Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Quote of the Day

4/21/2013

0 Comments

 
"I'm going to say there are more people like me who carry this card, and they're proud to have a card saying they support Second Amendment rights, who enjoy the rights I have as a United States citizen. I just want my other fellow members to know what we're trying to do. That brings credibility to our cause."
-- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WVA), on why he's not going to quit the NRA

I am sure that there are more people like Joe Manchin who are like him.  That's not inherently a great reason to do anything, mind you.  After all, unless you're an amoeba that can replicate all on your own and doesn't need anyone else, anything in life can say there are more like you.  For that matter, even an amoeba can say, "There are more like me that replicate asexually."

There are 4.5 million members of the NRA, so absolutely yes, there are most definitely more people like Sen. Joe Manchin that carry this card.  Then again, there are more people than even that who carry the AAA card -- 50 million more, actually -- so carrying a card doesn't mean much.  (Unless your tire goes out, and you need a tow.)  In fact, once upon a time, the Republican Party made carrying a card a bad thing, though that was just about whether or not you were a communist, so the senator might want to always be much more clear about what card he's referring to about being a card-carrying member of. 

I don't think that Mr. Manchin, a lifetime member of the NRA, has any reason to give up his membership in the organization.  But I'm a member of the NRA" doesn't explain anything.

The problem is that Sen. Manchin's words are so flibberty-gibberty empty they're meaningless.  He points with great pride that he carries an NRA carried to support the Second Amendment.  Well, first of all, an NRA card doesn't do that in the slightest.  Carrying an NRA card supports gun manufacturers.  That's what the NRA is, no matter how many pretty ribbons you tie around it.  The NRA is a lobby group owned and operated by gun manufacturers to facilitate selling as many guns as possible.  But secondly, since the senator's main reason for carrying an NRA card is, by his own words, that he wants to support the Second Amendment, then why in the world doesn't he also have a card from the ACLU supporting the First Amendment?  (Hey, it came first!)  Or why doesn't he carry a card in the NAACP to support the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery?  Surely he's for that?  Or a card that supports any amendment -- no doubt he thinks they're all pretty good and worth preserving, doesn't he??  (I'm waiting for Sen. Machin to pull out his card supporting the 16th Amendment, to show his support of the  government's right to collect income taxes.) 

But then, for that matter, why doesn't Joe Manchin carry a card for the Constitution Society that simply supports the entire Constitution of the United States?  That would seem a great coverall for not just supporting the Second Amendment and all the amendments, but...well, everything in the Constitution!  Doesn't he support the Constitution?  Wearing a flag pin doesn't cut it.  (Then again, in his biography photo on his Senate website he doesn't have a lapel pin, so I don't know.  I will assume that he's patriotic, but just didn't dress well that day.)

Picture
If Joe Manchin wants to vote against background checks for guns, that's his right.  If citizens want to vote for Joe Manchin -- or against him -- for this reason, that's their right.  If Joe Manchin wants to carry an NRA membership card, that's his right, as well.  But it would just be nice if he said something on the subject that would be substantive.

For instance, "Why would I quit when I'm trying to change from within?" he asked.  Swell.  If you don't want to quit, don't quit.  But what would those actions you're taking to change from within actually be?  It would be lovely to know, if only for other people to support him in those actions!  In fact, what would be even lovelier to know is what it is specifically he thinks the NRA is doing wrong that he actually wants to change -- whether from within, without or upside down?

When people say they're for change, for all we know it just means they like dimes and nickels.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like