Conservative New York Post Writer Upset about Guns for Christmas

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Conservative New York Post writer John Crudele wrote a column about how upset he was that a gun company dared offer its wares for Christmas. Crudele is conservative, as such things go, in New York City. He is a Donald Trump supporter, and has a roughly libertarian philosophy. From nypost.com:

I don’t have hard-and-fast rules about many things. I go by the “it is none of my business if it’s not hurting anyone” rule. You might know it as “live and let live.”

I suspect John and I would agree on many things. It takes a lot of guts to be a Trump supporter in New York City.

Unfortunately, John stepped outside his area of expertise with the column on the Henry Rifles. He is perfectly capable of describing his own feelings, of course. It is his unfortunate linkage of his dislike for guns with his ignorance about them which created an emotional response from many of his readers.

John thinks everyone should be  "pissed off" that a gun company dare to run an advertisement of its wares with a Christmas theme.

Sure, what a Christmas gift!

I don’t care what religion you believe in or what your feelings about guns happen to be, but this particular email should piss you off. I wish there was a more eloquent way of saying that but I can’t find it right now.

Companies like this give people who don’t like guns a reason to continue their dislike for them.

A little introspection might be in order. I don't know exactly why John seems to think guns should be taboo as Christmas gifts.

Many people I have met, who want a disarmed population, view guns with horror. They would hate the idea of showing guns as useful, morally neutral, desirable objects.  Maybe that is what John is getting at. I am not a mind reader, nor do I know John.

I suspect he is immersed in hoplophobic attitudes in the New York metroplex. He may not know many people for whom guns are a treasured everyday implement, for whom guns are useful family heirlooms, for whom guns are associated with positive experiences throughout life.

It is probably unusual, in New York City, to remember how the gun you inherited was used by your father to feed the family when times were difficult during the Depression.

It is difficult, in New York City, to understand the social bonding of entire small communities during deer hunting season.

It is difficult, in New York City, to understand the sense of accomplishment, self confidence, and independence that comes with the mastery of the use of individual firearms. New York City has made that potential nearly impossible within its confines.

John may not know that New York City started its gun control program to disarm the victims of Tammany Hall, and was pushed by the infamously corrupt "Big Jim Sullivan", for that purpose.

In New York City, John, your views on guns are moderate.

They are not moderate in much of the rest of the country.

We both expect President Trump to be re-elected. I expect his second term will be good for almost everyone, especially Second Amendment supporters.

If you ever get out to Arizona, John, I will work to arrange for friends take you to the range, to expand your shooting experience with a wide variety of guns.

My experience, with those of many others, is the best cure for those who are unfamiliar with guns, is to take them to the range.  A fun time is had by all. 

Merry Christmas to you, John Crudele.

©2019 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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