I posted this under "Does the constant anti-gun preaching on WW turn you off?":
It sure bugs me. I watched the season premiere and found it pretty well written. I especially enjoyed the Secret Service agent's take on the assassination attempt--it was an act of madmen, thus no one's fault, but they did a good job because everyone survived, largely because the SS did such a good job of taking out the shooters.
Then the press secretary stood up and started rattling off inaccurate descriptions of weapons (A .726-caliber rifle? I want one of THOSE!) but again, I told myself to be patient and that a couple of mangled firearm terms didn't matter much in the scheme of things.
Then she started in about how the President's assassination was just like all the other Americans who were killed "by a handgun" that night. She even went as far as to say that being armed would have done no good, because the best armed guards in the world hadn't helped the President. A few points:
1. Hey, mister TV writer, that's a 7.62 millimeter rifle, not a 726 caliber. Ain't no such thing, son.
2. No one is ever killed "by a gun." People are killed by the guy who kills them. You can be killed "by heart disease," because it just happens on its own--another person doesn't have to choose to give you angina. But a gun doesn't choose to kill anyone. The shooter does.
3. If "the best armed guards in the world didn't do any good," then fire 'em. Disband the entire Secret Service. After all, you want the rest of us to go defenseless, and you claim it makes no difference. Well, lead from the front, kids! If the prez goes without his armed guards for 12 hours without dying, I'll consider taking all my guns to the next buy-back. What's that? The Secret Service IS good for keeping the Prez alive? Damn right. Now sit down and shut up.
4. In the hypothetical imaginary White House of TV-land, does the Secret Service ever find out that the White House press secretary said that they're useless THE DAY AFTER THEY KEPT THE PRESIDENT FROM DYING? Don't you think they'd be a tad pissed? Yes, the President got shot. But he survived only because the SS killed both gunmen before they could finish the job.
So, in effect, the heroic secret service agents saved the president, only to have the press secretary tell the American people that they DIDN'T save the president because if she told the truth, it might endanger their position on gun control.
Why do I get the feeling I'll be the only one ranting about this here?
