I’m considering buying another gun. Taurus International Manufacturing markets a .410 shotgun revolver called “The Judge” that’s piquing my interest.
I have a somewhat emotional attachment to that particular shotgun gauge (which is actually a caliber) because Dad gave me his little single barrel .410 he had as a boy. I hunted with it from Oregon to here with great effect.
In my youth I imagined squirrels singing ballads about me and my gun around their nut stores. Nonsense of course but suffice it to say that I invested that little weapon with a ton of personal Tom Sawyer memories.
Regarding my impending purchase in light of the current uproar around guns and rights and responsibilities, I really don’t “need” another weapon. However I “want” it which at my age is generally acceptable justification for most pleasures.
I’m from Texas but certainly not a cowboy in the gun-toting vernacular although Ann and I do have concealed carry permits. We got them because when we go to the pistol range, I wanted to carry our guns in the car legally. You seldom go wrong obeying laws.
Which leads me to the observation that today, obeying present law isn’t enough for some. Apparently I shouldn’t be left in charge of some personal choices if those in power decide I’m making “wrong” ones.
I’ve lived through a lot of administrations but this is the first one I’ve encountered that simply doesn’t like me. But that’s okay because I and half the country are in the same boat together. I truly understand.
There are traits the President doesn’t like at all and I seem to exhibit most of them. To wit, I’m a white, heterosexual male conservative who owns guns and plans to get at least one more. I prefer free market capitalism over socialism.
I’m also pretty much an anti-abortion-on-demand guy although I harbor no religious beliefs on the subject. I just think it grossly disingenuous to get giggly about some types of horrible deaths but not others. Tragedy isn’t age or party specific.
But logic has little to do with this crowd because it’s totally about posturing. I wish what President Obama says could be believed on its face but that’s impossible.
I know all he utters aren’t lies but sorting out nuggets of truth from his constant sermonizing is all but impossible, sort of like picking fly specks out of black pepper. I simply don’t trust him or any of his mouthpieces.
Obama’s latest political initiative is renewing a ban on assault weapons. It’d be so very nice if we could actually keep random idiots from doing idiotic things by re-tooling machines but it’s unlikely.
But never let it be said that logic could get in the way of a political hay harvest. He will be going coast to coast on another snake oil tour.
I accept the reality of another four years of imperial presidency spending us into disaster. I’ll be on the shooting range with my new pistol.
Otis Gardner’s column appears here weekly. He can be reached at ogardner@embarqmail.com.