Human Events: The Right's Superstars and the Great Gun Giveaway
Human Events is one of the oldest and most establishing conservative journals in the country. Newt Gingrich is a regular contributor. So are Pat Buchanan, Chuck Norris, and a number of the Right's other luminaries. In today's violence-laden atmosphere, why are they letting their work be used to promote gun giveaways and implied calls to vigilante acts?
As the incidents of right-wing gun violence mount up -- murdered Unitarians in Knoxville, cops shot dead in Pittsburgh, a doctor gunned down in Kansas -- the magazine continues to distribute email ads for "free guns" offered by a "millionaire patriot" who "wants YOU armed and trained ... for what's coming."
"3,000 Handguns Almost Gone!" the latest ad reads. We're told that "Dr. Ignatius Piazza" -- the reputed millionaire -- "Pays His Own Money So YOU Get a Free Handgun Plus 5 Days of Training and a 30 State Concealed Weapons Permit for Pennies-on-the-Dollar!"
Email ads from Human Events are usually of the less lurid variety, like "The Ultimate Man Knows the Three Basic Baseball Pitches. Do You?" (I pitched a pretty mean slider back in the day myself.) There are quite a few quack medicine cures: "If your joints still hurt, read this now." "The 7 Great Diabetes Lies." "The Ultimate Man Knows Ben Franklin's 13 Rules of Improvement."
Then there's my personal favorite: "The Ultimate Man Knows How to Fight Off an Alligator: Do You?"
But the spiritual stepsisters of Dr. Piazza's ads are the editorial emails from Human Events or its political bedfellows and advertisers, messages that distort Democratic positions, suggest the presence of a religious war in our country, and question the legitimacy of the U.S. government itself:
- "Obama Do Not Need No Stinking Birth Certificate"
- "Is Obama Right? 'We're No Longer a Christian Nation'"
- "Judiciary Promotes Obama's Anti-Jesus, Pro-Allah Judge"
- "Chuck Norris: 'Got Your Permit to Study the Bible?'"
- "Why Aren't Scientists Allowed to Believe in God?"
- "Sen. Harry Reid: 'Punish Pastors, Protect Pedophiles'"
That latest piece, by Navy Pastor George Klingenschmitt, says "quoting the Bible in church will be punished" and "pastors will not be protected by the First Amendment." It calls the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act the "Protect Pedophiles Act" and says that it would require U.S. Marshals to "protect 547 acts of sexual deviance," including pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, coprophilia, and "fronteurism" (defined as "a man rubbing against a unknown woman's buttocks"). Besides being flatly dishonest (and from a pastor, no less!), it's a highly inflammatory work designed to convince readers that the full force of the U.S. Government will soon be put to use enforcing unwanted sexual invasions of children, strangers, and animals.
Is that much of a stretch to suggest that, having stated the extreme emergencies we now face, Human Events is also inviting Dr. Ignatius Piazza to help us fight back ... by any means necessary? We "want YOU armed and trained ... for what's coming ..."
It's possible that the entire Piazza ad campaign is a come-on, of course. Links direct you to "The Frontsight Institute," where I suspect that a slick cash-extrication scheme is soon presented to gullible gun seekers. But either way, this is a dangerous and highly violent pitch.
Human Events does include its usual advertising disclaimer with the gun ads. This standard language reads in part: "From time to time, we receive opportunities we believe you as a valued customer may want to know about. Please note that the following message does not necessarily reflect the editorial positions of Human Events." But what would have happened if, say, The Nation had started running "gun giveaway" ads immediately after George W. Bush became president?
I subscribed to the Human Events mailing list to understand what the mainstream Right is thinking, not to write an exposé . I've engaged in friendly email exchanges with its contributors in the past. I respect Newt Gingrich's work on health care, even though I disagree with most of his conclusions. (I also met Chuck Norris many years ago, when I was working at Francis Coppola's post-production studio. He was the only celebrity who ever came by the kitchen and thanked the workers for their help. Nice guy ...)
