A few say they are preparing to protect themselves in the event of a race war....45superman noticed this and wrote about it. And he wrote about it again.
One expert sees a darker motive driving some post-election gun purchasers.
"Why are white people buying assault weapons?" said Ben Agger, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who wrote a book about the Virginia Tech slayings. "I almost hate to say it, but there is a deep-seated fear of the armed black man, because Obama now commands the military and other instruments of the justice system. They are afraid Obama will exact retribution for the very deep-seated legacy of slavery."
I correspond with him regularly, and after he sent me the Trib link, it took just a few minutes of checking around to confirm a few things. Here's the email I sent to reporter Howard Witt, including a copy to his "expert," a guy with an interesting background:
Obama win triggers run on guns--------------
From: David Codrea (dcodrea@hotmail.com)
Sent: Wed 11/12/08 2:13 PM
To: hwitt@tribune.com
Cc: agger@uta.edu
Great job, there, Howard, selecting a Marxist academic to call patriotic Americans racist for buying guns. The nice touch was not disclosing his sympathies to your readers!
I mean, I don't need to send you Agger's CV or writings ("This is not to suggest that socialism is, or should be, dropped as a political aim, to be hoped for and fought for"), or reading list for his classes focusing on Karl Marx ad nauseum... Heck, as an "authorized journalist," I'd expect you to not only know all that--but to approve!
Funny thing about commies who employ citizen disarmament--and what commies don't? It generally is only a matter of time until their Worker's Paradise bears predictable fruit. Of course, by that time, the useful idiot academics and writers were long-ago dispatched as useless eaters...
We'll keep buying guns, if you don't mind, or even (especially) if you and Comrade Agger do.
Racists. That's pretty funny right there. You and Ben are funny guys.
Dosvedanya,
David Codrea
Here is Howard Witt's reply:
Thanks for your comments. Actually I was unaware of Prof. Agger's academic research into socialism, although other readers of the story have since pointed it out to me. I don't see, however, how that has any bearing on the truth or falsity of his observations about the gun-buying phenomenon. Or do you also think I should have "exposed" the countervailing right-wing ideologies of the pro-gun folks I quoted in the story?--------------
Spasibo,
Howard Witt
Southwest Bureau Chief
Chicago Tribune
Houston, TX
The good professor weighed in as well:
David,--------------
You are just engaging in name calling. You don't know the first thing about my interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, which might genuinely surprise you. The telling thing is that people of my political and social orientation don't typically write nasty emails to those with whom we disagree. We engage in reasoned and civil discourse--of the the kind typified by Obama's measured and respectful style. The fact remains that social scientists are called on to interpret the run on guns and ammo since Obama's election. The Chicago Trib journalist is doing his job by sampling a wide range of opinion. he is not endorsing my views.
Don't respond, please. Just think deeply about what I am saying about the norms of civility.
If I may:
Gee Howard, you think belief in the Constitution and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is somehow morally equivalent to being a communist? That to you is a "right wing ideology"? You are in the right profession!
And yes, ideology is a much more relevant concept to explore than leveling unfounded charges of racism. It's not like prominent non-white Obama supporters in the media haven't broached the subject of "race war." Along with others from the left.
You let a Marxist race fluffer play that card as his only argument, and now say you didn't know what his qualifications and motivations were. I repeat my initial salutation: Great job there, Howard!
It's almost laughable for you to bring up the "truth or falsity of his observations." But you haven't determined that, have you, Howard? All you've done is allow a clearly agenda-driven creature to utter an opinion--and in the process disparage the character of every gun owner who opened up to you and gave you information for your story.
Political activist gun owners vote ideologically, Howard. I know Obama supporters (let me guess--you're one, right?) get traction from you in the media by claiming its a melanin thang, but it just ain't so, and it's actually quite insulting, presumptuous and irresponsible to imply otherwise to your many thousands of readers.
And now for you, Ben, or may I call you "Tovarisch?"
Your only comment is to cast aspersions on the character and motivation of gun owners and you're the one who's been called names? Are those names accurate, Ben? What else are we to make of your fighting for socialism advocacy?
As for where you stand on the Second Amendment, go ahead, genuinely surprise me.
Now it's funny you should bring up "reasoned discourse." Gun owners have run into that from the left before. But you misunderstand me if you think I wanted to engage in that with you.
Nope. I'm telling you I know what you are, what you represent and what you enable, and frankly, I view you and all promulgators of your brand of subversion with the contempt you deserve.
And "Obama's measured and respectful style" when it comes to political speech? Good one!
Don't worry, Ben, I won't email you again. What was it you told KABA commentator "Theaton"?
Has it occurred to you that I don't want to open up my professional email and read utter nonsense like this? Do not write me again.I have nothing further to say to you, either. But if someone wants to send you and Howard links to this, I won't mind. You can even add comments if you like--unlike The Chicago Tribune, which disabled theirs for some reason...
20 comments:
. . . reasoned and civil discourse . . .
