I first noticed this Twitter message from Richard Dawkins, the prominent atheist some morons call a "professional atheist" despite his having had a successful career in a far more demanding profession:
Twitter Message by @RichardDawkins, May 3, 2013
This had to do with a recent tragedy in which a two year old girl was killed by her five year old brother with a firearm his parents gave him. Needless to say, Dawkins' remarks didn't sit well with everyone:
Twitter Message by AKgunpimp, May 3, 2013
Since I don't have armed guards ringing my residence, I wondered just what the heck this guy was talking about (you can see this coversation at the attribution link, by the way). His response:
Twitter Message by AKgunpimp, May 3, 2013
After I explained that we weren't talking about disarming police or military people, he responded:
Twitter Message by AKgunpimp, May 3, 2013
On its surface, this would seem to be the ultimate trivial assertion, and foolish just on that basis. Unfortunately, just about anyone in any minority recognizes the subtext here. This probably isn't even the tenth time I've encountered this sort of argument - that there are all those brave, Christian folks out there protecting our sorry atheist asses, and why aren't we just shutting up and being grateful for what they do for us? We atheists need to be constantly reminded of this, on account of our huge egos. In this case, it's even more pathetic, in that it's supposed to be the guns themselves that are the real protector.
There are many, many people in our society who don't use guns in their professions who make our society safer. The lawyers who prosecute and defend criminals don't use them, nor the judges and juries. Firefighters and paramedics don't need them. Foreign Service officers like Chris Stevens and Anne Smedinghoff don't use them, yet they make the world a better place, and keep us safer doing it. Frankly, if every Tom, Dick, and Harry who was out of his mind or a criminal couldn't get hold of a firearm any time he wanted, even the police would have a whole lot less need for them. But here this guy is, explaining how much my life depends on firearms being possessed by law enforcement professionals.
Of course, that wasn't even remotely the conversation. It was about living in a society where idiots can have guns, with little or no training, because it's our right, dontcha know? How letting some dimwit who doesn't understand that five year olds aren't good at understanding things like how dangerous firearms can be have the things makes me safer, I have no idea, however many times these folks try to explain it. It always sounds more like they want their metal sticks, and the rest of us should just shut up, because they're well armed.
That the world is so full of people like this, who think that violence, or being willing to commit violence, is the only thing that keeps us "safe", is a thought so depressing that there are days I wonder how grateful I should be for all their valiant efforts to keep me alive. If it spares me from having to read or listen to the rantings of these pathetic little men, there is at least one thing to be said in favor of dying.
UPDATE/Afterword: Coincidentally, Joyce Arnold wrote an article explaining why LGBT people have been coming out of the closet lately:
This is one of the classics: “Why do you want to talk about your homosexuality all the time? We heterosexuals don’t!” No, you just go through your day completely oblivious to how often you mention and simply take for granted your very public and legally supported opposite gender spouse, or girl/boyfriend, life.
Another favorite from the anti-LGBT side: How dare you be intolerant of my intolerance as law of the land!? The “tolerance” here is about civil rights, not some choice about, say, who has the best radio talk show. Or the best flavor of ice cream.
Queer Talk: Jason Collins, Limbaugh “Rams,” Samuel “Flaunts”
People like AKgunpimp are the reason. When religious and sexual minorities don't come out and make themselves and their opinions known, people like this clown assume we have everything we need, and whatever opinions we have must be the ones they think we should have. Why? Because they won't actually bother to find out by getting to know us or read what we have to say. They'll just ignore us, shout at us, or wave their metal sticks at us.
Ahem, sorry. Meant to say they'll exercise their Second Amendment rights in our general direction.
Oh, and if enough of us "come out", they just might get it through their thick heads that lots of firefighters, paramedics, etc. are atheists, too.
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