Alabama state senator on immigration:'Empty the clip and do what has to be done.'

[dtugg]

It is called a "magazine" (for the vast majority of firearms). Jeeze, why can't people get it right?

 

[tyr_13]

Is that supposed to be an Alabama saying or something? I've never heard it used that way, assuming it really means what they claim in the first place.

 

[tyr_13]

I'm sensing a Shirley Sherrod moment here.

I seriously doubt that Beason's statement means anything remotely resembling what the OP implies that it means.

I'm having a hard time finding the true context of this quotation because of all the left-wing opportunist sites clogging the search engines with their punditry.

Which is a statement in and of itself.

As others have pointed out, if Beason wanted to incite violence, he would have said "Do what needs to be done and empty the clip".

But that's not what he said.

So, lefties, are you interested in finding out what was really meant, or are you interested in spin?

The key, I think, will be getting a full perspective, including the joke that he was referencing.

Do any of the lefties here know the joke?

Got a labrador? Know where you can get a labrador?

No?

I guess I'm a 'lefty'. No, I don't know the joke, yes I would like to find out, yes, I have four Labs, and yes, we breed them.

 

[Varanid]

I am troubled by the lack of context, as I seriously doubt he meant it the way it is being portrayed. I find it hard to believe appropriate damning context would have been left out of the article in question.
-signed-
A "lefty"

 

[Piggy]

I guess I'm a 'lefty'. No, I don't know the joke, yes I would like to find out, yes, I have four Labs, and yes, we breed them.

Well, get me a labrador and I'll retrieve it.

The gist of the joke is that when faced by an immediate problem, you first deal with the immediate problem and then deal with everything else when you have time, because if you don't, then you won't have the opportunity to deal with anything else.

By extension, this should mean that Beason would support the Bush and Obama stimulus measures, but of course his sense of humor doesn't have that big a radius.

In any event, he's certainly not advocating the murder of illegal aliens.

All he is saying is that near-term measures, under the current circumstances, should take priority.

Nevermind that the right-wingers ignored (or even encouraged) illegal immigration for decades, as long as it was working in favor of big business. (Don't get me started... my dad was a Border Patrolman.)

As it stands now, they're all foaming at the mouth over the wetbacks (which is hatespeech these days) and enraged at the problem which they themselves created.

So be it.

Say what you want about Beason, agree with him or disagree with him, but please, deal with what the man is actually advocating... don't come mewling to me (or anyone) with some out-of-context snippet that you don't actually understand and attempt to make out that he's saying something he's not actually saying.

ETA: Boy, that sounded harsh. I didn't mean that last paragraph to refer to you personally, tho it sure sounds like it. My fault. I meant to say that no one should call Beason out for that quote if they don't fully understand what he meant by it. No dig at you, tyr... not implying that you've done such.

 

[WildCat]

I am troubled by the lack of context, as I seriously doubt he meant it the way it is being portrayed. I find it hard to believe appropriate damning context would have been left out of the article in question.
-signed-
A "lefty"

A True Lefty^TM would have found a way to link this to Sarah Palin, so I don't believe you.

 

[bikerdruid]

continuing the promotion of violence, if only in metphor can do nothing but encourage right wing whackos.

....like i said earlier...

 

[Piggy]

....like i said earlier...

Hold on. Can't you see that violent imagery is just as likely to encourage left-wing wackos as right-wing wackos?

The times just change.

Back in the late '60s / early '70s it was the left wing that was planting bombs.

Now it's more likely to be the right wing.

For example, I'm amazed that everyone's talking about the Arizona shootings now, but they all ignored the Holocaust Museum shootings, which really were the result of a mentally imbalanced person being seduced by right-wing ideology. (He believed that the gov't was coming to take his guns.)

The current vitriolic atmosphere helps no one, except the pundits who get a bigger audience share because of it.

We need to all calm down and cooperate more regardless.

 

[Varanid]

A True Lefty^TM would have found a way to link this to Sarah Palin, so I don't believe you.

Well to be fair, I never claimed to be a True Lefty^TM, merely a "lefty" (and as with then, it is in quotes to show a vague apprehension). In a moment of weakness, I may even go as far as to listen to both right and left financial ideologies, provided that no one seeks to inhibit my freedom.

As for that last little kicker, the left is clearly the place to be. Which is not to suggest at all that they are doing much to make me more free, but they certainly aren't trying to restrict my freedoms at the rate of "the right".

