Since I’m trapped in a long metal cylinder busy defying gravity, and some fools thought it would be a good idea to give everybody with a computer access to free WiFi for the durration, I feel honor-bound to post something about my recent experiences at the NRA ConFab. Except I got nuthin.’ Tapped out. The well’s run dry. I’ve milked that puppy for all it’s worth and then some. Unless…
…I let my fingers do the walking.
It occurred to me that I’ve just spent the better part of a week, nestled in the arms of a Conservative Love-in. The result has been entertaining, and not a little re-affirming, but also admittedly somewhat isolating. It’s a lot like what’s wrong with Washington D.C. and Hollywood: when you surround yourself with like-minded people, all of a sudden you start thinking that everybody thinks the same way you do, or worse, that anybody who doesn’t think the same way you do is waaaaaaay off the reservation, and due for some attitude readjustment.
To be fair, nothing I saw at the NRA show-cum-firearms love fest changed my thinking in any appreciable way. But coming back to the real world, I’m suddenly dealing with a bunch of folks on the airplane out of Atlanta that look at my “NRA Life Member” cap with the enthusiasm as something they scrape off the bottom of my shoe. Which is, of course, why I wore it; it’s kinda fun to stir the snakes on occasion.
That got me to thinking. How did the mainstream media cover the event?
RF’s being doing his level best to take the temp outside the NRA body politic. I’ve dug up a list of some other Liberal/Progressive offerings on the subject. Since we lost our Progressive-in-Residence (candidates please use the contact button to contact us). In the interest of being balanced about the fair (fare?), here’s a look at how non-NRA Life Members saw it go down in Charlotte. Enjoy!
The Charlotte Observer: NRA convention: Quotes from Sarah Palin, Chuck Norris, others
Politics Daily: Sarah Palin Tells NRA Convention Obama Would Ban Guns if He Could
The Raw Story: Guns Outlawed at NRA Convention
The Huffington Post: NRA Anual Meeting: No Guns Allowed
The Brady Center: Another Perspective for the NRA Convention
Politico: Norris: Gun Lovers Must Vote
CNN: Speakers at NRA Convention target Washington, midterms
Very astute. I thought I was alone in avoiding getting stuck in any "perspective bubbles", like those you find in Manhattan or DC or Santa Monica, where many people have never had lunch with those that think differently from them. It's harder to live in such a bubble for libertarians or conservatives, although we definitely did so this weekend. Glad you brought this up. Good reminder to myself not to isolate in only like-minded bubbles–which lead to lazy thinking and inability to relate to some fellow human beings. Plus, reading the H Post can be VERY entertaining.
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