My afternoon entertainment at work today has been

[woodsprite]

listening to a relatively new American citizen from Russia trying to reason with two of our NRA-loving, gun-toting, Rush-spouting cubby mates.

NewAC: ... but the laws are there to protect us. Lawfully bought guns are finding their way into the hands of people who use them to kill people. There needs to be some regulation that is enforced nationwide.

NRA1: You know, nobody has ever been killed by legally owned guns. Drs. kill thousands of people a year and they aren't regulated like they want to regulate guns.

NRA2: That's why this is a free country.

NRA1: Yup, you're free to agree with me or I'll shoot you. Sounds like a plan to me.

NewAC: I came from a country whose govt believed that. Thankfully not all the people here feel like you do or America would be no better than Russia.

NRA1 and 2 changed the subject to the stock market.


These convos are a daily occurrence, but this is the first time I've heard my Russian friend speak up to them. I think even he's getting tired of hearing it.

[tk2kewl]

1. In the 90s I worked with a Russian guy named Valentine who used to say:

"In America, nobody can take away your right to be an asshole."

[woodsprite]

2. So true! n/t

[tk2kewl]

4. oh, and doctors don't face any regulation or licensing?

glad i don't have that guy's doctor.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Hope NRA1 knows that about 76.7% of all murders are done by family,

friends, or known persons. Of course, those thousands must not be legal gun owners according to him.

[thucythucy]

5. "Doctors aren't regulated like they want to regulate guns"?

I agree, this comparison is perfect.

So if you want to own a gun, you have to get an undergrad degree, then get accepted into a graduate program, do eight to ten years of intensive training, pass a state board, get state certified, and take out a couple of million dollars worth of insurance.

Oh, and of course you have to be registered.

Sounds like a plan to me.

[tk2kewl]

9. where do these people get these loony ideas?

Mush between the ears

[Populist_Prole]

6. I just "learned" today from someone at work

That people who DON'T watch fox news are "low information voters". I didn't know whether to chuckle or throw up in my mouth.

( the guy is an outspoken unread right winger and first class gun-nut )

[woodsprite]

7. NRA1 went to pick up ammo for a couple of them at lunch time

and brought it back to divvy it up today. They have crazy political beliefs, but seem to be fairly good family men. The quiet one is A LOT more gun safety conscious than all the rest regarding his kids, firearm education, etc. Have known all 4 of them for 25 yrs and don't THINK they'd do anything stupid (like go postal), but you never know. Sometimes their discussions turn very graphic (what certain ammo will do to human targets) so there are times that I feel uncomfortable.

I've drawn my line in the sand. I WILL report them if I see that they've brought actual firearms into the office. I KNOW they have them in their vehicles because sometimes they go shooting at lunch.

[reformist2]

8. "Low information voter" is one of their new memes.

They're all using it non-stop these days.

[Populist_Prole]

10. The trouble for them is, being the bubble residing troglodytes they are:

It's not some new catchy talking point: It's been around a good long while and has been used against the likes of those lunkheads long before they discovered it.

Being eager to use their new "ammo", and being beset by projection issues it blows up in their face as the ultimate non-sequitur.