Gun owners' rights no joke for outspoken musician
Ted Nugent, set to speak at event, talks freedom, politics with 'Republic'
The National Rifle Association kicks off its annual convention in Phoenix today, an event expected to draw more than 50,000 firearms fans. It runs through Sunday with a lineup of displays, speakers, auctions and lots of evangelizing for gun rights.
Some big-name politicians, including U.S. Sen. John McCain, will be there. So will high-energy rock guitarist Ted Nugent, an outspoken NRA board member who has a TV show, writes books and a newspaper column, and plays in a band.
Nugent is speaking at the convention Sunday. He gave a telephone interview to The Republic a few days ago. He has no problem giving an opinion and cracking a joke.
Question: What will you be doing in Phoenix?
Answer: I'll be doing security for the entire city, securing the perimeter of Phoenix, making sure there are no carjackings or any other criminal activity while I'm there.
Q: All by yourself?
A: Actually I'll be celebrating this wonderful little ditty called freedom with families that celebrate the right to self-defense. . . . Plus, I have so many invitations to your fine dining establishments. . . . When word gets out that Uncle Ted's coming to town, they love me because they know I'm the god of flesh.
Q: How did you get involved in the NRA?
A: I finally woke up from the convenient denial doldrums of the American education system. I became politically aware, studied history and decided to get involved. . . . Over the years I watched how our gun rights were being attacked with just nonsense, hyper denial entrenched misrepresentation. I decided to become more and more involved. . . . I have an intellectual, moral and spiritual obligation to participate in this unique experiment in self-government. I think it's serious, serious stuff.
Q: You write about politics in your newspaper column.
A: Quality of life comes from quality of politics. I'm an activist on all levels. I believe that quality of life comes from quality of effort. I see a tragic downgrade in education, our court system, the vulgarity of our tax system, the vulgarity of bureaucratic engineering to abandon accountability. It's a target-rich environment.
Q: You think we're in trouble?
A: I'm way past the thinking stage. . . . (Nugent says the Marines defending the U.S. embassy before the Iran hostage ordeal should have been better armed). Nobody can take me hostage, and I'm just a guitar player.
Q: A heavily armed guitar player.
A: That's my favorite kind of guitar player.
Q: Do you have a lot of guns?
A: A lot of guns. You don't have the time or the tape to list them all. I love guns, I collect guns, I've had guns since I was a teenager.
Q: How about examples?
A: I have an MP5 submachine gun in 10-millimeter. I have probably three dozen AR15-type guns of various design from long-range varmint sniper rifles to big-game sniper rifles to semiautomatic versions of the military M4 for home defense.
Q: Do you worry about accidents?
A: We know that accidents can occur. But the chance of negligence in the Nugent household is about as realistic as us chopping our arm off with a chainsaw. We've got gasoline in the barn, we've got chainsaws and rototillers and machetes and gunpowder. We don't have any accidents. We pay attention to what were doing. Call us weird.
Yep.... what a weirdo indeed.
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