A chronically obese guy goes to his doctor for a routine check-up. After a thorough examination, the doctor informs him that he has high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and type two diabetes. Fat dude ponders this for a while and then announces that he will cure all of his ailments by eating more Big Macs and drinking even more Coke. The doctor patiently puts before him evidence from all over the world that tells fatso that his strategy will result in his death. At this, lardass pounds the doctors desk, calls him a liar and ells him that his arguments lack logic. He further tells the doctor that it's his god given right to eat what he wants and as much of it as his (ridiculously strained) heart desired.
Two weeks later, the fat guy has a massive heart attack and drops down dead.
The local news station turns up at his home and interviews his grief stricken wife. She tells them what a wonderful guy he was, that he was an amazing father and husband. His mother, who was also at the house, tells them that he was a dutiful son and a credit to the family.
The TV crew then takes to the streets and starts to interview his friends and neighbours. All echo the sentiments of his widow and mother. All bemoan his sudden and tragic passing. However, one of them mentions his recent visit to the doctor.
They track down the doctor who tells them that he was morbidly obese and that he had warned him about the possibility of a heart attack. The doctor tells them about the guys test results. The doctor tells them about the research and medical facts that he showed his former patient. The doctor tells them that the recently deceased fat guy had refused to listen to his medical advice and had instead cited his “god given right to eat what he wants and as much of it as his heart desired.”
The piece was picked up, and re-broadcast, by Fox News. Hannity & co ridicule the doctor and the causal effect of bad diet and heart disease. Hannity blusters that McDonalds and Coca-Cola are much loved American institutions and that every American must defend them against leftist, liberal doctors.
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I sincerely hope that after the latest tragedyi Florida something will finally be done about gun ownership in America,regardless to what arguments the NRA puts forwards.The NRA thinks about the money they could lose if there was a tyter and more strict gun control in America and not about the loss of human life,it would be time people stood up to them. No, we cannot fix the gun problem with even more guns.
@berangere Sadly, going by the daft attitudes of the gun nuts on here, the nonsense peddled by the likes of Fox News, the basic corruption of the GOP, the fundamental brainwashing carried out by the NRA and, the appalling incompetence of the orange moron, it's going to take a lot more years and a lot more lives before America wakes up to its, very home grown, disaster.
@room101 People are very angry at the moment and I feel it has gone beyond anger,it seems that they are at the end of their tethers,they are no longer fobbed off with with mere promises,I feel they could be starting to put their foot down,they have had enough to see that nothing is ever done and precious lives continue to be lost.
@berangere I agree. We can see that anger played out on our TV screens etc but, even the father who spoke at the White House "Listening Session" (who had just lost his daughter at the Parkland shooting) didn't specifically say "take guns off our streets".
Sure, he was, quite rightly, angry and very upset but, all he spoke about was making schools more secure.
Anyway, I hope that people hold on to that anger and turn it into constructive action.
Personally, the first thing that I would do is look at the NRA's ranking data of politicians and lobby against any that have an NRA rating above a C. Hit them where it hurts. Get them out of office.
@room101 Guns are part of the culture of America, bearing arms is in their constitution,so it will be practically impossible to take guns off the streets,but other measures to protect people should have been taken long ago like not allowing everyone to obtain automatic weapons and not allowing people with mental issues to have guns, which means checking backgrounds and not allowing minors to have guns.
@berangere Yeah, I'm sorry but none of that works for me. Cultures change and evolve and constitutions must change and evolve accordingly.
Mental health is [b]an[/b] issue, but only because America puts gun ownership above everything else. That attitude can very easily be stopped. If there is the will to stop it. Which brings us back to evolving culture.
It's really a very simple fact that can be seen all over the developed world. Take guns off the streets and the streets become significantly safer. Life in general becomes significantly safer.
@room101 I totally agree with you,it would be great if guns were eventually removed from the general public in America,but if it happens it will be because the people want it not because of the politicians who probably get their campaigns financed for the most by the NRA. But if it happens it will take a very long time to come to pass.Or may be not,hopefully not.
@berangere I've seen the clip. I've tried to watch as much of the Town Hall event as possible but I have to do it in stages because, I get so pissed off at the likes of Rubio and Dana Loesch.
