“Alabamian Bobby Knight has had enough,” yellowhammernews.com reports. “Last night, in response to the Arthur Ashe Courage Award being given to Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner the male Olympic decathlon winner for coming out as transgender, Knight—a grandpa and electrician from Baker Hill—blew a hole in his TV. Now he’s issuing a challenge to others who are fed up with the media, calling it the #TakeOutYourTV Challenge.” I call it “#makegunownerslooklikeignorantrednecks Challenge. Don’t get me wrong . . .
I agree that awarding Caitlyn Jenner the ESPY award was a big mistake. While it took courage for Jenner to switch genders, publicly, his experience was a lot less fraught than that of athletes who’ve overcame abject poverty, discrimination, injuries and/or physical and mental handicaps to achieve success in sports.
Shooting a TV to protest ESPN’s PC “promotion” of Jenner’s journey from man to woman – and challenging others to do the same – isn’t illegal. It’s a legitimate form of free speech. But it provides unnecessary fodder for the enemies of firearms freedom. Surely Knight could have found other, less antagonistic ways to make the point.
Again, free speech is a human right. Knight can be as antagonistic as he wants. But I believe gun owners have a moral responsibility to further the cause of gun rights by being tolerant, peaceful people. By being seen as tolerant, peaceful people. I’m not saying they have to. I’m saying I think they should.
Gun owners’ words and deeds should help “sell” gun ownership as a righteous right. So I’m calling Knight an irresponsible gun owner of the day. Because we are all responsible for what we do with our guns, and what impact that has on those around us.