Is That A Gun In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To Be Here?

Fellas. You all need to stop swinging those things around and be grown ups.

And I'm not talking about the guns. I'm talking about the egos.

It's a wonderful thing to have the NRA convention here in Milwaukee. I can't think of a better place to be honest. And despite all the huffing and puffing between city officials and the NRA, I think people and businesses are pretty chuffed to have that convention income in our pockets. The attention on the city as A Place To Hold A Convention isn't too shabby, either.

So anyhow, here's what I'm seeing from city officials and the NRA in the past few days:

- Don't Go There. Make a commitment not to confiscate weapons from the citizens, especially in times of disaster. Well, I agree with this to some extent, with the only caveat being that law enforcement better confiscate weapons from criminals, disaster or not. I mean, if law abiding citizens don't stop them in their tracks, first.

- Can You Call Your People Off? The Mayor's invited the NRA for tea and discussion about illegal guns and violence. What's that got to do with the NRA? They represent legal gun owners and law abiding citizens. Shouldn't the mayor be meeting with the police, aldermen/women, and "community leaders" to come up with solutions, since they're a hell of a lot closer to the problem? It's like asking HR to manage your employees' performance.

- Girls With Guns. Women are apparently the fastest growing demographic of the handgun market. I say it's about time. Most women I know who are gun owners are some pretty straight up individuals (which isn't to discredit all the crazy women who own guns). That said, I think it's fine and dandy for ladies to pack heat. And any woman who's been followed on foot or targeted knows what I'm talking about.

Now for MY take on all this. My take is pretty simple. We're one of the last states to allow concealed carry in a country whose constitution upholds the rights of the citizenry to bear arms. Except if you bring them out of your house, then we'll arrest your ass. At least in Wisconsin.

This isn't the purpose of the NRA's choice of Milwaukee for the convention, but it sure doesn't hurt the cause. People in this state need a kick in the ass to be motivated to do anything. You all know what I'm talking about. In many other states, especially on the east coast, people don't diddle around about things or cackle and run about flapping like a bunch of hens in the morning.

That is - the few here who DO make a squawk.

People in this state have a major problem with motivation and I don't know if it has to do with the fact that Wisconsin has a tradition of assaulting its citizens with rules, laws, and other restrictive/ confiscatory bullshit that we just take.

It's getting better. And in my opinion, I think it may be generational as well as concurrent with technological advances as well as the evolution of how we get/exchange information.

I hope the NRA can put a smoking barrel under the ginormous ass of Wisconsin and therefore help motivate us to get concealed carry.