Comments on: Legislative Towel Snapping

by: voiceofutah

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 04:10:35 +0000

I am far from a Frank or gun-nut supporter and I did not find his original post amusing, but to me, there’s a material difference between posting a gun piece after the shooting and not removing a post from a week earlier. Apart from my discomfort at suggesting that a blogger should take down a post based on its content, I want an accurate record of what our “representatives” are saying. I want to be able to show that Frank made light of concealed weapons on Feb. 4. I don’t want a sanitized version.

by: baldyjoe

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:37:55 +0000

Just a thought: I didn’t see any one “packing” involved in what happened at Trolley Square?

by: gabespop

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:42:37 +0000

Just read your response on Frank’s blog, Holly.
Way to let that clown have it!

by: gabespop

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:38:47 +0000

I suspect that gap between our legislators’ cartoonish Yosemite-Sam gunslinger posturing and their constituents more sober gun-related attitudes is wider than most folks suspect.

As an example, when I taught Social Psychology at The U about 10 years ago or so, I divided the class up into those who were generally in favor of gun control and those who were generally opposed. I chose this particular attitude topic because I needed an approximately 50/50 split and thought it would produce it.

I was grossly mistaken. About 85% of the class was staunchly in favor of relatively strict gun control laws. And most people in the anti gun control group were quick to dissociate themselves from the more extreme positions taken by the NRA.

The University of Utah is a commuter campus composed of people who are roughly representative of Utah as a whole. I recognize that psychology majors are perhaps a bit more liberal than the populations as a whole; yet is was striking that there wasn’t a single “Yosemite Sam” in that class.

Why do we appear to have several dozen of them in our state legislature?

by: chardonnay

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:14:43 +0000

Perhaps a good metaphor would be Faye Dunaway holding Warren Beatty`s gun as a phallic symbol in “Bonnie and Clyde”. I`m sure the repub cretins also compare barrel length and caliber.

Utah`s gun culture has a flavor of its own, but even California with much more restrictive laws ( no more AK-47s or Uzis )has failed to stem the violence.Pandora`s box is wide open and it would take an effort similar to Australia`s to stem the tide ( real background checks, no handguns and valid reasons to own ANY firearm ).

On a much more edifying note; Keith Olbermann has a new contract with MSNBC (”Countdown”). Sort of an Edward R. Murrow with panache. His description of W. as a Forrest Gump with Tourette`s syndrome is perfect.