The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

I was going to write a blog entry dealing with the hypocrisy of the NRA using Charlton Heston’s own words. It was going to be great, if I do say so myself, a real work of wordsmanship that maybe two people might ever read.

I am not fond of any group that paints a black and white picture of the world and then uses propaganda to keep their faithful in line. No one deserve my dislike for their practices and unbridled vitriol more than the NRA – so with all their smugness about what a patriot is, I was winding up to throw out a spitball that would put them in their place.

And there they were, Heston’s own words and the NRA tribute juxtaposed against their opposition to banning “cop killer bullets.” That’s right, the NRA wants to allow for the sale of “cop killer bullets” while touting how patriotic, moral, and law abiding they are. What better way to show just how hypocritical they are than holding up their support for – yes, one more time – “cop killer bullets.”

Since this is a rather old story I wanted to get a little background so I typed in to Google “NRA cop killer bullets.” And guess what I found out? There are no such things as “cop killer bullets.” This story came out around 1982 and was the result of a company named KTW that developed a line of handgun ammunition using brass coated with Teflon to prevent damage to firearm barrels caused by firing hard metal projectiles through them.

So…..you mean to tell me they were not designed to kill cops? Not just "no" you moron, but in fact, from what I have read, both the Justice and Treasury Departments tests showed that the Teflon had little or no effect on penetrating soft body armor.

Damn it! There goes my great story idea.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still dislike the NRA’s method, tactics, and philosophy. They have shown themselves to be mean spirited bullies when they do not get their way. But I cannot perpetuate a mistruth even if it would support my position perfectly.

What I find odd about all of this is that for 25 or so years I thought there were actually “cop killer bullets” being produced for sale by anyone that felt the need to own them.

But then when I look at it is it really all that surprising I would think that? Now one can blame the “main stream liberal media” because, you know, they hate guns and want them banned, but really that is too pat an answer. It was more the result of hype to get attention for a news story, then the “in theory it could happen” mentality caught on, followed by “we need to do something about this possibility,” which then was immediately countered with the NRA’s “they just want to take our guns – stop them!” battle cry. Lost in all of this was the truth.

So next time you hear someone tell you Obama wants to change the National Anthem because he doesn’t’ place his hand over his heart because he is a Muslim and his wife is not proud to be an American. Pause for a second and ask:

Is that the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Partiot

While waiting for my turn a magazine cover lying on the couch caught my eye. “Charlton Heston, Death of a Patriot” was its title. “Ahhh” I said to myself, “it’s an NRA publication.” Now I don’t want to dispute the merits of whether Mr. Heston is, or is not, a Patriot. What I take issue is the how the NRA chooses to define what a patriot is. There are certain words, of which patriot one of them , that transcend above politics and singular issues and do not belong to one side or the other. The NRA calls Mr. Heston a patriot not so much because he marched along side Martin Luther King, or joined the Air Force in WWII but because he “found his anchor in the tenet of conservative values” of which one of the principles tenets is the zealous commitment to the protection of the 2nd amendment. I just have a feeling that this is why he was anointed by the NRA as a “patriot.”

We Americans spend a lot of time claiming that those we disagree with are somehow less deserving of certain words like “American,” “Christian,” or “patriot” that hold a great deal of significance & meaning. How presumptuous of some to do that or the rest of us to allow it to happen. Just today I was listening to an AM conservative talk show where the host claimed that if Obama was such a patriot he would have written more about America in his book.

I don’t know if there is a litmus test out there that would definitively allow us the ability to attach the word patriot to Mr. Heston or anyone else for that matter. Assuming that Mr. Heston is, indeed, a patriot for reasons other than his attachment to the NRA cause, I wonder if the NRA would also call Mr. James Brady a patriot upon his death as well. Or is that term only reserved for those they have deemed worthy?