More outrageousness!

I don't recommend movies. I enjoy stories and am a movie/story watcher, not a film critic. That said, I must comment on something that I just heard from Jodie Foster in the movie "The Brave One."

For those who will never see the film, suffice it to say that Ms. Foster's character, Erica, goes through an extremely traumatic experience and feels the need to buy a handgun for personal protection. I will say she made a good choice in purchasing a Kahr 9mm, a gun I would like to own someday. That said, the quote that I am commenting on does not come from the film, but the special features.

Ms. Foster says, "The second that you buy a gun, fear is yours. You've walked into a culture that immediately puts you in danger, and puts others in dangers of you, and, I, I hope that that's the moral of the story in some ways; that buying the gun and putting the gun in her pocket, has her go through this 'Alice in Wonderland' journey that otherwise she would never have experienced."

As a gun owner myself, I find this extremely revolting. The ignorance that Ms. Foster has of the majority of the American gun-owning population (which is the majority of the population) is astounding. To believe that the only motivation to own a firearm is fear shows an amazing level of misperception. Also, to believe that carrying a firearm puts the individual as well as the general populace in danger is a common mantra among those who would strip us of our 2nd amendment rights. Those who choose to take on the responsibility of arming themselves in public do so to societies benefit. Statistically, crime goes down and societies are made safer. The criminal element is not so naive to think that they run no risk of harm when there exists the possibility that their victim just might bite back.

Ms. Foster is sadly mistaken if she believes that the act of carrying a firearm somehow transforms the individual in some sort of surreal way. Most of the time, the decision to carry is reached and made as a result of carefully considered values and convictions. The individual is not transformed by the act of carrying but transforms their actions based upon their convictions.

Let's all hope that when the crap hits the fan around Ms. Foster that someone will have taken that "'Alice in Wonderland' journey" and be able to save her rear to make a more carefully considered movie.

Blessings,
theMK

Food for thought

Here is an interesting story that makes one pause and consider your own outlook on life. Would I have responded in a similar or different way? What would have been the outcome if I were in that position? It makes me as a christian consider how these actions fulfill Jesus' commands. And would I have done the same?

He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"
Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.
"You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says.

Click here for the entire story.

Blessings,
theMK

Down with Facebook!

Here is something I saw a few weeks ago and still raises my ire. I haven't attended any of Frontsight's courses, yet. I do agree with and support the driving force behind the organization, to "positively chang(e) the image of gun ownership through training
law-abiding citizens in the safe and responsible use of handguns."

I am very much a 2nd Amendment kind of guy. I have been slightly dissapointed moving to CA because of the added difficulty of obtaining CCW licenses. Hopefully that will be remedied before too long. Anyway, with that background out of the way, check out what Facebook thinks of gun owners and people who believe they have the constitutional right to protect themselves, their families, & their communities with force, if necessary. When any organization or business considers gun ownership as "offensive, profane, vulgar, obscene, or inappropriate," equating it to pornography, I believe that business doesn't deserve my patronage or that of any constituion-supporting American.

The hiatus

Well, I think that I'll just say that I'm on a blogging sabatical from time to time. This time was a five month sabbatical. Ah, well.

I'm not in the business or habit of recommending movies so I won't do that now. I will, however, say that I just watched "300" for the second time which is a rare occurance for me. There are themes that run through it that I think are quite admirable and not often seen in the prevelant popular culture of today. Ideas like honor, duty, strength and skill at arms, and love of nation & country are commonly thought of as archaic and irrelevant. This is especially so in academia and popular culture.

How easily we forget that truism that is the foundation of this story of 300 Spartan warriors, that "freedom isn't free." Many scoff at what seems to them a cliche that is better left in the distant past than lived out in the present. These "high-minded" intellectual elitists believe that they will never face an enemy that is as vast and merciless as the Persian army of old while being surrounded by corrupt and conniving traitors from within. Old wives tales from the ancient past! Right?...