Before we get started. This blog entry is about my trip to the Reno Gun Show. In my description I will use the N word. look I hate it as much as you do, or should. But in describing my trip there. It came up. if you want to pretend it doesn't exist, then stop reading now. No matter who our president is and how far we would like to think we've come. its out there. it might be whispered now, but its still as loud and as vulgar as it always has been. So you've been warned. Read at your own risk.

Now I wouldn't normally be caught dead at a gun show. mostly for my fear of being caught dead at a gun show. I am a hippie from the soles of my sandals to the top of my long hairied head. I wear tye-dye proudly. I smoke weed and go to dead shows and dance like only a white man can. I knew these shows existed, much as I know nascar exists, but i never thought actually be anywhere near either. my Father in law has been visiting and he is an avid gun collector. yes I know he live in England, but he collects antique weapons. So it being his birthday i agreed to me the folks and my wife at the gun show.
I arrived late and made my way through the casino to find the show. This was easier as I got closer as the people coming towards me were armed and the ones in front of me were salivating. the first thing I noticed was outside the entrance were 2 booths. The first the NV republican party , was deserted except for a couple of geriatric people sporting lovely America flag jewelry and T-shirts 1 proudly proclaiming. " stop the Obama-nation of our nation" and the other that read " i'd rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than go driving with Ted Kennedy". These were the representatives of the republican party. these were the face they chose to represent them to the public. God bless America huh? the other booth was pretty crowded. It was the NRA booth offering a lifetime membership to any that had the cash. How proud fathers were to take their kids and show them that they too could join a great group of guys. When you joined you received some sort of goodie bag. I don't know what all was in it, but the kids seemed pretty happy with the Obama Bucks. They were worth $0 and came from the Socialist States of America.
Having gathered up my courage. I walked in the front door. I have never in my life felt more uncomfortable in a room in my life. The air was permeated with a combination of old spice, testosterone and patriotism. The first booth I walked by seemed ok. They were selling gas masks, tasers and some sort of conversion kit to turn your deadly weapon more deadly. The nice lady running it was telling a lady browsing about how they weren't selling much this show which was odd "cuz that niggers runnin things" but she thought "fer sure someone would take him out soon enough". OK I think to myself. The first one you run in to is a wackburger. shes probably just some redneck. Got to get better from here right? Wrong. As I strolled around looking for my wife, the next booth was a sportsman booth. They sold things for the enthusiast. they has those silhouettes hanging up, and we're from what I could tell, they were selling quite a few of them. I probably wouldn't have even stopped except from the nazi flags hanging around the booth. I thought they were for target practice. Having gotten a closer look i noticed that the silhouettes had big ears sticking out. oddly reminiscent of our dear president.cute huh?
From booth to booth I sensed the rage. This wasn't just anger at their side losing. These weren't disenfranchised patriots complaining about how the government was being run. this wasn't a bunch of good old boys sitting around the barber shop whining about taxes. these were terrorists pure and simple. words that I though we're whispered in dark places were being shouted across the aisles. those that were afraid to say the n word used the term socialist with the same nastiness. But don't get me wrong those that wern't ashamed said it loudly and proudly. That Muslim sand nigger aint gonna get my house." "hey bob took all dem niggers to build our country and only 1 to ruin it." Nobody looked ashamed. nobody looked aghast. Everybody laughed.
these people that we think are cartoons. the strawmen we build in our minds, aren't fantasies made up to make the baggers look bad. these people are real. these people are armed and these people are afraid. These people are our neighbors. these people are a powder keg waiting for a match. they socialize and laugh and joke and teach their kids to hate. These people are the ones we try not to think about because its anathema to our way of thinking.
I normally would try to end something like this with a joke of some kind , but there is nothing funny about this little reality check.