans and Democrats are lending themselves to what they hope will become a healing process spurred by this latest ideological - or unaligned and simply psychotic - attack from within on the American psyche. People of sincere good will from both sides of the political fence are genuinely distressed.

Yet even at a forum whose purpose was to help Tucson balance their political antipathies, a military veteran who was wounded in the shooting has been held by the law and committed for a mental health evaluation after he purportedly threatened the founder of the Tucson Tea Party who was also in appearance at the forum.

And even while the two political parties remonstrate with their supporters to be more reasonably accommodating to one another, and reconsider their inability and unwillingness to transcend party lines in greater cooperative attempts, Americans are flocking to their gun sellers in a frantic bid to ensure that if gun laws are tightened they will still have their beloved arms and ammunition.

At a gun fair in Tucson the very week following the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords, and the gunspray killing and wounding of some of her supporters, Glock products like the one used by the young gunman are flying off the shelves. The high-capacity ammunition clips like the ones used by Jared Loughner are in high demand.

Glock's leading salesman: "Business is dramatically up. I put it down to the media exposure, which has focused attention on the brand and the potential for new restrictions." There was, he also said, "about a thousand-per-cent-rise" in sales of ammunition clips. Gun culture is alive and well, and its ongoing indoctrination continues apace, including the introduction of children to that same culture, from Second Amendment-adoring families.

On display at the gun fair where double normal anticipated attendance was realized because "Any time gun-owners in America feel their rights to use firearms lawfully may be challenged, they turn out in numbers", was a product named the Crickett.

Isn't that name just too appealing? It's actually: Crickett "My First Rifle", a fully functional gun for children aged four to ten, and available in either pink or black so boys and girls can have their very own personal gun for the pittance price of $139.95.

And Dad also has reason to be really excited because the National Rifle Association was holding a gun raffle at the show. For the modest outlay of $10, gun show attendees had the chance to win one of six high-powered rifles.

Life doesn't get any better than that some days now, isn't that so?

Labels: Particularities/Peculiarities, Political Realities, Traditions, Troublespots, United States

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, January 18, 2011