Lynx,

Quote: "All your PS says is that you aren't a litany of vague things but are another vague thing. And not only that, but a specific vague thing of which only you know the definition."

What's vague about republican and democrat? I mean, they're established political parties, for cryin' out loud. As for "real conservative", us real conservatives know what that means. It's a code word. As for liberals, not even they know what that means, but I know I'm not one. As for you, yer just a... just a... why, yer just a big jerk!

Poco

P.S. I am not a republican. I am not a democrat. I am a conservative. Not a lying, cheating, thieving "conservative", a real conservative.

I am also exceptionally glad to say that I am not a liberal.

I'm even gladder to say that I am not as dumb as Lynx.

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.

It gets reported nationally, ad nauseam because he's a national figure whom we're exposed to ad nauseam.

You think a local hunter getting into the same accident gets to make an appointment with the police for an interview the next morning? Or that they wouldn't be suspicious if the call was delayed by an hour?

I notice you have nothing to say about the other points. Cheney's negligence, his failure to have proper permits, his having made a point of gun responsibility and shooting someone in the face. Has he visited his victim? Acknowledged that he did something wrong?

I'm a little hurt at your throwing around "crueliscious" like that.

All your PS says is that you aren't a litany of vague things but are another vague thing. And not only that, but a specific vague thing of which only you know the definition.

Lynx,

You are just another person trying to make more of this than there is:

"If there's a hunting accident, it gets reported on the news."

Local news, maybe, but not national, ad nauseam.

"Of course, there's other news in this case: Cheney didn't report it right away and stonewalled the police until the following morning."

You are wrong.

From the York Dispatch:

"Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said that about an hour after Cheney shot Whittington, the head of the Secret Service's local office called the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. "They made arrangements at the sheriff's request to have deputies come out and interview the vice president the following morning at 8 a.m. and that indeed did happen," Zahren said."

Also

"At least one deputy showed up at the ranch's front gate Saturday evening and asked to speak to Cheney but was turned away by the Secret Service, Zahren said. There was some miscommunication that arrangements already had been made to interview Cheney the next morning, he said."

As for you ridiculing my byline in such a caustic and crueliscious way, I'm hurt, really, really hurt.

Poco

P.S. I am not a republican. I am not a democrat. I am a conservative. Not a lying, cheating, thieving "conservative", a real conservative.

I am also exceptionally glad to say that I am not a liberal.

Isn't news? It is news even when it isn't famous people. If there's a hunting accident, it gets reported on the news. When the VP shoots someone in a hunting accident, it is bigger news and not just because he's famous. He's an advocate of gun rights and has mocked others publicly for allegedly not knowing what they were doing. Cheney just showed he doesn't know what he's doing and didn't even have the permits to hunt! (Hunt being a relative term as he was on a "hunting farm".)

Of course, there's other news in this case: Cheney didn't report it right away and stonewalled the police until the following morning. Interfering with a police investigation? That's news. Even if it was just to give him time to sober up.

P.S., your P.S.? Now That's comedy.