Every once in a while I like to peek into the Cult. I find reading sites like Kos and FireDongLake to be difficult. It is like watching a homeless man soil himself. You’re disgusted, but you can’t help but feel sorry for the wretch. The hard thumping wackos that write for these sites are nutty as fruitcakes, but you can’t help but wish there was a cure for their mental disease. But, there isn’t and it is important to remember that guys like Markos Moulitsas would gladly hustle you off to the gas chambers.

This little bit of crazy got my attention over at Kos.

I had already been planning on cartooning the National Rifle Association’s ridiculous annual meeting when my nephew’s unarmed friend got killed in what is shaping up to be another “Stand Your Ground” case.  The circumstances surrounding this shooting may make things a little more difficult for the shooter, who was basically laying in wait to murder someone.  The shooter’s defense attorney has already said his client is going to use a Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground defense.

The Cult has a long list of abracadabra phrases. A popular one these days is “stand your ground.” They have disconnected it from any real meaning as we see here. In no state does someone in their home have a duty to retreat. Therefore, “stand your ground” laws would never apply. Further, castle doctrine laws have been common since human settlement. I’d also assume the Mark Fiore has no family connection to the case. Cultists always try to personalize these things,even if that means telling whoppers.

Regardless of what the circumstances are in this particular case that happened to strike close to my family, it is perfectly clear that the NRA is stoking the fires of paranoia and fear in order to pass legislation, sell more guns and make more money.  All you have to do is listen to the apocalyptic, conspiratorial speech made by the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre to get so scared you probably will rush right out and buy a couple AR-15s.  (Which were conveniently available at the time of the speech in an adjoining gun showroom that covered nine (9) acres.)

The NRA does not sell guns. They certainly have seen a  boom in membership. That’s exclusively due to lunatics like Mark Fiore out banging their pots and pans on the street in favor of gun confiscation. People tend to notice things and they noticed that these crazies keep saying they want to gut the 2nd Amendment. They do the sensible thing and organize a defense.

It is baffling to me that members of Congress speak at the NRA’s annual gun fest, an orgy of military hardware marketed to civilians, while the head of the gun lobby group essentially trumpets the need for armed revolt.  (Join now, buy now!)  As a bonus, the NRA held a “Youth Day” last Sunday, which coincidentally was the day my nephew’s unarmed 17-year-old friend was killed.  Ugh.  While you’re watching the cartoon, see if you can pick out which lines are direct quotes from Wayne LaPierre, and which are my interpretation.

A common tick in the lunatic community is insisting ignorance furthers their argument. His bafflement is presented as proof that his opinion is valid. This is absurd. His bafflement actually tells us we should discount his opinion because he obviously fails to grasp some basic elements. I think it is a byproduct of the totalitarian mind. Ideas, opinions and facts outside of those acknowledged by the Cult are not just invalid, they don’t exist. Therefore, placing anything in the set of items that is unknown means they are irrational. It’s a passive-aggressive way of declaring something off-limits.

The puzzling thing to me is how is it western society has produced so many lunatics like Mark Fiore? These people we call Liberals are generally smart and usually educated. American schools are largely run by lunatics, but there are plenty of sane and sensible people in them. I went through school and did not come out as a lunatic. Most people avoid lunacy, despite going through American schools. What is it that has gone wrong with Mark Fiore and his co-religionists? Why would they join a cult hell bent on collective suicide?

It is a mystery, but like the “botched” execution in Oklahoma, it is important keep the important bits in mind. Mark Fiore would happily slam the gas chamber door on you. Unless and until we start treating these people as a mortal threat, the march to the death camp will continue.