I don’t often make comments that can be construed as racist or just plain mean and unfair, but I think the following might be taken that way; in fact, it’s just a snotty indictment of a certain culture:
Why, oh why, do arabic cultures celebrate weddings and funerals with guns? How freaking stupid are these people? Is it an example of the violence that is infused into their culture? What morons carry automatic weapons to celebratory events and unload ammunition into the air? Do their schools not teach about gravity? Is gravity something that you have to be taught about because you’re too stupid to actually see how things fall down? I’m listening to an NPR report from Ramallah where Yasser Arafat’s body is returning; and it sounds like a report from a war zone, with so many guns being fired into the air. What did these people do in the era before guns? Throw stones up into the air? Sharp sticks?
I know that this sort of thing happens sometimes in places like Los Angeles as well; again, with relatively poor minorities who have low levels of education, little wealth… and yet lots of guns.
Hell, we do it too, don’t we? It’s just a lot more organized and formal when we do it. It’s not called a “21 feather-pillow salute,” after all.
As sad as it is for me to admit the truth. I will confess in Alaska for both 4th of July and New Years it was SOP to fire guns in the air.
I did it myself, as did my drothers and sisters and my parents.
When I turned 15 I decided killing aninmals wasn’t “sport” so I stopped hunting and never fired a gun again for sport or celebration.
(self defense yes)
But I understand why they do it. I still think its WRONG, but I understand.
For some reason I find shooting guns in the air really fun. Good Lord I’m more and more low-brow since I got back to Southern Ill.