When I was a wee lad reading every book I could get from the Confederate Memorial Library (it’s a real place), one author I always gravitated towards was Robert A. Heinlein, the SF writer. Along with his cracking good storytelling and his disconcerting views on women, he made two things very clear:
- The adults in society not only had a right and a need to own guns, they had a near-duty to do so, and
- The first and foremost duty of any society was to protect and nurture its children.
American society has always had a problem reconciling its duty towards its children and its lust for guns. In recent years, with the resurgence of the gun-fondlers and the anti-government militias, it has lurched towards the protection of gun “rights” even at the cost of its children. One case in point: an incident at the Janesville, Wisconsin Youth Sports Complex. Note the word “youth” in the name of the place. That’s important. It is not named “Church of the Almighty Firearm and Oh Yeah There’s a Kids’ Ballfield.”
The other day, proud Janesville concealed-carry advocate Roger Gransee “lost” his loaded gun in the outfield of the softball field where Little Leaguers were playing. Who found it? One of the Little Leaguers, who, having far more sense than the gun owner, took it to the umpire. One of the coaches, an off-duty police officer, called the police, who reunited the weeping Gransee with his lost bullet-spitting love, wiped away his tears, and reassured him that he would never, ever be apart from his pistol again. (Okay, I made that last part up. But Gransee did get the gun back.)
Gransee was exercising his Second Amendment rights by dragging a handgun to a Little League game — because you just know those vicious little Leaguers are liable to whip out a Desert Eagle or a howitzer at any given moment, and you’d better be freaking ready to shoot back, boyo — and later explained that he was helping his granddaughter warm up for her 12-and-under fastpitch softball game when he lost it. Wonder if Gransee was planning on an impromptu softball skeet-shooting demonstration during the game? At any rate, Gransee said he was — get this — “embarrassed.” No, really.
I am so embarrassed by this, it’s unreal. It was just a careless mistake.
So what would he be if one of those 12-and-unders found the gun and accidentally shot someone — maybe him, maybe his granddaughter, maybe half the starting lineup of the Bad News Bears — miffed? Perturbed? Nonplussed? “After learning the Little Leaguer had accidentally shot three other players, a parent, and the mascot, Gransee said, ‘Boy, is my face red! Guess I’ll know better next time!'” That isn’t a real quote, but that seems to be where Gransee is coming from. That’s a big whoopsie, Bubba! Wag of the finger on that one!
He does promise to keep his gun locked up in the car next time. He’ll still bring it to the ballfield, mind you, because you never know when a Red Dawn-style invasion might break loose, and he’ll be required to man up, gun up, and protect freedom and softball from invading Chinese shock troops, or Islamist terrorists, or ten-foot lizard people, or whoever might decide that the children of Janesville are ripe for Shari’a law or being served up al fresco to hungry aliens. You can never be sure.
Gransee said he kept the gun in his waistband, presumably for easy access if someone smarted off about his granddaughter’s curve ball, but because it was hot, he’d taken his shirt off. He didn’t want the bad guys (or the children, I’m thinking) to see he was packing heat, so he clipped the holstered gun in his boot. It must have fallen out while he was kneeling down, he surmises.
He didn’t notice it missing until later that evening. And because he is a Responsible Concealed Carry Gun Owner, he waited until the next morning to go find it. When he didn’t, he called the po-po, and they reunited him with his beloved Bessie.
He figured someone else found it and turned it in, he told a reporter:
“Thank goodness somebody did.”
Why does he carry a gun, you might ask? Well, it’s because he is a Second Amendment supporter (you just knew it), and because his job, he says, requires him to pick up parts in Waukesha and Milwaukee.
“People are getting shot in Milwaukee and Waukesha all the time. I feel more comfortable that way.”
Because the teeth-chattering fear he feels when he travels the mean streets of Waukesha can only be alleviated by a pistol nestled snugly against his … waist.
He felt it was perfectly fine dragging his shootin’ iron into the ball park, he says, because there wasn’t a sign forbidding guns. He couldn’t bring a beer, cigarettes, or a Shih Tzu into the park, but by God, he could bring Bessie, and he did.
Now here’s where it gets weird. Weirder.
