guns are fun but mostly they suck
I was at the Dallas Love airport this morning, getting ready to fly back to Cali after a short visit to see my sister and J's sister and their new babies (cuties, both!). We were standing in line, waiting to go through security, when the elevator doors opened and discharged a large man carrying a black duffel bag and just SCREAMING so loud. Maybe bellowing is a better word. He was pretty far away but his voice carried throughout the entire terminal area. And he was just screaming "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" At one point I think he screamed "FUCK YOU, OBAMA" but I'm not positive. And he screamed at the crowd of us standing there "FUCK YOU, TOO."
Then he left (I think onto another elevator) and a couple of TSA agents (quite leisurely, it seemed) went after him to make sure the situation was under control.
Honestly, I was really scared. It pretty much seemed like the opening to a shooting. It is completely possible he could have had a small arsenal, entirely legally purchased, in that bag. We were in Texas, where you can buy a gun at a pawn shop, FFS.
And that's fucking bullshit. I shouldn't have to be terrified that someone is going open fire on a crowd I am in. I like guns. I've gone to shooting ranges (mandatory, for me) and really enjoyed it. I've had the chance to shoot a ridiculously large machine gun with tracers, and yeah, it was pretty cool. And yes, of course, the second amendment is a thing. But I don't think that the tradeoff is worth it. I don't think that what we gain as a society by clinging onto clearly inappropriate levels of civilian armament is worth it. Yes, I know that there are already so many guns out there that they won't go away if we have stricter gun laws. I know there are many ways of getting a gun without going through legal channels. I know that the disproportionate amount of mass murders in the U.S. isn't solely due to guns but is also largely cultural in nature (I'm not even going to try to cover the scapegoat that is mental health). But. These things are never going to change if we never try. Maybe I will never get the chance to live in a society that doesn't think we have the right to shoot people at will. But maybe my nieces and nephews can, or their kids. Or maybe they'll just be sitting in the same place we are now, saying "there are too many factors, it's too hard!" and putting it off even further.
Okay, that's my unnecessary political rant for the day. I guess I should just be glad I didn't get shot. This time.
Then he left (I think onto another elevator) and a couple of TSA agents (quite leisurely, it seemed) went after him to make sure the situation was under control.
Honestly, I was really scared. It pretty much seemed like the opening to a shooting. It is completely possible he could have had a small arsenal, entirely legally purchased, in that bag. We were in Texas, where you can buy a gun at a pawn shop, FFS.
And that's fucking bullshit. I shouldn't have to be terrified that someone is going open fire on a crowd I am in. I like guns. I've gone to shooting ranges (mandatory, for me) and really enjoyed it. I've had the chance to shoot a ridiculously large machine gun with tracers, and yeah, it was pretty cool. And yes, of course, the second amendment is a thing. But I don't think that the tradeoff is worth it. I don't think that what we gain as a society by clinging onto clearly inappropriate levels of civilian armament is worth it. Yes, I know that there are already so many guns out there that they won't go away if we have stricter gun laws. I know there are many ways of getting a gun without going through legal channels. I know that the disproportionate amount of mass murders in the U.S. isn't solely due to guns but is also largely cultural in nature (I'm not even going to try to cover the scapegoat that is mental health). But. These things are never going to change if we never try. Maybe I will never get the chance to live in a society that doesn't think we have the right to shoot people at will. But maybe my nieces and nephews can, or their kids. Or maybe they'll just be sitting in the same place we are now, saying "there are too many factors, it's too hard!" and putting it off even further.
Okay, that's my unnecessary political rant for the day. I guess I should just be glad I didn't get shot. This time.