Arizona's 'thoughtless' push for an official state gun
State lawmakers want to honor a revolver that helped tame the Wild West. Should they have waited a little longer after the tragic Tucson shooting rampage?
Arizona legislators have proposed naming the Wild West-era Colt single action Army revolver as their official state gun. But the timing of the proposal has sparked an outcry from critics who say it is wrong to honor a deadly weapon less than two months after the Tucson shooting that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) and cost six people their lives. Is this proposal disrespectful?
It is cruel to do this now: This move "seems to defy all logic," says James King in Phoenix New Times. An official state gun serves "literally no purpose." It's particularly "thoughtless" for Arizona's "gun nuts" to rally behind this plan now, so soon after "one of the most tragic mass shootings in American history."
"Arizona legislators want official state gun. This should help state's image"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Gun-control advocates are the ones being disrespectful: Anyone "with a shred of humanity" views the Tucson shooting rampage as a "horrific crime," says Robert Farago at The Truth About Guns. But gun-control advocates are trying to exploit the tragedy and use it as a springboard for tighter gun laws. Their "vilification" of the harmless attempt to name a state gun is the kind of "boneheaded bombast" that makes it so easy to poke fun at them.
"Arizona (Colt revolver) races Utah (1911) for first state gun"
This isn't sooo crazy: If any state is going to have an official gun, says Andrew Malcolm in the Los Angeles Times, perhaps it should be Arizona, home of the O.K. Corral. But Arizona might be too slow on the draw. Utah's legislature has passed a law honoring the Browning 1911 semiautomatic pistol, and if Utah's governor signs it into law, it will be Utah, and not Arizona, that will have the first official state gun.
"Showdown! Arizona vs. Utah as first with an official state gun"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The best dog-friendly hotels around the UK
The Week Recommends Take a break with your four-legged friend in accommodation that offers you both a warm welcome
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Shopping trolleys: the new must-have accessory
Speed Read Sales are soaring as new designs help shed that old-fashioned image
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacation
The Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published