21 October 2008

Rural Ohio and PA During Campaign

You may not have noticed, but I was away from computing for a few days dealing with illness and family issues. I did travel through southeast Ohio and part of Pennsylvania, and the fall colors were amazing.

I was watching to see how many signs I would see for Obama and in town there were always some, though definitely in the minority in the rural areas. In the 3 or four small towns we stopped in, the Democratic campaign headquarters was in a prominent storefront with staff working at tables. East of Jackson, OH I did see one farmer (probably a local dem polititian) with a large Obama/Biden sign in his farm field that had been spray-painted vandalized with "no niggers".

I also was reading the print paper in PA and saw this editorial by a woman who loves to carry her gun everywhere. At first I thought she wrote the column to be sarcastic. But upon further reading, it appears she is totally serious. When I read stuff like this, I just cannot relate at all:

My family spent the weekend much as we usually do this time of year, traveling from one soccer game to another.... my handgun accidentally popped out of its holster and fell onto the playing field.

Embarrassed by my clumsiness, I could hear the good-natured teasing of my fellow soccer parents: "Hey, just make sure that thing doesn't go off!" yelled one dad. "Yeah," howled another. "We don't need any trips to the ER today!"

As I joined their laughter, I stooped over to pick up the shiny .38 Special to put it back in its distinctive soccer-themed holster. It felt comforting to have the pistol on my hip once again.

After all, I didn't want to be the odd mom out. On our team, we're all packing.

One of the moms on my son's team, a talented jewelry designer, even came up with a novel way to raise money for the boys. She sewed and then bedazzled sassy holsters for each of us with our son's name and jersey number. Everyone had to have one!

I think we're all feeling a lot safer these days with our weapons out in the open. Talk about firepower. I just hope the kids don't see us gabbing about our different revolvers instead of watching the games.

As anyone with any common sense knows, Pennsylvania's Open Carry Law is the best way to keep the peace. Last week, the parents from an opposing team started to get a little rowdy. It could have escalated into conflict. Instead, all we had to do was jut our holstered hips toward their side of the field and those obnoxious screams died down right away.

Of course, it's not like we're all going to start shooting if a ref's call goes against us or we miss a goal. I admit there have been times when I've tightened my hand around the butt of my gun in frustration when calls haven't been going our way. But I would never, ever resort to violence. Trust me.

No, we pack heat to protect ourselves and our families. Who's to say some crazy maniac won't one day bolt onto the soccer field, trying to attack our little ones?

Instead, I go to soccer games and feel secure. Looking at my fellow well-armed parents, enthusiastically cheering on our children, I feel safe. Any stick-in-the-mud who worries about a child grabbing my gun and accidentally firing it just doesn't understand gunology.

And there's also no way we adults would start firing on each other. C'mon, where do you think we live? Afghanistan? Iraq? Philadelphia? We only shoot our guns in the air, thank you, and only at practices.

And there are other benefits.

Usually after every game, parents stretch out their arms and clasp hands to build a tunnel for players to run through. It's cute. But our team has come up with a unique twist on that sweet tradition: we raise our 9 mms, Glocks, and 45s in the air to make a tunnel. The kids love it....

11 comments:

Radarman said...

Gadzooks!

Quimbob said...

That's insane.
Why would you feel safer if you were only going to use your weapon like a starting pistol anyway ?

Mark Miller said...

Your 1st impression was correct. This editorial is pure slapstick, and pretty funny too. Any one of the incidents she describes is sufficient grounds to revoke a concealed carry permit.

It probably got a lot of laughs among rural folks where gun ownership approaches 100%. City folks would, of course, rightfully be horrified. Unfortunately both reactions were probably her intent. It's impolite to go alarming urbanites like that. That's why PA has different gun rules for Philly than they do for the rest of the state. Real gunners are always cautious and quiet about it.

CityKin said...

Mark, are you sure? I admit, I am ignorant on the subject, but she made clear it was not a conceal carry permit, but a permit to carry in the open. I guess it is a joke, but if so, it went completely over my head.

Feoshia said...

It is totally a joke.

CityKin said...

Yeah, now that I think about it, it is pretty obvious.

Mark Miller said...

I found this on a Libertarian site:

Gun-rights activists who traveled to Lebanon from as far away as Pittsburgh in support of Second-Amendment poster girl Meleanie Hain said it was worth the trip. A group of two dozen supporters applauded and cheered when Lebanon County President Judge Robert J. Eby announced his decision yesterday to restore Meleanie Hain’s concealed-weapons permit ‘I wasn’t surprised,’ 37-year-old Greg Rotz said of Eby’s ruling. Rotz faced similar charges after he wore a sidearm to his voting precinct on Election Day last November, later receiving a letter from the Franklin County sheriff demanding that he turn over his handgun. He appealed the decision and was vindicated in January when a judge threw out the case.” Source: Lebanon Daily News 10/15/08

PA law allows anyone who is legally allowed to buy a gun to carry it in plain sight without any permits, except in Philly. A CCW permit is required to carry concealed anywhere in the state (except Govt bldgs & schools), and to carry openly in Philly.

She was probably satirizing this little over-step by an overzealous sheriff.

Quimbob said...

bah
oh well, thanks for putting the image of a bleacherfull of soccer moms blasting away at a field full of screaming kids.
Lemme return the favor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q21ZQp4NvI

The Sports Blog to Be Named Later said...

I grew up in Eastern Ohio near PA, and the one thing that actually shocked me about the article was... there are kids playing soccer there! The gun thing sounds normal, but soccer???

Anonymous said...

Ironically, just this past weekend in Texas...

A Lubbock man faces felony charges, after a children's soccer game turns violent. Lubbock Police say he pulled a gun on another parent during a fight.

http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=9209796&nav=menu69_2_12

Maybe it's not such a crazy story...?

Unknown said...

You probably would have gotten the joke if she had continued on and rapped out, "Wave your guns in the air like you just don't care." I thought her piece--and by piece I mean written--was funny, but I have a disturbed sense of humor. I betcha Skillet and Leroy might enjoy it.