That Was Quick

Well, that was certainly quick.  On Tuesday, November 5th I was surfing around and learned that Dick Metcalf, a writer for Guns and Ammo magazine and a long time gun-rag writer had penned an opinion piece entitled Let's Talk Limits: Do certain firearms regulation really constitute infringement? (.pdf warning) for inclusion in the December edition.

Notably, it caused a stir and the base became immediately and horribly enraged.

This morning, November 7th, we learn that Metcalf has been released, and his editor is leaving the magazine.  Forty-eight hours after I learned of the article, the two people responsible for it are gone.  Just gone.  That's quick.  Lessons learned?  Some will say that an immediate firing is rather harsh, and that Metcalf like everyone else has a right to free speech.  That's right, and he still has a right to speak freely.  No one has done anything to diminish that right.  Dick Metcalf can get a website like this one and post opinion after opinion, freely, without fear of suppression.

However, when you're paid good money to keep subscribers happy and sell magazines, you don't have a right to piss them off AND keep your job.  Evidently the writer and the editor wanted to have a reasonable discussion of firearms rights and regulation.  In doing so, they heartily offended the very subscribers and advertisers who pay their salaries.  That's not a good idea.

Really, folks, it's not a good idea to pee on the electric fence.