And sense you brought her up...
Sarah is played. In all sincerity, if you can take her seriously you have lost touch with reality. If someone can't see that, I can't help them. No use talking about it really. It just depresses me that she has gotten the attention she has. I don't have any problem with someone the likes of a Gingrich getting lots of press, I disagree (vehemently) with much of his politics, but he is an intelligent and serious mind in the discussion. Ditto any number of others, but not Sarah.

/derail. Apologies...

 

[Piggy]

the left is clearly the place to be.... they certainly aren't trying to restrict my freedoms at the rate of "the right".

As the Buddhist monk famously said, there is nothing but details.

What freedoms of yours is "the right" attempting to restrict?

Just curious.

 

[Varanid]

As the Buddhist monk famously said, there is nothing but details.

What freedoms of yours is "the right" attempting to restrict?

Just curious.

Abortion, capital punishment, drug laws, blue laws, prostitution (I know I could make far money selling my body than my mind, but whatever...it's illegal). I didn't necessarily mean "my" freedoms (except again, for prostitution).

I started to write more but remembered that I closed my own derail above. Happy to (calmly) discuss if you want to make another thread...

 

[Piggy]

Abortion, capital punishment, drug laws, blue laws, prostitution (I know I could make far money selling my body than my mind, but whatever...it's illegal). I didn't necessarily mean "my" freedoms (except again, for prostitution).

I started to write more but remembered that I closed my own derail above. Happy to (calmly) discuss if you want to make another thread...

Sure, another thread might be good.

But I don't know that capital punishment is a right of yours, and if it is I surely don't think the right is trying to limit it.

Abortion is also not a clear Constitutional right. Having read the RvW decision, I agree w/ SCOTUS on that point, but I have a hard time construing the debate as one side aiming against the other side's rights. It's more a matter of determining what the scope of individual liberty entails -- in other words, is that actually your right or isn't it?

Drug laws are also difficult, and in this case it's actually fair to say that the right wing is arguing the collectivist side while the left wing is holding down the libertarian corner, oddly enough.

As for blue laws, come on down to Georgia and you'll see the Republican legislature pulling them off the books in the name of local control.

It ain't all that simple at the end of the day.

 

[Rogue1stclass]

Little history about Cullman (I have family there)...

It was one of the enclaves of the Klan after the Civil Rights Movement and the Southern Poverty Law center managed to push that organization out of most of the rest of the South. As such, the town is somewhat legendary for its racism, considered backwards and intolerant even by Alabama standards. People in Birmingham, for instance, still tell stories about a sign on the road into Cullman warning black people not to be caught in town after dark (though phrased...differently).

Of course, the actual town isn't like that anymore. It's about halfway between Birmingham and Huntsville and has attracted a lot of more progressive city folk from both places who are attracted to the small town life but not the racist past. However, that isn't going to stop a reporter in Birmingham from automatically assuming "racism" pretty much at the mention of the word "Cullman".

Oddly, most of family there is pretty hard left, politically.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Abortion, capital punishment, drug laws, blue laws, prostitution

Abortion is the only one on that list I'd grant you. Blue laws today are passed by the left, you might be able to claim that they were passed for left religious instead of right religious reasons, but the new noise/smoking/time of day/alcohol laws are decidedly leftist. As far as drug laws and death penalty, those are both sides of the aisle, with a few notable members of the extreme right and the extreme left wishing to get rid of the drug laws

 

[joobie]

here is some more context:

http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/x...n-t-want-to-solve-illegal-immigration-problem

 

[Tumblehome]

In any event, he's certainly not advocating the murder of illegal aliens.

No one is claiming he meant it literally. They (including me) are objecting to his use of violent imagery to make a political point. Besides being crude and insensitive, it has the potential to incite a nutcase to take it literally, especially in the hothouse atmosphere of illegal immigration.

All he is saying is that near-term measures, under the current circumstances, should take priority.

No, that's what he meant. What he said was "empty the clip".

But you did clear up his meaning for me (although somewhat "violently").

 

[rwguinn]

So you have targeted the Right, shooting down anything they have to say, hoping that they'll crash and burn?

 

[Tumblehome]

Hee-hee.

I didn't "target" any group, nor do I "shoot down" anything they have to say. Just one comment from one person of influence.

And since context is an issue, if he'd said it about an infestation of rats, fine. Saying it about people against whom there's a lot of animosity is irresponsible for a public official.

Peace.

 

[Tatyana]

Whatever his intention, considering the recent events with the shooting in Arizona, it is really in bad taste to use gun metaphors.

 

[gnome]

You can take my gun metaphors when you pry my cold, dead fingers from the keyboard!