This is one of our classic hate mails received some years ago.
Even though time marches on, the thought processes remain the same.
Enjoy.
[This letter is reproduced exactly as received.]
To whom it may concern,
I’m so sick of driving to and from school and seeing your pompous signs line the highway. Your organization typifies what is truly wrong with America: dangerously violent ignorance along with an outright lack of intellect and class. You should consider putting up political signs that back the candidate that you oppose, because I’m sure more passerbys see your idiotic signs and say, “I won’t vote for that person if that man backs him,” than say, “WOW!! This man’s signs are highly intellectual and preach healthy reform for a weaking class of American society. I shall vote for that candidate!” I’m sure there’s no hope of convincing you to take down your ridiculoulsy self-degrading signs; however, I would like to voice my opinion to you – whoever you are – in the same manner in which you voice your opinion to thousands of motorists everyday: I think you’re a moron, you should worry about getting a life before you get uptight about saving lives.
one more thing
Freedom isn’t the right to carry guns around, freedom is the mentality of being safe from weapons and acts of violence in every public place. How free is a society that must constantly worry about who has what weapons under their coat? I hope you can’t honestly say that this type of society is better than one without weapons. Go read you Bible, and stop with the dumb signs.
John O’Brien
Student, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cockalorum student closed-minded to facts, history
Chuck Kuecker took a few minutes to respond to the author of a nasty gram received and later published by CCRA. We’ve republished Mr. Kuecker’s letter and the vitriolic response it earned as an example of how those staunchly opposed to civil- and firearm-rights are typically irrational and closed-minded.
Dear “Jack”:
I just read with quite a bit of amusement your email to the Champaign County Rifle Association published in the February 2002 GunNews Magazine. I am sure that by now you have received many responses to your posting.
I fail to see how letting people who have been brainwashed by the liberal media for decades know that they have the right to self defense, and that self-defense is preferable to allowing criminals to run roughshod over them is “dangerously violent ignorance”. Perhaps you slept through the required civics class (if you are an Illinois citizen, you had to take it to graduate from high school) when they discussed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Perhaps you went to a “progressive” school where the teaching of the basic laws of our country is seen as somehow outdated and quaint.
We believe that saving innocent human life is worth getting “uptight about.” I guess you don’t mind reading of the dozens of innocents murdered by gun toting thugs in Chicago – home of some of the most restrictive gun ownership laws in America. All those people were killed because none of them has the legal right to defend themselves. The Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, has decreed that no one has the right to life or liberty in his town. This is true “dangerous ignorance”.
“Being safe from weapons” was the mindset of the German government in the 1920’s. They passed the first gun registration laws, and the good people of Germany dutifully obeyed. A few years later, when a fellow named Hitler (ring a bell?) gained power, he used those registration records to ensure all the people he intended to murder later were first disarmed. That is what “freedom from weapons” will get you.
Freedom is being able to walk the street without worrying that you will be defenseless against criminals that might be lurking in the shadows. Criminals, by definition ignore society’s laws – gun control laws or otherwise. They will be armed if they so desire.
Speaking of getting a life: I recommend you to my two oldest children who are students at SIU in Carbondale. Both of them know gun safety from the best possible teacher – I taught them to shoot, to care for their weapons, and most of all, RESPECT for a tool that, like many other tools, can be dangerous in the hands of an idiot. I also impressed upon them, from an early age, that they must respect the rights of others – up to the point where others begin to disrespect their rights – and that if they are ever attacked, it is their moral duty to defend themselves if they cannot escape the attack. Submitting meekly to a criminal, as liberal pundits recommend teaches the criminal that CRIME DOES, INDEED, PAY. In fact, it was this submissiveness that allowed thugs armed solely with box cutters to successfully commandeer three airliners on September 11th, 2001.
Before you further embarrass yourself with self-professed ignorance, why not go out and learn about the Constitution, American history and what being a gun owner is all about. Then you can make a reasonable comment on those “ridiculously self-degrading signs”.
By the way – exactly what is “a weaking class of American society”? Is this something only taught in modern colleges? Most email programs DO have spell checkers – learn to use yours!
