“If you’re fighting homophobia but not hoplophobia you’re doing it wrong.

If you’re fighting hoplophobia but not homophobia you’re also doing it wrong.”

Reason posted an article asking of the NRA is too Republican. Here’s where I have to do some prep work to properly discuss this topic. First, yes, I am a member of the NRA and donate to the NRA-ILA (the political wing of the organization). It’s also important to remember that the NRA is not some monolith out of 2001. There are six million dues-paying members. They represent a wide variety of views, including on the Second Amendment. For this post, if I’m saying NRA, I’m going to be talking about the current executive leadership. The one that makes the day-to-day decisions.

Because, the NRA may not be too Republican, but it’s definitely too conservative. I don’t mind that when fighting for my Second Amendment rights, but the NRA has been stepping out into the wider debate on societal issues. (I despise using the term “culture war.”) To be fair, some of it was foisted on the NRA by the media and political players, but some of it appears to be playing to the large part of the base.

Except, I’m not in that base. I’m too liberal on social issues, too atheist, and too indoorsy. Or at least it seems that way when I look at who the NRA chooses to put in front of the cameras.

Here’s why I’m bitching. We exhort the vast majority of gun owners to join the NRA. Why should they when the NRA refuses to represent them? We castigate anti-gunners for lumping all gun owners with criminals, but then the NRA goes and does the same thing to anyone on the left of the political spectrum.

And can the NRA please just shut the fuck up about violent video games? There’s no good evidence that such a popular medium drives people to murder. What it does is alienate many of the people who would join us.

I am an NRA member, but there are days when I wonder if my limited money would be better spent.

We – being my shooting/fishing buddy, the niece and nephew, and myself – went up to the Super Walmart to procure line and tackle for next week’s fishing excursion. Stepping out of the truck, I warned the kids to stay with us and not wonder about thusly:

“As we have learned in many games, never split up the party.”

Shooting buddy needed to stop and laugh for a moment before we could continue.

I don’t think we’ve had this band on Metal Tuesday before. As you can probably guess from their name, and my know music preferences, this falls squarely into the power metal genre.

Yesterday was the fifteenth Father’s Day without my father. Some days, it seems like we lost him yesterday and the idea that he’s been gone for a decade and a half is startling.

I know a lot of my personality comes from my dad. The work ethic, the accountant mind, the methodical nature. Funny thing, I also got my job from my dad. Well, sort of. Dad worked for the same .gov agency that I do. Ran across a memo where he was on the task force that ultimately created my position. These are the times I wish I could believe in fate.

I wish my dad was here. I wish he could see my niece and nephew. They would love his stories. They would love watching old John Wayne films with him. I wish he could meet The Girlfriend. I think he would be glad that I finally found her.

Miss you Dad.

“Capitalism involves struggle, but it has an invisible heart beating at its core that transforms people’s lives.”

Because my brother took a position on the other side of the state, I’ve been tasked with taking my nephew to his Boy Scouts meeting. On the way to and from, the nephew and I have been listening to the first couple of books from Peter Grant’s Maxwell saga. We finished the second book last week, and this week was probably the last week he’ll go to scouts before the family moves.

So, I throw on Lawdog’s African adventures book. Much hilarity was enjoyed. I have also exposed a bright young man to possible mischievous antics.

I am a bad uncle.

According to this article, the Tampa Police Department has drunk the SIG-aide. TPD is switching from S&W M&P’s to the new hotness SIG P320’s. The modularity of the 320 was one of the reasons cited for the switch.

This is of interest to me because I’m wondering what TPD will be doing with their current pistols. Normally, I’d expect the pistols to be surplused to the public, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the current mayor tried to virtue signal by having them destroyed.

And I could use another couple M&P’s on the cheap.

Damn, I haven’t done this song? The song that introduced me to Iron Maiden? Wow. Well, here it is.

Neat little video for the Browncoats in your life: