Right now, secret sleeper cells of small farm-raised migratory game birds are plotting their revenge against America and our American way of life. What you liberals forget is as you make jokes at the expense of Vice President Cheney, the enemy is listening and plotting against us. By not supporting the Vice President, you're supporting the arming of quail and the general moral decay of society. It is times like these when I can sleep easier, with fewer guns under my pillow knowing that our country has legislation such at the USA Patriot Act in place to protect all Americans (including you ingrateful liberals) from quail uprisings and surprise attacks.

As always, Cary offers up some excellent advice.

I keep trying to get this point across. Vice Presidents don't shoot people, they battle harden them. The news is "Vice President Dick Cheney battle hardened Harry Whittington in the face with a shotgun."

Now you know it's just a matter of time before El Presidente confers a Congressional Medal of Freedom on Cheney for being a hero. Heck, you just never know when a quail might turn out to be a threat to our way of life. Hmm, I wonder if the situation was reversed and Whittington had shot Cheney?

I can't believe the person who said this wasn't news--what planet are you living on?

A gun is a deadly weapon, and its misuse by someone who even I assumed would know better (& I'm a liberal democrat) shows some serious lack of judgement. Moreover, Cheney's actions since the actions show severe defects in character.

I come from a family a deer hunters. Pulling the trigger while aiming at a human is always the hunters' fault. Yes, even though accidents tragically do sometimes happen. Yes, even though the victim in this case didn't actually die.

If Cheney was really a sport hunter and a person of any integrity he would own up (in person!) to his tragic mistake, misjudgement, and turn in his hunting license.

Yet, incredibly, Cheney "the nobel hunter" has allowed his mouthpieces to blame the victim for this accident and to pooh-pooh its seriousness (even though the poor guy was put in the ICU and his face will probably be permanently scarred).

The NRA should decry Cheney's minimization of his role in this accident as cowardly and shameful.

Cheney deserves to be raked over the coals. His behavior in this case tells volumes about his personal integrity and willingness to take responsibility for his mistakes.

The article is better that Tennis's usual SYA column. I believe in the Second Amendment. I also believe the old joke "Guns don't shoot people, idiots with guns shoot people". Cheney's idiocity is being rightfully lampooned. I'm glad the comedians are blaming Cheney and not the guns. How a VP shooting someone because of his own stupidity (yes stupidity. Real hunters are SCREAMING because of this) is not national news escapes me. The satire is really good. It also avoided the really easy jokes out there "friends don't let friends hunt with Cheney", for instance. Tennis forgot to make the eyesight/elderly jokes. He did manage to avoid the easy Aerosmith joke, for which I am grateful. He did screw up the birdshot thing, but I can overlook that. I only need the SNL crew to get their hands on this one.

This not about conservative or liberal. My conservative neighbors are all going "take Cheney's gun, please". Nor does it "happen all the time" to experienced hunters. Accidental shootings have been going down, thanks to gun safety courses. Teens are usually the ones who make these kinds of mistakes.

I target shoot, and I have many friends who hunt. I grew up with hunting, and remember the NRA's Eddie Eagle gun safety courses. The worst sin a shooter/hunter can do is "not watch the target and beyond". The line of sight must be clear. The second worst sin is to shoot while turning (which is EXACTLY what Chaney did). The man is supposed to have hunted for 40 years, and makes a mistake like this? He also missed a 6' man in blaze orange beneath his flushed quail, in his line of sight (because when he was turning, he did not make sure the line of sight was clear). Then he BLAMES THE VICTIM.

I am enjoying the jokes because they are focusing on Cheney and not the gun. I don't like the "Gucci" hunters who have expensive equipment, heads up their butts, who endanger other people in the woods with their bad habits. Hunting from a car? Shooting at farm raised birds? Secret Service watching for gators and cottonmouths? The very wussiness of Chaney's kind of hunting makes it an easy target. My friends BOW HUNT as well as gun hunt. They watch for badgers and rattlesnakes, and hang out in trees. They run or hide for hours in the snow to get deer (so the deer won't get my car). They manage to bag dove and duck WITHOUT HITTING EACH OTHER. Wisconsin and Minnesota managed to have over 1 million people in the woods in a one week period in November, with 2 accidental shootings.

If Cheney had been smarter, he would have reported this faster and voluntarily took a breathalyzer. That would have shortcircuited the whole thing.