George Bush and the NRA
By Capt. Fogg
-Thomas Browne-
I have to admit that there was a time I considered joining the NRA -- a couple of times actually. The first was when I heard that Michael Moore belonged to it and I thought that membership would mean that my frequent maledictions might find their way to someones desk, and the second was when I found that the one local rifle range that allowed black powder muzzle-loaders like my flintlock Kentucky long rifle required NRA membership. In both instances my better senses took over and I decided it wasn't worth it.
I understand that following Wayne LaPierre's comments after the Sandy Hook massacre there has been a rash of resignations from the rank and file membership and a recent Snopes e-mail and a number of blog articles have reminded me of the 1995 resignation from the NRA of George H.W. Bush. The President wrote an open letter to the NRA after the group's refusal to disassociate itself from the then NRA spokesman LaPierre who gloated over the deaths of the "Nazi's" as he called the federal officials slaughtered in Oklahoma City.
I didn't vote for Bush. I've condemned him vehemently for his positions and offensive statements. Although to compare GHWB to his 'George-without-the-H' scion is to make the old man look like George Washington in retrospect, I was enraged when he told us that he couldn't see how an atheist could be a citizen, and when he vetoed the Brady Bill, I wrote him an unpleasant letter.
These days, I have no faith that the Brady three day waiting period measure had any salubrious effect, and although I'm still not a real fan, I have to give him credit for some things -- amongst which is his resignation letter. Responding to Mr. LaPierre's vicious characterization of some of the murdered Federal Officers he had know personally as:
And slander it was, a thundering manifesto of obvious disregard for the 19 children murdered by a mad bomber or bombers and of utter and vicious contempt for the lawful government of the United States of America and a tacit approval of armed insurrection. Now what is the definition of treason again? Does anyone still see that loathsome miscreant as the defender of the Constitution or the advocate for lawful and peaceful gun owners? I don't even want to know the answer.
Bush, "a gun owner and an avid hunter." wrote :
For an organization heavily funded by those seeking to make the government the tool of plutocrats, an organization willing to ignore the murders of 168 people in it's quest to de-legitimize the legitimate government and its institutions and interfere with enforcement of its laws to claim to be upholding anything but violence and lawlessness is foul and disgusting and worthy of the same kind of contempt as the Klan or the Aryan Nation. They are not a gun owner's lobby, they are a Hate Group, an enemy of freedom promoting the use of arms to oppose and defy a democratically elected government.
George H. W. Bush is an old man in failing health I've never really liked, but for that one act I choose to remember him. And to Mr. Lapierre: I tell thee churlish beast: A ministering angel
shall he be when thou liest howling.
". . . and forgetting long-passed mischiefs, we mercifully preserve their bones and piss not on their ashes."
-Thomas Browne-
_______________
I have to admit that there was a time I considered joining the NRA -- a couple of times actually. The first was when I heard that Michael Moore belonged to it and I thought that membership would mean that my frequent maledictions might find their way to someones desk, and the second was when I found that the one local rifle range that allowed black powder muzzle-loaders like my flintlock Kentucky long rifle required NRA membership. In both instances my better senses took over and I decided it wasn't worth it.
I understand that following Wayne LaPierre's comments after the Sandy Hook massacre there has been a rash of resignations from the rank and file membership and a recent Snopes e-mail and a number of blog articles have reminded me of the 1995 resignation from the NRA of George H.W. Bush. The President wrote an open letter to the NRA after the group's refusal to disassociate itself from the then NRA spokesman LaPierre who gloated over the deaths of the "Nazi's" as he called the federal officials slaughtered in Oklahoma City.
TREASON: the offense of attempting by
overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the
offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign
or the sovereign's family.
I didn't vote for Bush. I've condemned him vehemently for his positions and offensive statements. Although to compare GHWB to his 'George-without-the-H' scion is to make the old man look like George Washington in retrospect, I was enraged when he told us that he couldn't see how an atheist could be a citizen, and when he vetoed the Brady Bill, I wrote him an unpleasant letter.
These days, I have no faith that the Brady three day waiting period measure had any salubrious effect, and although I'm still not a real fan, I have to give him credit for some things -- amongst which is his resignation letter. Responding to Mr. LaPierre's vicious characterization of some of the murdered Federal Officers he had know personally as:
"jack booted thugs . . . wearing Nazi bucket helmets and black storm trooper uniforms” wanting to “attack law abiding citizens,” the former president and life member of the NRA condemned LaPierre's words as a "vicious slander on good people."
And slander it was, a thundering manifesto of obvious disregard for the 19 children murdered by a mad bomber or bombers and of utter and vicious contempt for the lawful government of the United States of America and a tacit approval of armed insurrection. Now what is the definition of treason again? Does anyone still see that loathsome miscreant as the defender of the Constitution or the advocate for lawful and peaceful gun owners? I don't even want to know the answer.
Bush, "a gun owner and an avid hunter." wrote :
"Over the years I have agreed with most of N.R.A.’s objectives, particularly your educational and training efforts, and your fundamental stance in favor of owning guns. However, your broadside against Federal agents deeply offends my own sense of decency and honor; and it offends my concept of service to country. It indirectly slanders a wide array of government law enforcement officials, who are out there, day and night, laying their lives on the line for all of us."
For an organization heavily funded by those seeking to make the government the tool of plutocrats, an organization willing to ignore the murders of 168 people in it's quest to de-legitimize the legitimate government and its institutions and interfere with enforcement of its laws to claim to be upholding anything but violence and lawlessness is foul and disgusting and worthy of the same kind of contempt as the Klan or the Aryan Nation. They are not a gun owner's lobby, they are a Hate Group, an enemy of freedom promoting the use of arms to oppose and defy a democratically elected government.
George H. W. Bush is an old man in failing health I've never really liked, but for that one act I choose to remember him. And to Mr. Lapierre: I tell thee churlish beast: A ministering angel
shall he be when thou liest howling.
Labels: George Bush, guns, NRA
posted by Libby Spencer at 12:41 PM
2 Comments:
Didn't remember it and hadn't actually read what that letter was about. So interesting.
For me, I did not like him as president but I softened a bit about the old man when he decided to try sky-diving. This gives me two reasons to remember him with at least some small fondness.
As I said, I'm willing to overlook some of the shortcomings and not smear him too much. Besides, what are you going to do at this point.
I don't forgive the NRA though and I truly, although I support a right to own firearms, I don't support putting that issue ahead of all else even if it damages our country, kills people and corrupts democracy.
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