I miss the days when we could engage with civilized conservatism. These ads from Human Events seem to reflect in microcosm the descent of the entire conservative movement into lurid extremism tinged with incipient violence. Forgive the cussin', but what the hell is happening over there on the Right? Why aren't Gingrich, Norris, and Buchanan saying this is not the movement we want, that they refuse to be associated with smears, lies, and implicit violence? Here's a question for those three individuals, and for the editors of Human Events:
"The Ultimate American knows how to lead a high-minded opposition. Do you?"
RJ Eskow blogs when he can at:
A Night Light
The Sentinel Effect: Healthcare Blog
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To be honest, folks, most of the people reading a magazine like "Human Events" are probably just looking for other people who agree with them, and nod their heads at the same things they do so they still feellike they belong to a community somewhere.
Really, the ones to watch out for are the ones that refuse to subscribe to any magazine because "then your name goes on a list..."
thats why most web sites state that they will not share you information...because a lot of people have wound up on lists...or had their identity stolen....
Navy Pastor George Klingenschmitt?
You cannot be serious!
I am an ancient lefty as anyone can see by reading any of my hundreds of comments since I've been a member and so I have no reason other than reasonableness to disagree with most of the posters here. I am ancient enough to remember that Nixon and Kent State and Freddy Hampton and that little war in Viet Nam made millions in this country feel powerless against the government and that the "system" was broken. Extremists in the anti-war movement(of which I was a part of) regularly hinted, planned or bragged about taking more direct action and as a matter of fact many did. Oh yea there were many of us who thought the "revolution" was imminent and that the "workers" would rise with us once we got jobs in factories and convinced them to read the Manifesto. And even though I still think that Marx was right and the only salvation for humanity is the most logical and fair I look back and laugh at our pomposity. The marginalized "right" is in a similar predicament today and they, like us, have a fair share of sociopaths to follow through on the most extreme ideas. Let them talk and arm themselves and buy survival gear because it really doesn't effect me or my family at all. There won't be any armed revolution in this country with handguns.
agree totally
I think for most of the right-wing types that would subscribe to this magazine, the notion of buying a gun (and maybe even practicing with it from time to time at the range) allows them to feel like they've "done something" about the "situation".
Their sense of duty then sated, they return to normal work life.
I think of them as the neo confederates. They really want another country.
No, they want this country, their country, with you out of it.
That's all.
On the other hand, there could be a plus to this kind of lunatic rhetoric. Among the rightwing nutjobs there are surely quite a few who will be attracted to our side by the idea of rampant, legal bestiality and pedophilia. They could lose more followers with this stuff than they actually gain. ;)
I went to the Human Events site before, it didn't scare me, but it did make me queasy that so many formerly respected people are so deviant.
Some say that the right's concerns with pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, coprophilia, and "fronteurism" are a form of projection caused by repression.
Apparently the desire to participate in pedophilia, necrophilia, zoophilia, coprophilia, and "fronteurism" are far more prevalent in the Republican party than anyone has suspected.
Well, let's face it, which party has more sex scandals that could be described as, ahem, "not representative of 'family values'"?
are you scared yet?
With the explosion of 'right-wing-driven' (what ever that might mean) violence you perceive, one would expect more than a half-dozen or so incidents that could even be suggested are motivated by extremist ideology.
Consider the massive increase in demand for firearms beginning a few years ago. The manufacturers of civilian versions of the M-16 (and there are many) all have years of future production sold - and aren't taking orders for more at present. Ammunition shortages - unheard of to my recollection. Reloading equipment sales have doubled over a year ago - reloading supplies in extreme shortage. Application for concealed carry permits expanding. Sales of all handguns growing, resulting in shortages and price increases. Millions of wild-eyed, foaming-at-the-mouth, crazed, berserk, heavily armed right-wing-conservatives driven to a frenzied state of insanity at the election of President Obama --- (hey, Stephen King, I got an idea for another novel in case you're running out of ideas).