Regards,
Chuck Kuecker
Here is Mr. O’Brien’s response, in all of its run-on glory:
Dear Chuckie,
Sorry if I had a misspelling in my email to you, I guess I have a little too much to be doing to worry about grammatical correctness for the likes of you. I really can’t believe I even wasted my time on your stupid signs and organization in the first place. I’ll keep this short and simple, I don’t think anything long and complex would benefit you at all. A couple of pointers for when you harass future mailers: 1. I wouldn’t brag about my kids being “students” at Southern Illinois University, from what I hear, it’s not too highly regarded as an institution of higher learning, 2. don’t sign your letters with your company name and personal qualifications, it really just screams, “unsuccessful, but desperate for recognition,” and 3. citing Hitler and selective facts about Chicago clearly undermines your entire argument due to lack of relevance/biased data insertion. A good book on learning the strict syntax and diction of fallacy-avoidance and the syllogistic approach to logical argument can be found in your local bookstore (not your local Bible bookstore) perhaps one by acclaimed lawyer Gerry Spence. Also, 4. learn sentence patterns! If you were truly a literate person, you wouldn’t need to use CAPTIAL letters to get a point across, instead you could use words to your advantage, 5. take a lesson in grammar. Finally, 6. Way to end with a personal insult with the spell-checking thing! That was definitely mature and professional! If I wanted to do that, I could too! Like this: why don’t you go find some criminals in those “weeds” that you’re talking about and use your gun to make the world a “safer” place, if that’s what you like to do, instead of just smoking those “weeds.” Perhaps you’ll die by your own precious gun one day so that you’ll have a chance to discuss the irony of your measly life with “God.” Take care, and good luck on your next email! Also, don’t forget what I said about the “getting a life” part either!
John O’Brien
Student, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Photo by WindySydney
Wow. You’ve got a better chance of success with going outside and yelling at the weather than you do of enlightening a D-bag like this.
You forgot to publish his address marital status personal property tax and his weapons permit (or lack thereof) for any and all criminals reading this post.
Next time you need help fending off a criminal….john ,call a professor.
Second ammendment or not. Figures speak for themselves. Annual gunshot fatalities in USA 30000, NATO caualties in Afghanistan yo date 3163. So who is living in a war zone?
Actually, figures can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say. For instance, of the 30K gunshot fatalities you cite, two-thirds were suicides, about a thousand were legally justified homicides such as police/citizens shooting criminals, and maybe 300-400 were actually committed with rifles of any sort. Even less were committed with the “assault” weapons. During the same period of time, over 600 people were killed with blunt instruments like hammers and clubs and fists. More kids die every year from choking on hot-dogs than die from “assault” weapons. What these figures say, is basically that everybody dies from something. Get over it.
And the US is 15.17 times the size of Afghanistan. And around ten times the population. And it only mentions NATO casualties, I’m fairly certain a large number of other actual human beings are killed there as well. So a direct comparison of these numbers is disingenuous and irrelevant.
Definitely a passionate individual. It should prove interesting as to how passionate he will be when his citizenship is transformed into that of a subservient subject who will be told how and where to exist. He’s already been brain washed to the point of a shorn sheep.
I pray that there are enough RED BLOODED AMERICANS still left in our military ranks who will stand up for the folks that they’ve sworn to protect if the current Government ever tips the scales of justice too far out of balance.
God Bless America and who ever else wants to keep her free!
The second amendment states: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
Like it or not, that’s what it says. It didn’t limit the type of arms people were allowed to keep. At that time the most modern firearm was a flintlock. And it didn’t say that the people of the state are limited to sticks, stones, arrows and matchlock arms. Or that a military when summoned would have flintlocks. They new the advances in arms technologies at that time and could foresee further advances too.
Amazing how our children are being educated in the higher institutions of learning. For those of us who are educated but have lived, worked or raised families in this country, you come to appreciate the freedoms that others have given us. I worry about what the people who represent us are doing or proposing. They live in their political world oblivious to the real issues. They worry more about their party and gaining power of the other. I will protect myself and family regardless of the any new laws like I would expect others will do. There will always be those who think the government knows best, and they will trust them to protect their safety. I on the other hand, work in law enforcement and see what the criminal element is doing to our communities. There are no laws that will change that behavior from occurring. We often hear, it is the law abiding citizen who will lose the most not the criminal. As for John, best wishes on your education path.
Who said that higher education will enlighten thee! This guy is a royal sheeple, and it goes to show that college students are not the best candidates for employment ! If he thinks Carbondale is better than S.I.U ,then he must be looking at the wrong aspects. This guy just wants to party be part of cool guy frat club. As a Chicago Cop /MIL VET and a guy who received firearms instructor training and education from S.I.U I am embarrassed of him! Its proof from me that gun control does not work! I see first hand what happens. These guys purchase firearms from straw purchasing sellers! Moron !