At Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 13:00:53 Mark wrote:

>
>I think what J-me was trying to get across was that the story of a former 
>Pantera guitarist being shot to death while playing a small club is not 
>really news that most people would care about.  But, the media shoves it 
>down our throats and forces us to care about it...one way or the other.
>
>Personally....I feel terrible that anyone, anywhere, dies of a murder by 
>gun, or knife, or jelly filled >doughnut.....but I don't hear about every 
>Tom, Dick and Ernie's fatal moments on the news!  I >really really really 
>did care when I heard Lennon was shot and killed.  That's real news.  I, 
>probably >much like J-me Vermin, (although, I am not speaking for him on 
>this count) don't really care >whether "Pantera's" guitarist was killed 
>because in the great book of rock and roll hierarchy, Pantera >is hardly a 
>hair on that rats ass.  So, it's not that I don;t care about the death...or 
>any death by >murder..I do. I just do not need to hear about every mediocre 
>music related casualty.

Close, but no cigar. Sam Smith has written to me off-list to suggest I 
clarify things here before my reputation sinks lower than it already has. To 
that I appreciate his concern. I figure I've got nothing else to lose here 
as people continually jump to mass hysterical conclusions and over-reactions 
when someone speaks their mind on this list (off topic or not)

More to the point and specifically to Mark's comments above is that my 
comment had NOTHING to do with Dimebag Darrell -- review all my 
posts...nowhere do I comment on his ability/lack of as a musician or 
contributing member of the music community.

Mark is right in one assertion -- this would NOT have made more than local 
news had it been five bystanders. Instead, because it was a musician with 
some notoriety, it became front page news.
Gasp! Horror! A musician was shot.

Well, for those not paying attention....there are people being killed in 
gun-related crimes who are not famous. And it is allowed to continue because 
of domestic law/policy. One that is supported by the existing (and previous) 
American policy makers. Until the law is changed, enforcement is engaged and 
the guns are locked up I don't think anyone can truly be "shocked" when the 
bodies start piling up in random acts of violence (or even DELIBERATE acts 
of violence for that matter). This is why I don't give a rat's ass. I cannot 
be a caring, contientious opposer when there's morons out there thinking 
this is normal behaviour [read your constitution, people, the "Right to bear 
arms" was added as a means to address CIVIL STRIFE....not firing potshots 
into a crowded mosh-pit or what have you].

So...to recap. I'm not Michael Moore (I'm almost as fat as him, but have far 
more facial hair). I'm not anti-American. And I don't have anything against 
Dimebag Darrell [except maybe the fact that he's got one of the stupidest 
names in rock next to some loogin named Buckethead].

I am anti-gun-toting-red-neck-yahoo stupidity...and I'll care about people 
getting shot when people start taking responsibility for it happening in the 
first place. For now, all I see is hypocracy in their misplaced outrage.

Now, will you all be my friends again?


Jaimie Vernon,
President, Bullseye Records
"Not Suing Our Customers Since 1985!!"
http://www.bullseyecanada.com
Author, Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia
http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicPopEncycloPages