Letters, We Get Letters...

I received an email today which the "From" line described as something called "Sons of Liberty."  The subject line was "Gun Control is Treason."  I suppose I got on their mailing list because of my article, "The NRA Goes All Access Sick-o."  Most likely, they have a auto-spider application that searches the Internet for specific word or phrases -- in this case, guns or NRA or "sick and pathetic"-- and then add people to their list.

I had no interest in reading it, and was about to hit the Delete key unread.  But then I realized I might want to write a few words here about it, so I might as well see how much a lunatic-fringe outlier hate group it was.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you.  I only got as far as the first sentence.

"Overwhelming evidence has surfaced to prove that Sandy Hook is a hoax."

That's when the Delete key did its job.  I wish I could tell you how much deeper in the compost pile it got, but I have my limits.

There's really nothing substantive to add here.  Either you think there's even a dust-particle of evidence that Sandy Hook is a hoax -- or you're sane.  There's no gray area.  To leap beyond that to "overwhelming evidence" doesn't change the basic dynamic any.  It's like someone insisting that the moon is made of green cheese, and another person arguing that it also has Camembert in the creamy center.  As the line goes, attributed to George Bernard Shaw, "We have established what you are, madam, what we are haggling about is the price."

Being a kind and genial sort, though, I will happily pass along advice to the Sons of Liberty --

No matter how much you might believe your fevered dreams, you do your position no good when you speak them in public.  Not because everyone will be inclined to dismiss you, but worse, saying creepy things tends to make people more likely to believe the other side.  And run there fast.

In the end, sending out your evidence for forced-psychiatry undercuts the rational people who are trying to make their irrational case on your behalf against the regulation of guns.  (Irrational, since the Second Amendment they are arguing about calls specifically for a "well-regulated" militia.)  The problem is that you not only give the other side evidence why guns should be regulated, to keep them out of the hands of people like you -- but it probably makes them throw their arms up in dismay and think, "I can't defend these loons" and then walk away muttering to themselves.

Remember, as Abraham Lincoln said, "Better to be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt."  But then, the Sons of Liberty probably dismiss Lincoln since they'd figure he probably today would be for gun control.  Moreover, he's the guy who freed the slaves. 

Last tip:  Calling yourself the "Sons of Liberty," might make you feel good, but it not only is it an immediate tip-off that whatever you're about to say is going to be egomaniacally self-righteous and self-serving and that your eyes don't focus well, but mainly, it really just comes across like you're a country music singing group.