Sister Get Your Gun
We do things a bit differently here in South Carolina …
Rather than actually fix our state’s bass-ackward tax code, we prefer to keep our citizens stupid and then offer them gimmicks involving guns.
Only in South Carolina (which boasts the nation’s lowest high school graduation rate) will you find a “tax free weekend” on the purchase of firearms, which is precisely the sort of meaningless crap that our state legislature passes all the time.
It’s not that we’ve got anything against guns (or stupid people, for that matter), but when politicians like the notoriously inane and opportunistic Mike Pitts consistently substitute gimmicks like this for real reform, we end up with no real reform.
And guess what, people … when you’re a poor state with no investment and no jobs, “no reform” is no good.
But thank you, Rep. Pitts, for this tax free holiday on gun purchases.
Your symbolic support of the Second Amendment is touching, and we’re sure it says a lot about your commitment to preserving this basic American freedom.
We’re also sure the NRA will stroke you a fat campaign check and endorse you from here to eternity, all of which is fine and good except none of it does a damn thing to move this state forward.
Look … we love guns, the Second Amendment and the NRA as much as anybody, but we’re fooling ourselves if we think this does anything other than waste our time and create another ridiculous loophole in our tax code.
It’s great that we’ll keep this $15,000 or so out of government coffers this weekend, but at some point our politicians need to stop symbolically pandering and start substantively cutting our taxes.
Until then, we’ll continue to be a stupid and poor state … that just so happens to be incredibly well-armed.
Comments
By MMS on November 28th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
It’s not just Pitts to thamk. it’s everyone that voted for the bill, including Haley and Ballentine
By arthur on November 29th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Gee,
that’s strange…every other time some one encourages citizens to exercise some other constitutional right that effort is applauded. Oh wait, you must be a liberal. That means you only favor people having rights if you personally bestow them and, only those rights of which you approve.
I know, why don’t you go out and illegally register some aliens to vote. That should make you feel better.
By daisy on November 29th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I’ve got a 20 gauge semi-automatic and .22 pump. Do I need anything else? And, yes, having a tax-free holiday to add to our arsenals makes us look paranoid and ignorant. I certainly do not mind paying taxes to add to my collection. Lord forbid, I would need them. But I’m glad I have my guns and have pondered getting a handgun in the oft-chance I’m staring down a terrorist (who may be among our home-grown criminals—these thugs are our enemy and constant terroristic threat unless anyone other than the lib lawyers have considered it).
By Walter E. Jones on November 29th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Gee, I really do live in such a poor and stupid state here in South Carolina. Everywhere I look, there are no schools or colleges, the roads are nothing but unpaved dirt trails lined with KKK recruiting billboards, and our city streets make Calcutta look like the promised land, clogged as they are with desperate starved hordes of unemployed. And guns! Guns are everywhere! You get guns waved in your face several times daily in your frantic efforts to acquire food or drinkable water. It’s worse than Afghanistan, I tell you!
Yet somehow, sir, you find the courage to go on living in this disgusting southern backewater!
By BIN News Editorial Staff on November 30th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
sic(k) willie,
Since convicted felons can’t purchase or own firearms, why such a fuss? By the way, what did you do with your guns? Still under your bed?
BIN News
Always Flair and Balanced
Go Tigers
By sid on December 1st, 2008 at 12:54 am
Any time you keep the government from taking more money from citizens is not only a good thing, but moves things forward. And any time you bring attention to the Second Amendment in a positive way, it is both a good thing and moves things forward. It looks like the real problem is when you get blogs with nothing to do trying to make a story out of nothing in an attempt to appear relevant or aleviate bordom. Now, I like free speech and FITS as much as anybody, but y’all are fooling yourselves if you think this piece did anything more than to waste the time of readers. I’m gonna guess Pitts didn’t need this bill to get any more praise from the NRA, considering his name seems to be on every bill that comes out of the House that relates to guns in a positive way. He probably ran it to do what it does, which is to promote the Second Amendment, and give gun buyers a little tax break. What’s wrong with that? It might even lead to people buying other stuff at the gun store. Gee, why would anyone want that kind of economic boost?
By sid on December 1st, 2008 at 1:02 am
daisy,
If you are interested in personal protection, then yes, you should look into other firearms. If you just want to play with guns for fun, then you may have all you need. If you think the government giving people a tax break for two days on firearm purchases makes S.C. look paranoid and ignorant, then it sounds like you may be paranoid. Nobody thinks y’all are paranoid and ignorant because of the tax holiday. In fact, some states may think you are innovative, and choose to copy you.
By rick on December 1st, 2008 at 8:56 am
Bring on the Tax free opportunities, bought yet another firearm this Friday. Add to the coffers of your local business man. Hard times are coming in the name of increased regulation and decreased availability of manufacturers. Better the Gun shop owner gets my money than the SC legislature.