Well, it sure won't take long for the resulting massive slaughter to show up in the FBI and BJS crime statistics. Then maybe we can do something about it, until then we can only hallucinate in fear.
You've also got to remember that a huge number of these guns are ending up in Mexico.
I agree that has to stop. A few decades ago we had the same problem with Columbia. When they complained about our gun laws, it was determined from the serial numbers that the weapons they confiscated were from the US as foreign aid to the Columbian Government. A resolution was passed prohibiting further arms shipments to Columbia without guarantees that they would not sell, trade or transfer the equipment to the Cartel. Mexico is careful to only allow access to a small fraction of the arms seized so as to prevent the same discovery.
Besides, this illegal traffic drives up the cost here - not good.
Omitted is the substantial civilian demand in Mexico for these arms. Sales of firearms to Mexican Citizens is strictly prohibited. Most of what is bought and smuggled is probably for ordinary citizens. The Cartel just gets the good stuff from the Mexican Army and Police. Easier and probably cheaper as their recruits bring their equipment when they defect.
So far, less than 20% of the guns confiscated from the cartels have been traced to the US. come back when you have some proof
Great post Mr. Eskow. I feel really sorry for you plebianswillrevolt. What do you think is wrong with ending wars, controlling nukes, fixing mortgages, employment and health care?
I don't know about plebianswillrevolt, but my primary reason for posting is to oppose the pathological need of progressives to deny the 2nd amendment rights of law abiding Americans.
Read the second amendment again, ALL the words this time. The key one that you violence-promoters have been ignoring all this time is "well-regulated." Regulations are certainly not being well done at present. If you're going to be all strict-constructionist, you can't ignore what's inconvenient to your argument.
As we speak some of the most disgusting and treasonous legislation in the history of our nation
is before congress. Multiple bills that would allow the AG to ban any gun he pleases,
Bills to allow the criminal Federal Reserve to steal any company it wishes to steal. Private offshore banks stealing the birth right of every American, and you ask people to respond to this with measured opposition? What are you smoking. Do you have any idea what is going on in this country?
These two comments tell us all we need to know about the folks who read Human Events and the other right-wing rags. Actually, this is just another example of America's extremist capitalism eating the nation alive. The downward spiral in conservative thought is totally market-driven: Their groups and publications have to constantly seek out the lowest common denominator to keep their revenue stream flowing. Next they will be trying to corner the last niche market by selling rocks and sticks.
Exactly right. One can witness a similar regression at Faux News from O'Reilly to Hannity to Beck. I shudder to think who they're gonna get AFTER Beck.
"Do you have any idea what is going on in this country?"
We've been taken over by space aliens; don't you read?
Who are you giving your money to? What are they doing for you? Multiple bills to allow AG to ban any gun he (or she --bet that raised your bp) wants? How do you feel about George Bush's last 8 years? Do you think his AG had you on a watch list?
"Do you have any idea what is going on in this country?"
You make it very obvious that YOU don't know yourself!
Put down that crack pipe and come back to reality.
Don't worry about it. ... lib's don't want to tackle the gun rights issue. This is cheap pandering.
There are wars to end, nke's to control, mortgages and employment to fix, health care and immigration to work on, and here is Esow trying to rabble-rouse on guns. You want to 'splain yourself? Why don't you twit pictures of yourself in a dressing room like Linsey Lowham's if you are that desperate for attention. This is the worst thing about gurly-men. A pack of sissy wags stirring up trouble.
It's more likely the talibangelicals will turn their guns on each other over who can out-macho the other. Or like my cousin in Lubbock, TX, a few years ago at a gun show: he was shot in the knee by another customer checking out a gun for sale. He got NO restitution, had to pay for the surgeries out of his own pocket. Being a woman, I plan to stay out of those areas, and some states, where angry white men are milling about.
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