American Taliban?

There is a temptation on my part to let this imagery speak for itself, paste a link, and then leave it at that. But I don't want it to seem that I'm saying this is a 100% direct equivalence. The components of the images are pretty much identical: a weapon, a flag, and a holy book being held by a woman who looks pleased with herself.

I've already seen some commentary on Facebook that virtually shrieks that the woman on the right would be either a) beheaded or otherwise murdered were she to go against her faith, or b) outright behead or murder us. Graphic, right? People have some vivid imaginations. They also seem to see wholesomeness with the girl on the left, and danger in the girl on the right. And most of all, they'll complain that Christianity and Islam are not equivalent, in that Islam is inherently dangerous, and Christianity is not.

I'm not sure this holds up historically. I think atrocities have been committed by religious people in general. I think radicals in any religion are dangerous. It may be true that there are more organized, potentially violent religious extremists on the Islamic side of the aisle at the moment. But let's not pretend that the Bible hasn't been used to justify murder and mayhem, nor that the lady on the left looks any more sane than the lady on the right.

Source: Free Thought Blogs

Georgia "Guns Everywhere" Law Leads to Altercation on First Day

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Gun lovers, I've got news for you: you're coming off like idiots. Even to people like me, who was raised around guns, learned to shoot at a young age, and until recent years, didn't really have much of an opinion on gun rights or gun control. But with the Open Carry guys in Texas and elsewhere? With all of the oopsies at "gun safety" demonstrations? With the absolutely insane, knee-jerk, instantaneously furious commentary in the blogosphere? You're impossible to take seriously, and extremely easy to come down against. You're your own worst enemies.

[Excerpt]

First day of ‘guns everywhere’ law in GA sparks convenience store showdown

On July 1, the state of Georgia enacted the Georgia Safe Carry Protection Act — also known as the “guns everywhere” law — which allows licensed gun-owners to bring their weapons to churches, bars, government buildings and other places where they were previously prohibited. The Valdosta Daily Times reported Tuesday evening that the new law had already pitted two armed citizens against each other in a standoff at a local convenience store. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Gun Fetishists Creep Out Texas Restaurant Staff

 

I've long called extreme gun nuts "gun fetishists." Recently, I saw the term ammosexuals, and that really made me laugh, because it fits right in. I myself have always been Switzerland as it concerns guns and gun rights. But more and more, as the gun nuts (and let's be clear, I'm not talking about all gun owners here) get nuttier and nuttier, I'm finding my neutral position more difficult to defend. Take this goofy bunch in Texas. Please.

[Excerpt]

Pro-Gun Lunatics Scare the Crap out of Fort Worth Restaurant Staff
 
So, imagine the following scenario: you're at work at a fast food place, just trying to get through your shift, like any other day. You spot a whole bunch of guys carrying assault weaponry right in front of the restaurant. What do you do? For the employees of one Fort Worth, Texas Jack in the Box, the answer was "hide in the goddamn freezer and call the cops." That seems like a pretty reasonable course of action to me, all things considered. When a bunch of crazy white dudes with assault rifles weapons start wandering through the parking lot, it's best not to ask questions before trying to get the f**k away. . .

Read more at: Kitchenette