This just keeps getting better and better.
I'll let you know if I get any replies to my own attempts at correspondence.
The only *color* I have no tolerance for, and that appears in my nightmares behind the guns pointed at my head, is powder blue ( #5B92E5, to be exact). But that isn't a "melanin thing", it's a beret and insignia thing.
Gee,
Funny thing is last weekend in Atlanta at a large gun store I observed just the opposite of what "Nitt" Witt says he observered.
I find it encouraging that America [read that all races] is arming itself.
I grow increasingly weary of those who so obviously want only to enslave, rob and even kill me via their socialist and fascist agenda - who bleat endlessly that I am the problem because I won't allow them to fill my time with their endless propaganda and accept that everything they wish to do TO me is really and truly for the good of everyone.
"The telling thing is that people of my political and social orientation don't typically write nasty emails to those with whom we disagree. We engage in reasoned and civil discourse..."
Like at the DailyKOS? Or HuffingtonPost?
Of all the delusions humans are capable of, self-delusion is one of the greatest. Right up there with Delusions of Grandeur.
This "Professor" fellow seems to traffic well in both.
Funny, I never ask what "color" a person is before I recommend that they get a gun and learn how to use it, nor do I decide to stick up for their rights only after I look at them to make sure they "look right". I must be such a disappointment to the racists.
1. Perhaps the authors thought the purchasers of weapons were racist due to the mistaken belief that people of color had already been disarmed by our current gun laws?
2. Is the esteemed graduate of York University and the University of Toronto who for over thirty years has been a faculty member of public universities a U.S. citizen?
Occam's razor suggests that when buyers claim they are buying in fear of future democrat restriction on purchases or imports, and there's a record of democrat restrictions on purchases and imports, and the incoming president and administration members have made statements supporting purchase or import restrictions, that we might just give the buyers the benefit of the doubt.
To the very limited extent there might be any truth to the professor's speculation, the fact that none dare speak is that blacks commit a disproportionate amount of crime in the US. Not because its hard-wired racially, but due to inner-city culture, poverty, and the government welfare induced breakdown of the black family. But perhaps I shouldn't even bring that up, because I really think the obvious explanation is correct.
To paraphrase the idiot, has it occurred to him that we do not want to open up our newspaper and read utterly evil nonsense that he wrote?
He could avoid those emails by a) not writing such drivel, or b) having just one damn clue about truth and/or morality.
Since he failed both those easy qualifications, I can understand why he doesn't want to hear from his betters.
Further, as I have stated before, this issue will only be resolved by force, because his kind understand and rely upon nothing less.
Whether that force be potential or kinetic is a decision in the hands of his fellow travelers. He should pray he chooses intelligently.
I'm sick of this mis-use of the nonsense term "assault weapon" while we're at it.
I have Sharps, Martini, Snider, Enfield, Springfield, Mauser, and Arisaka rifles that were used in actual assaults in actual warfare.
My Stoner Pattern rifles and their relatives have never assaulted anything but paper and varmints.
It's only reasoned discourse when that discourse comes only from them.
Does my heart good to see that in exercising basic rights we continue to frighten the commies to distraction. Must mean we're doing SOMETHING right.
"We engage in reasoned and civil discourse--of the the kind typified by Obama's measured and respectful style."
Reasoned discourse! That sounds familiar.
Hmmm...
At the gun show a couple of weeks ago I saw a veritable rainbow of people buying guns of all descriptions, including Sport Utility rifles.
"We engage in reasoned and civil discourse ..." Bull. This is intellectual codespeak for an Ivory Tower Bully. Being a student in his courses sounds like a thrilling one-way conversation. He speaks. You STFU. When the next US administration topples the house of cards, there will certainly be no market for sociology professors. The Right already has no use for them. The Marxists in charge will not want a body of academia types questioning man's relation to State. I don't remember the USSR being a hotbed of sociology study. Soviet academia was mostly into hard science like rockets and tractors to propel the State to a position to rule human society with an Iron Fist.
Predictable fruits... I'm watching a documentary about the engineered Ukrainian famine (my wife is from there). An old lady survivor spoke of the "activists" that came in the middle of winter to inform them their farm was now property of the state. Activists? Is that anything like a "civilian security force"?
There is a subtext to the exchange that is beyond the scope of this thread, but it is interesting nonetheless. L. Ron Hubbard also realized the power of certain words.
I want to go on record here and claim guilt for not engaging in civil discourse, since I suggested an alternate use for the Chi-Trib story, over at Kurt's Place. So, you know, if you want to let someone have it...
Also:
Was the sales surge before the '94 AWB due to feminism, since Clinton was president?
The professor no doubt wants measured and common sense gun control. You know, to solve 'rascism".
Just like Stalin, Hitler, and Mao.
He wants save humans even if every last one has to die in the process.
Folks start training, now!
III
TJP:
"Was the sales surge before the '94 AWB due to feminism, since Clinton was president?"
That's some funny stuff, right there! ;-)
Post a Comment