[CLUE-Talk] Bowling for Columbine

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

On Mon, 2 Dec 2002, bof wrote:

> Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 2 Dec 2002, bof wrote:
> >
> >And which is why I will boycott the film: I refuse to put any more money
> >into the coffers of such scum to allow them to continue the hate-crime
> >filled pogroms that they conduct against gun owners.
> >
> >Hate-crime? Huh?
> >
>
> Take a look at the way gun owners are portrayed in any of the editorial
> cartoons of the local papers or on TV or in movies: they are usually
> low-brow, knuckle-dragging redneck slobs. Even worse is the way the NRA
> is shown, associating it with terrorists, the Mafia, as
> cop/child-killers, slob hunters, etc. The latest distortion that I
> recall is the use of the word "weapons of mass destruction" in talking
> about small arms like rifles and pistols.

That doesn't make it a "hate-crime," it isn't a crime to perpetuate a
negative stereotype about a group of people.

> If any other group were shown in such manner, the screams from the media
> and the liberal community would be unbelievable.

You're failing to make a distinction between portrayals of ethnic
groups and groups of association. People make fun of a lot of groups
without much of a protest from anyone else except members of those
groups. If you don't like the portrayal of gun owners, then speak out
about it -- but the fact is that they're not a group that is exclusively
singled out for ill treatment or to be the butt of jokes in popular
culture.

Some other groups that are picked on and portrayed negatively in
editorial cartoons and TV & movies...

Lawyers
Politicians
Priests
Professional athletes
CEOs
Liberals
Conservatives
Pro-lifers

The list could go on and on, but I hope you get the idea. My suggestion
is to get over it. I don't hear too many people crying over the
portrayal of lawyers in the editorial pages, nor should they. If you're
basing your opinion of a group based solely on the comics and TV shows,
you've got some bigger problems than misunderstanding gun owners.

Zonker
--
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier
http://www.dissociatedpress.net/