Taking A Positive Stand

I am a football fan. I love the game. As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I watch every one of their games that I can. As a Florida State Seminoles fan, I likewise watch every one of their games that I can. I am glad that they won the ACC Championship and are going to the Orange Bowl. Both teams can make me cheer, make me mad, and drive me crazy - but, that's football. Florida State is a good example of the "drive me crazy" part. Their season will be remembered for what could have been. Fewer turnovers against North Carolina State and Florida would have resulted in victories in both of those games. Then, they, instead of Alabama, would be 12-0 and playing Notre Dame for the National Championship. But, I digress.

English: Exterior of Arrowhead Stadium in July 2010, after the renovations were completed and unveiled. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was saddened to hear about the shocking tragedy that the Kansas City Chiefs football family endured last week. I can't imagine the emotions the team endured after learning that their teammate, linebacker Jovan Belcher, shot and killed his girlfriend, and then turned the gun on himself at Arrowhead Stadium. They persevered, though, and won their game in Arrowhead Stadium the following day against the Carolina Panthers. The victory was likely the best therapy the team could have received. I'm happy for them.

One thing that never ceases to piss me off is when people exploit such a tragedy for their own gain. Oftentimes, we see politicians and other talking heads do it to score political points or to spew political propaganda. Unfortunately, it happened with this tragedy, too. However, in this instance the exploitation came from a surprise source - NBC Sunday Night football. During Sunday night's game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, NBC broadcaster Bob Costas decided to blame guns for the Belcher tragedy and went on to quote, and agree with, another anti-gunner who said, "If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today." If you did not watch the game and see Costas' comments, the video is embedded below or can be watched by clicking here.
 


The ones of you that have been reading The Sheepdog's blog for awhile know that I like guns as much as football. You also know that, even before I say so, I completely disagree with Costas. I would like to know how he came to the conclusion that this would not have happened if the gun is taken out of the equation ? Doesn't it stand to reason that Belcher could have used some other weapon, if he "didn't possess a gun" ? If Costas can guarantee with 100% certainty that his hypothesis is correct, then I want to get a recommendation from him on which PowerBall numbers to play at the next drawing. The fact is that no one knows for sure that removing the gun from the equation would have prevented this tragedy. No one.

We do know, though, that this is the same argument the liberals and anti-gunners have been using for years. Its the old "guns kill people" argument. They used it after Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' shooting, Columbine, Virginia Tech, and for years before any of those tragic events. The ones of us with at least a speck of common sense know that his argument is bogus. A gun is completely harmless until a human picks it up, puts bullets in it, and then aims it at something and squeezes the trigger. A gun is basically a paperweight until it receives some human interaction. People are killed in car accidents, too. Should we get rid of cars and walk or ride horses everywhere we go ?

The anti-gunners who use this argument over and over again ignore the positive aspects of firearms to do so. People use firearms for hunting to provide food for their families and others. Statistics show that annually firearms are used 2 million times for self-defense. Most of those times a shot is not even fired, because the mere presence of a firearm is enough to send a thug fleeing. In other words, 2 million times a year, guns actually save lives and injuries by helping people prevent muggings, rapes, murders, and other crimes. Next time you hear someone spewing anti-gun propaganda, take a moment to educate them on the 2 million incidents mentioned above.

Image via CrunchBase

Another problem I have with Costas' gibberish is the fact that he, or NBC, or both chose to make their political statement during a football game. Americans, myself included, enjoy football for a number of reasons. Sometimes it's to follow our team. Sometimes it's just because we love the game and watch whether our team is playing or not. On some occasions we watch a game just to get away. It might be an escape from our jobs, to get a break from the kids, or for some alone time. For whatever reason we're watching, the last thing we want shoved down our throats is politics. So, shut up and let us watch the game !!

Sunday night's incident reminds me of a U2 concert that I attended in July 2011 at Vanderbilt University's football stadium. I like U2's music but had never seen them in concert. A friend got some tickets and invited me and a couple of other guys to go. The concert was going good. Stage show was good. Music was good. Then, U2 decided to dabble in politics. They began playing one of their classics, "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Very quickly I realized something was different. Instead of being about the conflict in Ireland, as it was originally written, they were now performing it about the Israeli / Palestinian conflict instead. Worse yet, the images on the jumbotron made it very clear that U2 supported the Palestinians !! Pissed does not even touch how I felt. The puzzling part about it was that 3 of the 4 members of U2 profess to be Christians. So, why are they not supporting Israel ? Maybe they don't read the same Bible I do. Mine is very clear. In Genesis 12:3, God says to Abraham regarding the Israelites, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." I wanted to leave the concert, but the other guys were enjoying it, and I didn't want to ruin it for them. Plus, one of them had driven, so I was kinda stuck. However, that will be the last U2 concert I will attend.

For those of you who enjoy my Music Monday's, this is also the reason U2 hasn't appeared again. I played them once before this concert, but not since. They will not appear again. Just like with football, when I'm enjoying a rock 'n show, I want to see what I came for - music and a show, not freakin' politics. A concert, like football, is a type of escape from the rat-race. Don't ruin it.

I saw today where Costas has issued a half-assed (sorry) apology in regards to his commentary Sunday night. In it, he said he supports gun ownership but then continued his anti-gun monologue by  asking why we need semi-autos ? And, what are they good for anyway ? I'm not surprised, though. He does work for the NBC Network, which I "affectionately" refer to as the Nothing But Clinton Network. We all know how the Clintons feel about gun ownership.