At a board meeting of the Janesville Youth Baseball movers and shakers, the subject of stray firearms left for the kiddies to pick up was discussed. Some brave not-Communist board members actually suggested banning guns at games. (I know, right?) But, according to JYB president and police sergeant Aaron Ellis, they just couldn’t do that. It’s complicated, he says. Why? Well, aside from the need for parents like Gransee to fondle their guns during gametime, Wisconsin state law appears to disallow cities like Janesville to prohibit concealed carry in parks like theirs. The JYB leases the Youth Sports Complex and Temple of the Rising Gun from the city. Ellis says:
“My choice would be to be able to post it ‘no concealed carry.’ If that option is available to us, I think that’s the way we’re going to go.”
The Janesville website says the city prohibits concealed carry in city buildings “and structures that contain a sign prohibiting the carrying of weapons and firearms.” But the state does not allow firearms to be banned on government lands, though they can be banned in public shelters.
I’m sure the Janesville Little Leaguers feel real secure right about now.
A couple of side notes. The comments on the story’s website are, as always, illuminating. I think my favorite one is the first one posted:
“This is an unfortunate incident, but was handled well by all involved. Unfortunately we all do lose things on occasion.”
“Honey? I’ve gone and lost stuff again. My slippers have disappeared, I can’t find my briar pipe, and oh yeah, I think I left my pistol on the Little League ballfield.”
“Gee, Roger, you’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your shoulders. Now you go find that briar pipe and be quick about it. Your granddad gave you that. I’ll bring you your slippers, and you can go get your pistol the next time you’re over there. You big silly.”
A few of the commenters showed that their common sense trumps their duty to Protect the Guns, questioning Gransee’s responsibility, asking why he felt Janesville had becomed such a free-fire zone that he felt the need to carry his heater, and all those nanny liberal things, but they weren’t in the majority. One guy pointed out that one time, in band camp, a kid was run down by an ice cream truck and the city banned food and ice cream trucks as a result. How dare they? he fumed, and said,
Any action in this case that creates a new law or regulation, especially one that involves costly court action, is a gross over reaction.
Because guns trump kids! And freedom! And I want moar guns!
One voice of reason piped up, with a shaky grasp of grammar and capitalization:
“Please clarify “loaded gun” did he actually have a shell in the chamber? Or just The clip. Big difference.”
Yes, indeed. That is the major issue in this entire story. It’s one thing that it was loaded, what idiot carries a gun if it doesn’t have a full load sleeping in the clip? But was one chambered? I mean, wouldn’t the kid like, have to do something to actually get the gun to fire besides pull the trigger? Well, I got curious. The story identifies the pistol as “similar” to a Taurus PT 738. So I went Google surfing and found a love-letter review of the Taurus. It’s a peachy little thing!
What I learned from the site was that the gun was very, very small as far as automatic pistols go (just the size for those little kid fingers to operate), it’s quite inexpensive as far as handguns go, and best of all, it’s the Perfect Summer Gun! Here, check it out:
“Summer’s coming this weekend. You know what that means. Shorts. T-shirts. Lighter clothes. And concealment issues. The time of year when even the most ardent caliber warriors make compromises. If you’re in the market for something smaller and lighter than your usual 1911 carry piece, you need to check out the Taurus PT 738 TCP.”
Because you and I both need a kicky little handgun for summer. Let’s see … suntan lotion, pail and shovel, snorkel, and my summer handgun. Yep, honey, we’re ready to hit the beach!
It’s very easy to operate (so much for worrying about the gun having a shell in the chamber, Little Johnny won’t have any trouble jacking one in for quick firing), the trigger has a very light pull, and though it lacks a regular safety, it does have a “security system” which renders the gun inoperable if you turn a security bolt with a special tool. I’m just betting that Roger neither turned that security bolt nor even brought that “special tool” with him. In other words, the whole thing is about as kid-friendly as a lethal killing machine can be.
Here, watch for yourself what gets Roger Gransee all hot and bothered, and what he turned loose on that ballfield.
h/t Laurie Bertram Roberts for assistance with the article.
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Published writer since 2001, focusing on politics, history, Web development, and other topics. First book is coming soon.
