One of my online friends, marya is appearing in a play entitled "The Laramie Project." This drama has as it's subject the death of a gay man at the hands of some muderous homophobes.

I had never heard of it until such time as she had mentioned her audition and subsequent casting in the play. However, serendipity rules the web world.

Today I ran across this link. It tells of a Xian group that is evidently on the road protesting the performance of this play. Some of these harbringers of the the gentle love of Jesus are pictured here:

One of my other good online friends, macker, a devout Xian, though of a very different flavor, has stated that he probably could not make it through a performance of that play without having an overwhelming urge to borrow a pistol from me and use it to whip a homophobe or two.

My responses are multiple:

First, go buy your own damn pistol, macker, every man that loves his family will have available the best possible means to defend them. If you can't get a handgun where you live, go get a cheap twelve gauge pump.

Second, no you can't borrow mine, as a titanium revolver with a two-inch barrel is not the best choice for smacking someone around. You'll probably hurt your hand in the process. You need something with a little more weight and a longer barrel, like a S&W 629 or even just your garden variety 1911 Model .45.

Third, no pistol works as well for just smacking somebody around as something like a crowbar or a tire iron, which have the further advantage of actually being legal to own in all states, even New York.

Finally, you should never draw a weapon unless you intend to use deadly force, and these spirit-filled whackos don't deserve to be immediately shot unless you happen to catch them in the process of recreating the crime that they are so opposed to seeing re-enacted on stage. Be sure to have lots of ammo, though, as this particular brand of Jeebus Freaks cowards seem to run in packs.

Ever since 9/11, there have been endless calls to the mainstream Muslim world to renounce the radical violent sects of that faith. I will have much more respect for the Xian religion when it's followers unite to ostracize such whackos as Fred Phelps and his ilk, and see their marches stopped by a phalanx of guys like you standing in their path, tire irons in hand. Gimme a call - if you don't mind a heretic in your midst, I'll join you.

If you believe, as I do, that the religious intolerance of such sects as the Taliban and the other assorted IslamoFascists is rightly opposed by force of arms, then you and I should be willing to strike down Xian fascists in the exact same manner.

... Link