Ask the Cap'n: Guns

Dear Cap'n,

I am from the UK and I recently made an uninformed comment on gun control/carrying of offensive weapons here, and got abuse flowing full throttle at me. I was in the wrong in the comment, but it brought out something that worries me.

Why is owning or carrying an object designed purely for the purpose of ending life legalised?

I am aware of the second amendment but I am asking why this over 200 year old seemingly barbaric law is still in place?

Am I completely wrong? Can someone either restore my faith in humanity? or inform me of what I'm missing.

I am reluctant to have abuse thrown at me again but i want to know your opinions so i'm willing to risk it, and bad karma to get them.

You see, your countrymen, the British Army, tried to take away the colonist's weapons in an effort to subdue the population.

That kind of rattled the population, a tad.

Lexington and Concord was a redcoat mission specifically intended to disarm the colonists who had to that point protested more or less peacefully. The "Green mountain boys" were a private guerrilla militia group that had no ties to Washington's Continental army responsible for the earliest victories against the empire. It is not an overstatement to say that the United States owes its EXISTENCE to the private ownership of guns.

Obviously I was uneducated and naive to ask my question, especially from a British perspective.

Thank you for educating me in American history, the lessons have been valuable and i now understand this much better in a historical context. The need for weapons in America's history is clear. I wont take any gibes about the british empire personally as at that time my ancestors were under its regime and actively fought it. But point well made.

I realise also that i shouldn't be judging americans as 'gun owners' as the majority are clearly responsible citizens.

Lastly I realise that even if the government wanted too they couldn't disarm you all. Whether this is good or bad. Probably a good thing that they cant.

Thank you again and you really have changed my ideas. have a good one

You're extremely welcome. Please buy a T-Shirt!

Sunday Comics: Week in Review

It's been a busy week. I've hit my goals of getting two headlines on Fark - unfortunately, they weren't from Blasphemes. I saw this cartoon this week and thought it was the most profound and existential comic strip I've read since Bloom County.

(click on it if you can't read it)

This is the key to getting high scores on posting...

These are the unconnected dots in the plane that almost rained down on Detroit.

Haven't mentioned this situation yet, but the image pretty well sums it up.

And baby it's cold outside.

In a perfect world

Saturday Morning Cartoons

THE MASTODON MILK WORKOUT

The Mastodons are anthropomorphic racist stereotypes that want you to drink milk and, to a lesser extent, exercise. Look for their barely animated adventures in your local dairy aisle.

NBC: The Biggest Loser

Maybe you've heard about this, but NBC is ready to throw in the towel on the Jay Leno experiment. They're going to move Leno back to 10:35 with O'Brien following him. I guess Fallon will be taken out back and shot?

No such luck.

As I predicted, the ratings plunge for the NBC affiliates [specifically local news] was causing a revolt, which in turn caused NBC to flinch. The higher-ups held discussions with both Leno and O'Brien Thursday about the future of NBC's late-night schedule. I suspect it was a lot like going to see the principal. While Leno would see his time slimmed down to a paltry half-hour, O'Brien would still host an hourlong program, which would push Late Night host Jimmy Fallon to 1:05/12:05 Central start time. This also leaves up in the air the future of Last Call with Carson Daly, which starts at 1:35/12:35 C following Fallon. But, seriously, what the hell is that? Why not kill off Leno, and save face with O'Brien?



And unless NBC has some major surprises that they've had on the shelf to support five full time slots with something for the 9/10 PM evening holes what the hell are they going to fill after the Winter Olympics? Oh, wait, they can always fill it with new forms of Law and Order Property Department or Law and Order Meter Maid. I'm sure you'll see a lot of the fastest, cheapest crap ever put on Network television. Expect Candid Camera/YouTube, SNL's Best Clip Show Moments, America's Pets Have Talent, and Prime Time Maury Povich! I had a couple other ones, but I think I'll save those...

Amazingly, in trying to explain this fiasco a football analogy would work. The owners tried a crazy strategy, and it didn't work. Time to change the scheme and the coaches. However, by the time the damage is done, it's going to be like spooking a dugout in a baseball team and not football - and that's the last thing you want, a baseball analogy. It'll take at least a full season for NBC to get back into any stride. And on top of it, you'll have some very pissed off people in the Leno and O'Brien camps who will be startled by the massive rattling [unless there's serious money in making this settle down] of their cages. Total massive failure.