Classical Values :: Nuts, fools, and talking mules

September 28, 2003

Nuts, fools, and talking mules

I don't know if my blogfather is being dissed or not, but here's the situation. I just found out that Kim du Toit called Jeff a "fool" for nominating him to be Secretary of Defense. While du Toit then graciously offered to be head of the ATF (promising that "there'd be some changes" under his regime), he really doesn't appear to be grateful for the valuable contributions Jeff has made to the Second Amendment. Never has he mentioned Jeff's Weekly Media Gun Bias compilations (a public service considered an institution elsewhere), nor has he blogrolled Jeff.

This seems odd, if not unfair, especially considering that Kim du Toit has proudly boasted of his status as a "nut":

I�m doubtless on some ''nut'' list with the FBI or Secret Service by now anyway.

Now, I am not asking Mr. du Toit to give my blogfather a link, because that is strictly his business. However, because Jeff is a leading gun nut, I do think it is fair to ask whether the fact that he is a self-described gay gun nut might be the source of the problem. Does this make people uncomfortable? I have no way of knowing, but I have experience -- twenty years of experience -- on the subject of being a gay gun nut. We get it from the right, from the left, and from the majority of homosexuals. There is nothing you can do which will put you more in the line of fire than to declare you are a gay Second Amendment supporter. It is high treason to all sacred cows of the conventional left (which wants to own homosexuals and disown the Second Amendment) and the conventional right (which wants to disown homos and own the Second Amendment). Thus, homosexual gun owners find themselves politically homeless. And all too often, anathema to both sides. If anyone can explain the logic to me, I would love to hear it. I have been waiting for twenty years.

If you ask me, gun nuts should hang together, lest they hang separately....

=================================

Jeff, by the way, links to James R. Rummel's post about outdoor sculpture, in which he asked if anyone is interested:

You know, those big concrete shapes that are put up by cities to generate interest?

....big and ugly they also add a little charm to the urban landscape....

NOTE AND UPDATE: James links to a cool blog in Esperanto with some good links to pictures of such sculpture, like these horses of different colors.

Well, this all just begs the question of Berkeley's controversial Guardian Sculpture, a large, surreal archer which stands guard over Berkeley's waterfront. The City of Berkeley, with its propensity for politically correct, Stalinist art, immediately took a disliking to the piece, which had been donated by the artist and erected by a group of citizens. It was denounced as "a violent image" and "warlike." The City was therefore going to have it hauled away, but was stopped by the organized outrage of local citizens who put a measure on the ballot to save it. It stands there to this day, a lone voice of defiance against politically correct tyranny. Here's a close-up shot.

Speaking of four legged avatars, Donald O'Connor's death reminded me of his brilliant acting in the "Francis the Talking Mule" film series. The chemistry between him and Francis was perfect, and those films remain some of the best American comedies from that surrealist, deliberately goofy, early 1950s period. The mule, of course, has infinitely more sense than any of the humans, and does much to establish the importance, dignity, and (of course) real sanity of those American underdogs often known as "nuts."

In my favorite film of all time, "Francis Covers the Big Town," psychiatrist Ernest Goodrich ("one of the top men in the psychiatric field") is reduced to a nervous breakdown after being cross-examined about his dreams by Francis -- a beast Dr. Goodrich confronted in the hope of exorcising the "hallucination" from his young patient's mind.

"My dreams are my own affairs!", Dr. Goodrich shrieked. "Get me out of here! Get me out!"

I'll leave you with something for your dreams: horses who sing doowop. Of course, you have to synchronize their singing by clicking on each horse with your mouse, one at a time, until you achieve a pleasant result. If a horse doesn't synch properly, click it again to stop it, then keep trying until you get the timing right.

Oh well. Synch or swim!

(I've had my fill of trying to lead horses to water....)

posted by Eric on 09.28.03 at 10:19 AM

Comments

I think Kim was just kidding when he called me a fool -- for having suggested he should be Secretary of Defense...

Thanks for the mention. We (gun nuts) should be supporting each other when possible.

Jeff · September 28, 2003 4:17 PM

Hey Jeff!

Likewise, I was just kidding when I called him (and you) "nuts" -- or when I suggested he move to California and start another recall.

But then there's that business about not wanting a cabinet post "under a man who once worked on Al Gore's presidential campaign (in the 1980s) and who voted for him (in 2000) -- and he's a damn lawyer besides." If he really feels that way about our future president, maybe offers of cabinet posts are premature.

(And maybe I shouldn't take any of this too seriously....)

Thanks for the comment, and you're absolutely right about gun nuts sticking together.

Eric Scheie · September 28, 2003 5:39 PM

Thank you kindly for the link. But I'd like to point out that I was simply linking to stuff that was generated by my buddy, Kathryn Woods, at her Esperanto blog. She doesn't get too many links herself because, well, it's written in an artificial language that only a handful of enthusiasts ever bother to learn.

But that doesn't mean that she doesn't generate some good copy. I just go over there and start clicking on the links. Then I usually end up talking about what she has already found for us.

Anyway, I was wondering. Concerning giving credit where credit is due....

