Guns & Ammo is feeling the backlash from Dick Metcalf’s editorial last week. Metcalf has been terminated effective immediately, and Editor Jim Bequette will be stepping down in advance of his January 1st retirement.
From the announcement:
I made a mistake by publishing the column. I thought it would generate a healthy exchange of ideas on gun rights. I miscalculated, pure and simple. I was wrong, and ask for your forgiveness.
And for what? Are we so thin-skinned and hypersensitive as a culture that we can’t brook a little disagreement now and then?
Yes, Metcalf stepped in it. Yes, his article was rife with errors and bordered on incoherence. Yes, it was a little offensive. Does that justify calling him a traitor, or a communist, or other unprintable things? The sheer childishness and incivility borders on the surreal.
Yes, the Brady Campaign made a big deal of it. No, it’s not giving them any succor they didn’t already have.
I disagree vehemently with what Metcalf wrote (at least the part I could make out), but I don’t live on such a hair trigger that I see the need to demand his scalp for it.
Edit: Metcalf has posted his reaction to the firing here.
2 thoughts on “More on Metcalf”
Right or wrong, articles like that need to be published. The old canard about the hottest fire making the strongest steel comes to mind. If we can’t take an argument like his and point out the reasons why it’s wrong, perhaps there are lessons to be taken from it. Echo chambers rarely come up with satisfactory results.
After things settled down regarding his comments I am in agreement with you. I think the reactions he faced is indicative of our present situation we have in our society. We have not been able to have civil discourse. It is certainly past the strained point in the liberal vs conservative realm.
We all need to practice reflection first. I refer to the Sandy Hook tragedy is a perfect example of how not to do it. Dick Metcalf spoke his mind. I thought his response to his firing was spot on. Thanks.