I was impressed by how little information was contained in an Indy Star article about the “Bring Your Gun to Work” bill. It was just a series of reactions from people whose knowledge base about the issue was never revealed.
Person 1: “When I come out at night, I don’t know who is going to be in that parking lot. Responsible gun owners know how to take care of the situation. It’s the idiots who aren’t careful that will have the law sidelined.”
Person 2: “I don’t see much risk as long as it’s locked and somehow disabled. If you can carry a gun on your person, then I don’t see why people shouldn’t be able to keep it in their car. I’d rather people leave them in their car than walk around with a gun.”
Person 3: “People are always attacking guns one way or another.”
Person 4: “I don’t think anyone should bring a gun to work. You never know a person’s attitude or what they go through on a daily basis.”
Person 5: “”If someone gets upset, you never know what could happen. They could easily go to the car, grab a gun and start shooting. There are a lot of people injured in shootings, and this bill could help protect them. But there’s too much risk. I disagree with the bill.”
Person 6: “My cat’s breath smells like cat food.”
O.k., I added that last one. It was Ralph Wiggum. I’m surprised that Dept. of Workforce Development employee shooting didn’t find it’s way into this “what people are thinking” story.
Looks a lot like the Onion’s ‘American Voices‘ series.
Dangit! @MartyL beat me to it. :)
Doug –
I am deeply appreciative of the profound public service you have done here by bringing us such trenchant public commentary on the pressing issues of the day.
I can now go forward fully informed about both the nature and impact of this legislation, and with a refreshed faith in the observational and reasoning powers of my fellow citizens.
(Or, maybe, if these folks are walking around loose, I SHOULD carry a gun…).
(And did I use ‘trenchant’ right? I figure a lawyer would know.)
I remain convinced that, pursuant to the mid-to-late 60s boardroom recognition that the future (and future profits) of information, cable television, and transmission lines merged, it has been the purpose of the communications industry to make the public progressively stupider, thereby reducing production costs. (I understood something was up as an early adolescent, when the * and # signs turned up on new telephones, with the explanation that they’d be needed in another dozen years or so.) I doubt anyone understood at the time that this would become a self-sustaining feedback loop of Stupid by 1984, but it’s beside the point by now.
You want the voices of experts? Elites? Shoot, this is the Howard Zinn dream! The voices of the average, unqualified person, baby!
People, such as myself, who have a warm spot for elitism always fancy themselves as part of the elite.
Doug –
You mean we’re not?
You’re a titan of the blogosphere, man – and we bask in your reflected glory!
Questions: If this legislation passes, will employers be exempt from lawsuits if a workplace shooting occurs? Or will employers have to increase security (that is, spend more money) to protect employees from other employees who brought their guns to company parking lots?
Hey, the populi can vox all it wants, but a newspaper article designed to shed some light, presumably, rather than give the reporter a little light exercise, might at least hold down the percentage of respondents who can’t utter a sentence that doesn’t annihilate itself.
Kinda reminds me of those old Jay Leno man on the street bits. I think those were meant to be funny.
Doug, of all the persons you quote, only the views of Person 6 will really lead to lasting change we can believe in. Rumor has it that both chambers of the General Assembly are about to suspend the rules before adjournment and pass a yet-to-be numbered “Indiana Cat Breath Protection Amendment”. Just as our lawmaking forbearers once boldly defined the value of Pi, the amendment will limit such feline emanations to a union between only one can of Meow Mix and one can of water, forbidding the state from recognizing any other formula that is “identical or substantially similar”.
And we will be able to sleep better at night, our legislature having resolved that important issue. Thanks, Person 6.
Tommorrow: Star (waiting for Person 7) goes in-depth with stamping out kitty litter fraud.