James

James R. Rummel · September 28, 2003 10:32 PM

"Gay gun nut" -- that's the best combination I can think of. A _consistent_ defender of Freedom, yours and mine. I don't know where Kim du Toit stands on homosexuality, but his wife has said some rather negative things about homosexual rights on her own blog. Which is why she will never be on my blogroll (unless she changes her mind). I keep my own blogroll quite selective. Any blog or site that I find to be either 1) anti-homosexual or 2) anti-gun -- or worse, both! -- does not get or stay on there. Conversely, a blog or site that I find to be both pro-homosexual and pro-gun will be there. You, Eric Scheie, and Jeff Soyer are at the top of the list as far as I'm concerned.
A double litmus test should be given to every nominee for a judicial position, especially for the Supreme Court: Where do you stand on: 1) the Second Amendment and 2) Lawrence vs. Texas. Both come down to the same question: Do you have the right to privacy in your own home? Is your home your castle? If so, then do you not have the right to defend your castle?

Steven Malcolm Anderson · September 29, 2003 7:07 AM

The reaction to the heroic Guardian Sculpture (so Pagan, too!) illustrates something else I've observed for some time: the enemies of the Second Amendment are usually enemies of the First Amendment as well. Not only don't they want you to have weapons, they don't want you to _think_ about weapons or violence or anything else but sheeplike obedience to the Politically Correct Stalinist State.

Steven Malcolm Anderson · September 29, 2003 7:17 AM

Good grief.

A few comments:

1. SMA: you're more full of shit than a 3-day-old Pampers. The Mrs. has no problems with homosexuals -- her beloved brother died of AIDS, for fuck sakes, and for several years she was room-mates with a gay guy (who also died of AIDS). She was once a Hollywood agent; how far would a homophobe last in THAT profession?

2. Eric: Perhaps I should just start putting those moronic [satire] [/satire] clues on my website. Jeff making me Reynolds's SecWar was silly -- I have limited military expertise, and putting me in charge of the ATF WOULD cause some changes, such as a precipitous drop in gun-related arrests of law-abiding citizens. And Glenn may be God Of All Blogs, but he's still a moderate Democrat, not to mention a lawyer.

3. As for my own feelings about homosexuals: I have no problem with any of them, personally. Considering I was once a singer in several musical shows, how could I be? I don't give a rat's ass what people do in the privacy of their own homes.

What gets my goat about the homosexual agenda is the strident labeling of any contrary viewpoints as "homophobic". To give but one example of this hypersensitivity: just because I didn't add Alphecca to my blogroll means I might be a homophobe?

Fuck off and die, asshole.

Kim du Toit · September 29, 2003 4:35 PM

Now why does everybody put words in my mouth? First, there is no "homosexual agenda" to be found at this blog. I doubt that you, Kim du Toit, even know about my opposition to gay marriage, as well as to the concept of drawing lines based on human sexual preferences. I don't even use the word "homophobia" in a serious context, because I consider the concept a crock of shit. You, a "homophobe?" I simply did not pose that question. You, apparently, did.

I did ask whether Jeff's status as "a self-described gay gun nut" was preventing him from getting links. If not, I am glad to hear it. If my suspicions are wrong, I am sorry, in all honesty.

The simple fact is, a lot of people -- gay, straight, right, left -- don't like gay gun nuts. To call it "homophobia" -- even "homohoplophobia" would be simplistic labeling of the sort I try to avoid. How the hell do I know what's in your mind? And how does asking a question to which I really don't know the answer constitute hypersensitivity?

And where do you get the idea that I engaged in "strident labeling?" Do you really feel I called you a "homophobe?"

Who is being hypersensitive here?

Finally, your parting advice:

"Fuck off and die, asshole!"

What a rude and insensitive thing to say to an obviously delicate and hypersensitive person! Why, you have damaged my precious self esteem, and caused my inner child to run so deep inside my unconscious that I despair of ever getting through to him again! I may never recover!

Hypersensitivity can be a major pain in the asshole. I suggest you blow it (but very gently, taking careful aim first) out yours....

And furthermore, I demand a link! It's the least you could do, you mean and grouchy, link-stingy old Boer, you!

P.S. This blog sometimes engages in satire.

Eric Scheie · September 29, 2003 8:15 PM

I think the asshole who should fuck off and die might be me he was referring to. I hope so, anyway, ha! ha! As for the homosexual agenda, it's very simple. In fact, I have a copy of it right here in my hand. It says: homosexuals are OUT TO GIT YO MAMA!!!!!!!!

Steven Malcolm Anderson · October 2, 2003 2:54 PM

"1. SMA: you're more full of shit than a 3-day-old Pampers."
Say! I just followed your link to his blog and saw that he said EXACTLY THE SAME THING in response to Jeff Soyer. What an honor!

Steven Malcolm Anderson · October 2, 2003 3:03 PM

Donald...Francis...AH, sublime! Thanks for mentioning them! Come check out my Donald site, if you're so inclined (and send friends!): http://www.joebrady.com/cosmobrown.html

Tekva · April 29, 2004 1:28 PM

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