I don't mean to step on any toes here, but something's on my chest that I just have to get off.
I don't altogether disagree with the pragmatists. Personally I'd rather take the political process as far as it can be taken. (If we're going to be honest with ourselves we should admit the three-percenters would rather do the same; it's just that they think the political process train is close to the last station, or that it's pulling into the last station already.) That said, I think it deserves to be pointed out that it's not just the three-percenters saying things that make them look like divisive, intractable, self-righteous pricks. A couple of cases...
Dave, I’m quite sure you don’t actually know what you’re talking about, but that’s never stopped you in the past so why should it now? Masterbating (sic) to Red Dawn has never gotten you anywhere, but if you and your fan boys enjoy it so much, pop in the collectors edition and enjoy yourselves.
...in point...
Screw the Founding Fathers. They’ve been dead for 200 years. People like you Paul who spout this sort of crap are the reason we have gun control in this country. You are the problem, not NRA. Sitting around whining about how things are unconstitutional or quoting bullshit from the Founding Fathers accomplishes nothing.
Wow. Screw the Founding Fathers? As in, the people who laid out the very political process the pragmatists take so much faith in? As a subsequent commenter said, "How about screw the U.S. Constitution or screw the USA or screw freedom and liberty while you are at it." I know we have a steep hill to climb in regards to getting our elected representatives and fellow Americans re-acquainted with the Founders' principles, but the attitude embodied in the above commentary is every bit as detrimental to the cause of keeping the gun owner community united as some say the rhetoric of the three-percenters is. If we've gotten to the point that people ostensibly on our side are in effect saying the Constitution doesn't matter anymore, it's worth asking just how much further that political process is going to take us — and if the heated rhetoric of the three-percenters might actually be useful as a last resort to armed conflict. And that's my opinion on that, for what it's worth.
I did find it rather enlightening, though, that in a later comment on that thread Mr. Codrea brought up almost the exact same point I brought up yesterday:
The solution is elections--except you can't vote based on principle, because that's "a wasted vote"--so you have to choose between the lesser of two weasels or you're again part of the problem.
Continue chasing sterile queen bees.
How much further do we chase those sterile queen bees? We — all of us, prag and threeper alike — had damn well better start contemplating the answer to that, if we're not already. Especially considering who we have in charge on the national level now.
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