Now Arizona Wants A "State Gun"

About a month ago, in late January, I posted about how Utah wanted to designate a state gun.  That bill has now passed the Utah senate and has gone on to the governor of Utah to sign.  Seeming to have run out of peaceful things to have as symbols of their state, they decided to have a gun represent them, the Browning M1911 .45 semi-automatic handgun, designed by John Moses Browning.  Why?  Because, they argued, Browning was a "favorite son" of Utah, and because that model of handgun is a famous and innovative designed used to protect freedom in the hands of our military throughout the years.

Of course, they completely brush aside the great damage it has done to our society in the wrong hands.  It is awash with the blood of countless innocent victims.

Now Arizona wants a gun to represent their state, too.  Namely, the Colt Single Action Army Revolver.

I'm not really surprised.  Arizona is the state with the most lax gun laws, and one of the most deadly states for shootings.  One might expect that the most permissive state would want to justify its  viewpoint by vaunting a weapon as a symbol of their people.

Never mind that one of the most traumatic shootings this country has endured in recent years has was only about a month ago in that state.  I'm talking, of course, about the shooting of Representative Giffords and 18 others in Tucson, six of whom died, including a little girl. 

Unlike Browning being a "favorite son" of Utah, Arizona can't even make that tenuous justification.  Samuel Colt was from Connecticut, never touched foot in Arizona, and died one year before Arizona even became a U.S. territory by that name.  But even that won't stop the Arizona legislature.

According to the article:

Colt lobbyist Todd Rathner says the bill is fitting to honor the state's founders. Rathner said the Colt Single-action Army revolver played a major role in protecting the mines and settlements during the late 19th century.

"Arizona was founded by rugged individuals who took care of themselves and did so largely with a Colt Single Action Army Revolver on their hip," said Rathner, who is pushing the firearm bill which would make Arizona one of the first two states to recognize an official gun.

Never mind that the Wild West that Rathner's image conjures is only a myth.

And, of course, "protecting the mines and settlements" is code for "fighting Mexicans during the Mexican-American War and conquering the land from native Americans during the Indian Wars."  No parallel there to the discriminatory bills passed against the Latino population in the name of anti-illegal immigration.  But I digress.

Again, this is just a blatant attempt to glorify a culture of guns run amuck in this country, and an attempt to justify pro-gun policies that are making Arizona a poster state for violence.  This pro-gun state legislature is so crazed in their extremism that they even turn a blind eye to their own constituents.  According to a CBS poll, 58% of Arizona citizens are for tougher gun regulation ( 77% of whom own guns in their home), a value that is even higher than the country as a whole (47%).

If you live in Arizona and have grown tired of the gun-related violence in your state and our country, I urge you to contact your lawmakers, demand a stop to this ridiculous "state gun" bill, and advocate for common sense regulation of guns in your state.


UPDATE:  A good article out today regarding common sense needed for Arizona gun laws:
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_eaf7324e-df42-5dcd-bd31-89ebcefb37b3.html