THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
(apologies to Keith Olbermann)
Jim Cooley
ATLANTA (WXIA) - A metro Atlanta man says he was harassed for exercising his Second Amendment rights while at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport last week. Jim Cooley says that while he and his wife took his daughter to the airport after a vacation, he openly carried his AR-15 rifle - which is his right under Georgia state law…it is, indeed, perfectly legal for citizens to walk through the airport with their weapons displayed in view, provided they do not move into the TSA-controlled secure areas of the airport property. Cooley says he was approached by several Atlanta Police officers asking about his firearm, which he said he was carrying for safety, while at the airport. However, Cooley asked the officers, each time he was stopped if he was being detained. When the officers each answered in the negative, he continued on his way. He recorded each of the encounters and posted them to YouTube.
Man carries AR-15 into airport. Man is stopped and questioned by police. Man professes to be gobsmacked that he would be “harassed” for merely “exercising his 2nd Amendment rights.”
Since when is being an asshole and completely dismissive of public safety covered by the 2nd Amendment? And what does it say about you when you feel you need to carry an AR-15 “for safety?” From where I sit, it says you’re a self-centered unreconstructed asshole.
There’s more than enough idiocy to go around in this instance. First, how irresponsible is it for Georgia lawmakers to even consider allowing citizens to openly carry firearms- of any sort- into an airport? Post-9/11, did no one in the Georgia Legislature for a moment consider what sort of panic might be created when someone walks into a crowded airport with an AR-15 slung over their shoulders. Have we not had enough instances of mass shootings for them to figure out the possibilities for mayhem and/or bloodshed? Are so beholden to the ammosexual lobby that they’d give them whatever they ask for without question or considering the possible consequences? Or do they simply not care?
Second, Jim Cooley should have a sufficient supply of functional brain cells to understand what the consequences of his actions might be. You don’t pull a stunt like he did without knowing full well that it would draw all sorts of attention, which was undoubtedly EXACTLY what he was after. Is that not the very definition of “asshole?”
Upon leaving the terminal and going to the parking lot, three officers followed him. None of the three would say why they were following him when he asked them, though they took photos of him and his vehicle as he got in and drove off.
Surely, Cooley isn’t so daft he couldn’t understand why police officers followed him to the parking lot. He knew EXACTLY what he was doing and EXACTLY what the response would be. Why else would have filmed the encounters and posted them to YouTube? No, this is an ammosexual who meant to generate a response and gain notoriety. This was meant to be filmed and widely publicized in order that Cooley might get his 15 minutes.
Mission Accomplished.
What angers me so about Cooley’s actions isn’t his self-absorbed arrogance or complete disregard for the safety and well-being of others. What has me nonplussed is his conviction that “exercising his 2nd Amendment rights” trumps any and all other considerations. NOTHING matters more than his precious “gun rights.” This is pretty typical ammosexual behavior, but the complete disregard for the rights of others only demonstrates their complete lack of consideration for others and their refusal/inability to play well with others.
“People’s fears are not my responsibility.” Spoken like a true giant asshole. Welcome to the New America, where giant assholes with guns get to walk around fully armed just looking for a reason to Stand Their Ground and shoot people. In one of the links the man says he felt harassed because police dared to ask him what was up. Poor baby. Hey, at least you aren’t black, dude, or the cops would have shot you even if the rifle was a toy. Then again, scary brown people are probably why he’s carrying his fucking AR-15 around in the first place.
That sentiments comes to us via a Facebook friend, with whom I couldn’t agree more. When you believe your rights trump any and all other considerations, including the fear, safety, and well-being of others, you’re an asshole.
I may be way off base (I don’t think so, but it’s possible), but it would seem reasonable to believe that acting like a preening, self-important asshole might not be the way to convince others of the superiority and rectitude of your position. Prancing around an airport like a cock of the walk, AR-15 slung over your shoulder, hardly seems an effective or reasonable way to make friends and influence enemies.
Yes, there’s no doubt that Cooley had the law on his side (at least so far as I can tell…but I’m not a lawyer), but sometimes it’s not only about the law. Sometimes it’s about doing the right thing and acting as if you have a least a modicum of respect for the rights and sensibilities of others. Sometimes it’s about understanding the importance of playing well with others. If you believe that an effective way to “exercise your 2nd Amendment rights” is to carry an AR-15 through a crowded airport “for safety,” you’re not exercising your rights, because you don’t understand them and what they mean. You’re not merely an asshole; you’re deservedly today’s Worst Person in the World ©.
Your attention please…this month’s meeting of The Brotherhood of the Tiny Penis © will now come to order…and before we get started, someone needs to kick Brother Cooley’s ass for being a self-promoting jerk.
