Tam laments the firestorm created by two olympic swimmers posing with guns on a trip to California, and the ridiculousness peddled in the media as a result. Apparently they are being punished for this by being forced to return early, and even other shooters don’t really want to stand up for them:
“They all used them [the guns] responsibly and I think that’s where the line in the sand is here, that these guys allowed stupid photographs to be taken of them, one depicting criminal activity, and second of all unsafe activity with a firearm,” he said.
How about a nice “Have you people in the media all lost your bloody minds?” But then again, I suppose no one wants to risk the powers that be coming down on them. I don’t for a minute believe that the majority of Aussies have collectively lost their marbles. I’m sure if you polled people on this controversy before the media parade, the reaction would have been somewhere between “Meh,” and “So What?” This is a media and establishment generated outrage if I ever saw one. This is the establishment telling the little people how they need to think. So maybe the establishment needs to be taken to the woodshed and roughed up a bit.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the shaking of the bowcaster is a bit of an American thing. You don’t really see horizontal interpretive communities popping up, at least not that I can see, in other countries. I’m not speaking here of guns specifically, but where is the Aussie, British or Canadian equivalents of the Dan Rather takedown? I’d note that it was an American that took down the Canadian Government. Perhaps it is because we’re a culture that was born from revolution, or perhaps it’s that this country has exceptionally strong speech protections by world standards (defamation and libel suits are next to impossible to win here, whereas in other English speaking countries, that is not the case). Perhaps there is a whole community of bloggers, forums, tweeters and the like, forming all manner of interpretive communities that I’m missing, but if there is, I don’t notice it. If that’s the case, I’d say it’s time to start taking down some media figures that peddle this kind of nonsense.
I just shake my head in wonderment at the comment by the Aussie Olympic shooter Russell Mark who said the two had an “aggressive pose” which in his little mind was bad. I think he needs to grow a pair.
I know, I didn’t know simply holding a gun would be ‘aggressive’ and ‘brandishing’…….seems like that FUDD needs to get a life. But then again, he thinks he’s safe with his SxS shotgun….
They sure wet their pants in a hurry down under.
I’m not aware of any country in the world–including Australia, Canada & the UK–that has freedom of speech protections anywhere near as strong as the US. Certainly most of the European Union doesn’t, despite their continual posturing on human rights. This is why legislation against so-called “hate speech” is so pernicious, regardless of how offensive the speech is thought to be.
A comment from an Aussie seen earlier today wonders if this was just an excuse, the two guys have somewhat unsavory histories. Not really all that probable, but then neither is anything else in this idiocy.
I suspect Johnny Weissmuller, who brought home Olympic Gold swimming for Australia, knew how to handle firearms…
Russell Mark is a tool. I hope he finishes last in London.
What did they do with the firearms that was considered illegal?
Canada is the only country that gained its independece by asking nicely…
I can’t see where that pc ninny thinks that pistol was in anybody’s ribs. It’s almost like he heard about the picture. If the had been up in Oregon I could have taken them out shooting with iron that would have made those pc pukes really wet their panties.