Guns in America. (Photo gawker.com) ON SECOND THOUGHT..........
I’ve been thinking of the National Rifle Association’s news conference the other day where they wanted to start a program to put an armed person in every school. At first (and I said this on TV) I thought it was a good idea. But on second thought, where will it end? Gun massacres happened in churches, malls and movie theatres. Are we going to put armed guards in every one of those places? Like Osama Bin Laden with his 911 attacks succeeded briefly for taking away our basic, convenient freedoms, will not this idea do the same? An armed guard, even two won’t be able to stop a madman with a gun that could fire off multiple bullets in less than thirty seconds whether it be a school, church or movie theatre. Plus the head of the NRA who used the trite line worn out on FaceBook by millions before he even said it, “The only way to stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun” is problematic. Who are the good men? And women? How do we sort this out?
The conservative movement repeatedly talks about “taking away our freedoms” by the Obama administration. But in a real sense, this latest tragedy as well as the NRA response to it might really endanger our basic freedom of movement. Are we as Americans who bridled against inconveniences and invasions of privacy at airports willing to live in armed camps if we take the NRA suggestion to its logical conclusion?
40 YEARS AGO THE IMMACULATE RECEPTION
We were getting ready for Christmas and as usual in the hustle and bustle before our Christmas on DeWitt and Cliff Streets in the unction, there was football on the TV. We had on NBC which at that time ran all the AFC Conference games. It was a close game pitting the Steelers and Oakland. With about a minute and a half left, the Raider’s Ken Stable threw a touchdown pass giving Oakland a 7-6 lead). My father was sitting on the sofa watching the game and I was crossing over into the kitchen from the parlor. Franco Harris scooped up a pass intended Barry Pearson, a receiver playing in his very first NFL game. Under intense pressure, Quarterback Terry Bradshaw changed course and threw the ball toward Halfback Frenchy Fuqua. Fuqua collided with Jack Tatum and as he was falling to the ground the ball sailed upwards from the velocity of the hit. Franco Harris who was blocking on the play saw the ball in the air, snagged it on the run and ran into the end zone to give the Steelers a score of 13 to 7 after the extra point.
To this day the play is still talked about. Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope dubbed it “The Immaculate Reception” and NFL Films has dubbed it as the number 1 play in NFL History. From a pop culture standpoint, it changed the way the NFL promoted itself (you have to watch the game till the end when rivals collide) and made Franco Harris an instant celebrity. IN my mind, this play planted the seed for the now 24 hour cable network saturation of sports in America. 40 years ago…..today, here is that magnificent play.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder