As expected

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Back in 2012 a reporter for STERN Magazine contacted me and asked if I'd agree to to an interview about firearms. I did.

How'd she find me? Yahoo hired me to write a piece on gun ownership and she found that article.

It resulted in a day long session with the reporter and a photographer. He shot several hundred pictures of me, the kids, the reporter. Shot a few of the whole family.

The one which was published, in front of the old service station at the north edge of Sycamore, has been picked up by Slate magazine and at least one blogger. As of this blog, I'd skimmed all the SLATE comments, sent in a correction for the cutline, replied to a few comments and grinned madly.

As expected, a sizeable number of the comments were hate-filled, some attacked us for our appearance and more than a few said it appears we're in the bad end of the gene pool.


As expected. Really. I knew the interview would bring out the hate (and it sure did in Germany!) and folks would pile it on. I expect more hate. I expect a lot more personal attacks. But these people are far superior to me and vastly more intelligent than I am. (Canya feel the sarcasm?)

They can see one posed image with an incorrect cutline and determine who I am, what kind of person I am, that I am a clear and present danger to everyone (and they do mean everyone) and that I should be locked up because of all these character determinations based on one picture. And I note, I'm doing the exact same thing to them, making judgments about them based on a single comment.

[shrugs]

Given the attacks (none so far has reached me directly but I expect this to happen) some might wonder why I did this.

Because I had to. I had to show the First Amendment. I had to show the Second Amendment. I had to illustrate that I live both. People needed to see this.

Because most people will snap judge and move on without any further thought. But a few will stop, think and come up with well-reasoned discussions. Their discussions hopefully will reach a few more people and cause more thought.

Because someone needs to stand up.

Because I'm trying to lead a person to think.

Call me the new Sisyphus. Call me Don Quixote if you wish. I'm good with that. If you'll excuse me, I need to find Pancho so we can saddle up and ride.