His "apology" shows his complete ignorance of firearms. Thousands of Americans have semi-auto pistols in their homes and carry them for self-defense purposes. Others, me included, use semi-autos for hunting. Mr. Costas, I hope this answers your questions. May I also add that in regards to semi-autos used for defensive purposes that many of the thugs walking our streets carry semi-auto pistols. Therefore, doesn't it stand to reason that in order to properly defend ourselves and our families, law-abiding Americans should be at least as well-equipped as the "predators" are ? Just sayin'.

As I begin to wrap up this article, I have a proposal for my fellow gun owners. I'm sure everyone remembers how the left usually stages a "protest." Generally, it's obstructionist in nature. Think about the sit-ins of the '60s and '70s. More recently, the occupiers obstructed things, too, by taking over various pieces of public property to pitch their tents, use drugs, engage in illicit sexual activity, and even defecate on the American flag. In the last few weeks, unions and other groups have blocked and shutdown ports on the west coast in order to get their way. That's the way the left attempts to get their point across. However, gun owners are conservatives. Conservatives do things the right way - positively in a non-obstructive fashion. My proposal follows.

NBC Sunday Night Football logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For this Sunday night's game, December 9, 2012, on NBC between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, I am proposing a "Gun In." Get it - "Gun In" vs. "Sit In." Anyway, I'm sure you are asking, "Sheepdog, what the heck is a "Gun In" ? Well, there is two parts to it. First, we will boycott the football game. Yes, no football Sunday night. Get your fill during the day. That goes for you Cheeseheads, too. Second, during the time the game is on, which would be from 8-11 PM EST (7-10 PM CST) do something gun related. For instance :

1. If there is a gun range near you that's open during that time, whether indoors or outdoors, go shooting.
2. If you have guns that need cleaning or lubing, do it then.
3. If you have recently purchased a new accessory, such as a scope, sight, laser, or grip, for your favorite gun, install it then.
4. Get family or friends together and do 1,2, or 3 together.
5. If your local gun store is open during this time, go shopping. Pick up some ammo, a new accessory, or go ahead and buy that new gun you've been thinking about. If they're not open, go visit Gander Mountain, Academy Sports, etc. and do your shopping there.
6. If you like the shopping idea in #5, but there's no store convenient to you, do it online. Or, if there is a store convenient, but you'd just rather shop online, that's cool - just do it.

These are just suggestions and are not all-inclusive. Some of you will think of other things to do that I haven't. The important thing is to boycott NBC's football game and do something fun and gun-related. Personally, my recommendation is if there's a gun you've been wanting to buy but haven't, Sunday night is the perfect time. Better yet, to really drive the left nuts, go buy it online. It drives them absolutely crazy when they think about the fact that Americans can buy guns online. Costas even referred to it in his apology. What they either forget, or most likely simply choose to ignore, is that it is perfectly legal under Federal law. There's no "loophole," because the gun has to be shipped to a Federal Firearms Licensee who then does the required background check before you can take possession of the gun. I think this is the avenue I may go Sunday night, as I've been thinking about buying one of the new Sig Sauer P938's. If I buy it online, it will drive the lefties nuts !! I make sure to never miss an opportunity to aggravate them. Afterall, they are such an easy mark. He, he, he. By the way, if you do buy a gun online, make sure to thank your FFL for allowing you to have it shipped to them. You might even thank them by tipping them in addition to paying the applicable transfer fee when you go pick your gun up.

Some may argue that my proposal shows an "insensitivity" to the tragedies of gun violence. I would argue it does not. My heart aches every time I hear about another shooting. However, I know that such incidents are not because of a gun problem, they are because of a moral and spiritual problem within our society. If people want to kill and maim each other, they will find a way to do so whether a gun is available or not. The thing to remember is that as many as 2 million such tragedies are prevented each year because a gun was present at the time someone could have become a victim. Plus, my proposal causes no problems for anyone but NBC and their ratings and will actually "stimulate the economy" at a time when it needs stimulating. Better yet is the fact that it won't cost taxpayers a penny.

I hope gun owners and other conservatives will stand together Sunday night and participate in The Sheepdog's Gun In. One week of millions of gun owners not watching NBC's Sunday Night Football game will send the message. Their ratings will drop and advertisers will be unhappy. The best part will be that the left will go nuts as ammo, gun, and gun accessory sales soar. Gun stores across the country will boom, and the left will go nuts even more !! It'll be awesome.

Please join me in taking a positive stand.

Source - www.TheBlaze.com article titled "NBC's Bob Costas Interrupts Sunday Night Football With Gun Control Lecture"

Related articles

• BIAS ALERT: What Costas Ignored on Belcher and Gun Control (foxnews.com)
• Costas: Dozens of cases 'where by virtue of having a gun, a professional athlete wound up in a tragic situation.' (tv.msnbc.com)
• Judge Napolitano: Bob Costas, Jason Whitlock Have 'No Basis' for Bringing Gun Control Into the Jovan Belcher Tragedy (foxnewsinsider.com)
• Bob Costas says he expected grief over gun remarks (stltoday.com)
• Jovan Belcher story reveals more about NFL athletes than gun violence: Rich Lowry (oregonlive.com)
• Bob Costas Criticized For Gun Control Editorial During 'SNF' (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• SAF Wants Apologies from Whitlock, Costas, Fox and NBC (thetruthaboutguns.com)
• Bob Costas' plea for gun control sparks ire on right (tv.msnbc.com)
• Bob Costas: Gun Control Would've Saved Jovan Belcher (thehollywoodgossip.com)
• Costas: How about sticking to sports? (wnd.com)