Some of the 100-plus readers who called, emailed or commented online regarding Tuesday’s column about Merchantville, NJ’s gun shop offered thought-provoking insights.
A sample:
“I have been around firearms my entire life, my dad was a cop and carried one every day, his friends carried them and now as an adult I, too, carry one regularly, as do many of my friends. In over 40 years of experience, I have never seen one accidentally go bang or be mishandled. Most people who legally own firearms (i.e. the customers of the gun shop in question) handle weapons with the care and caution which they deserve.”
“Look hard enough and one will always be able to find opposition to the presence of a business enterprise, no matter its line. Let’s get real — the neighboring fried-chicken factory poses far greater risk to the health of its neighbors than RayCo Armory!”
“A retail establishment is the only way for a citizen to legally purchase a gun. To say that a gun shop does not fit community standards is to say that the 2nd Amendment does not fit community standards.”
Alas, this sort of constructive commentary was in the minority. Far more plentiful were comments like this one:
“Typical idiot liberal. Nobody is forcing YOU to buy a gun so … mind your own business. Loser.”
Editors were forced to disable the column’s online comment section due to profanity, racism, and other issues.
For daring to exercise her constitutional right to free speech, gun shop critic DyAnne DiSalvo also is under online attack.
“The bottom line is that you liberal freak shows should really be on meds full time and on a leash,” someone e-mailed her from behind the safety of a pseudonym.
Hands down, however, my favorite reaction comes from the store itself.
RayCo Armory wants to be my friend on Facebook.
"Editors were forced to disable the column’s online comment section due to profanity, racism, and other issues"...really? Bullsheetz!Whenever a column is so ridiculous that the overwhelming response by posters is negative, you conveniently drop the comments. You are all such frauds.— jimmymack- The comments were not "dropped;" 59 are up there for everyone to enjoy!— Kevin Riordan
- I read the comments to your article, where is the profanity and racism? You bloggers for this rag should get over it; you are not as important as you think you are.— junethe4th
- Editors remove comments that violate our standards.— Kevin Riordan
- What standards? Your editors are arbitrary in their diligence.— junethe4th
- Well, this, as an author, is the classiest response I have ever seen, to the deluge of "non-constructive" palaver that I have ever seen. People want to flap their traps at the slightest provocation. Get Real, fellow readers, you are so quick to "jump" on anything you can see that is not what "you think" should be right - stop and re-read, think, and analyze, before you post. It's not that hard; and would give us all a much greater dialogue.— fineprintJK1
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