The more I think about it, the more I DON'T like the Heston intro to Bullet

[wolfwill23]

Ok, U2 is saying that guns are bad, right? So how do they say it? They take a screen legend, who might not be as sharp as he once was, and who happens to appreciate the right to bare arms and they poke fun at something he said. Now that right there is counter productive and beneeth U2. What Heston says in the video is completely true. "A gun in the hand of a bad man, is a bad thing." Absolutely true. However, he adds that a gun in the hand of a good man is only a threat to the bad guys.

I'm not some gun-toting Texan or something, but I just think that U2 could have found a better way to get their point across.

Now before you destroy me because I said something that critized U2, please look at the facts and think before you write.

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by wolfwill23:
Ok, U2 is saying that guns are bad, right? So how do they say it? They take a screen legend, who might not be as sharp as he once was, and who happens to appreciate the right to bare arms and they poke fun at something he said. Now that right there is counter productive and beneeth U2. What Heston says in the video is completely true. "A gun in the hand of a bad man, is a bad thing." Absolutely true. However, he adds that a gun in the hand of a good man is only a threat to the bad guys.

I'm not some gun-toting Texan or something, but I just think that U2 could have found a better way to get their point across.

Now before you destroy me because I said something that critized U2, please look at the facts and think before you write.

i don't think it's just the quote that you are supposed to take from the experience. my interpretation of the video and the moment of the concert is they're poking fun at heston in his position as the figurehead of the NRA. perhaps the quote they use isn't ideal, but the quote coupled with his persona and the ridiculousness of the NRA movement, is what brings the whole picture together.


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i'm a reasonable man
get off my case

 

[wolfwill23]

Why is the NRA rediculus?

 

[Sperber]

One thing why the NRA is ridiculous may be that they represent the weapon manufactorers who just want to sell weapons to everyone - no matter if they do good to society. Let?s face it - it is a great evil that hand guns are that easy to obtain in the US.

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beLIEve

 

[Dorian Gray]

I think you may have missed the point of the video. (this is just my opinion) It was not poking fun at what he was saying, merely pointing out a flaw in his speech. That was the whole point of showing the little girl with the gun. She was not a bad person, yet she very easily poses a threat to herself and possibly others. And that type of thing happens every day, all you have to do is check the news.
That was the point of showing the video. To raise awareness of the fact that bad things can still happen to good people. In this case, it relates to guns.
btw, Im not trying to destry because you criticized U2, I just think you need to rethink what the video is trying to say.

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Pictures in grey...

 

[Salome]

Originally posted by wolfwill23:
They take a screen legend, who might not be as sharp as he once was, and who happens to appreciate the right to bare arms and they poke fun at something he said.

they don't poke fun at it
they just show that Heston's opinion is just that
HIS opinion

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by wolfwill23:
Why is the NRA rediculus?

well i, admittedly, don't live in the states, so i guess i can't really comment.

at least here in canada there isn't any sort of danger that would require any individual to hold onto some of the weapons the nra wants legalized.

besides, it's a political movement regarding a hobby, which has potential to be violent. to an outsider it seems silly.

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i'm a reasonable man
get off my case

 

[wolfwill23]

I agree with most of what you all are saying, but I just think that people as creative as U2 could have found a different way to get that message across.

Also, I do think they are making fun of Heston. Yes, it is just a quote that he said, but that juxtaposed with the image of the girl is an attempt to say something.

 

[Hitman]

Originally posted by wolfwill23:
Ok, U2 is saying that guns are bad, right? So how do they say it? They take a screen legend, who might not be as sharp as he once was, and who happens to appreciate the right to bare arms and they poke fun at something he said. Now that right there is counter productive and beneeth U2. What Heston says in the video is completely true. "A gun in the hand of a bad man, is a bad thing." Absolutely true. However, he adds that a gun in the hand of a good man is only a threat to the bad guys.

I'm not some gun-toting Texan or something, but I just think that U2 could have found a better way to get their point across.

Now before you destroy me because I said something that critized U2, please look at the facts and think before you write.

I agree to an extent...

They could have used a more "difficult" target, like George Bush or Rush Limbaugh or even Jessie Helms (who supports the right to bear arms), ala Zoo TV, rather than picking on some screen star who has obviously seen better days.......

 

[wolfwill23]

Well said.

 

[octopus]

I agree. America on the whole has been an easy target for U2 throughout the years.

While, in my opinion, Charlton Heston and the NRA are a valid subject of criticizm in this country I don't know why that video message must be carried on the Elevation Tour to every audience throughout the world.

If U2 and our boy Bono had real political courage they would, after more than 20 years of cautious fence-sitting, finally take a strong position against the IRA and their cowardly brand of terrorism. Perhaps a more courageous message for U2 on this tour would be an unequivocal call for the IRA to disarm (that's right--disarm--there are actually people in Ireland with guns who use them on other people. Can you believe it?) Thereafter, maybe there could be peace in Ireland and no more cowardly murders in U2's own back yard.

However, that may be too controversial for a rock band that has made its living for twenty years on mocking and criticizing everything American (except the huge sums of money collected from album and concert ticket sales in America).

Well, what about it U2? How about a clear call for the IRA terrorists to disarm? Isn't it time? Can we hear this on the Autumn leg of the North American tour? If not, please keep your f#*cking hypocritical Irish mouths shut. Thank you.

 

[diamondbruno9]

Originally posted by wolfwill23:
I agree with most of what you all are saying, but I just think that people as creative as U2 could have found a different way to get that message across.

Also, I do think they are making fun of Heston. Yes, it is just a quote that he said, but that juxtaposed with the image of the girl is an attempt to say something.

That was a bit of a low pt. in the show for me too. I was thinking quit picking on that guy, I watched him part The Red Sea in another movie.Hey man's a legend. Then I realized Bono was just being Bono and let it slide..

D
B
9

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"..it's about breaking barriers, transcending boundries and conquering great divides"-Bono 1987

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An open letter to Bono from myself www.arizonaautoweb.com/bono/

 

[wolfwill23]

Wow Octopus, don't hold anything back now. I think U2 does not directly confront the IRA becuase, well, quite frankly, they would probably wind up dead or someone they love would wind up dead. Ireland is a small country and a group as big as U2 mixing it up with the IRA would probably not be a good thing for them. Just my opinion.

It will be interesting to see what WTC things they incorporate into this leg though.

 

[Hawkfire]

Octopus, first off I recommend you watch the U2 film "Rattle and Hum" - during the performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday (from 11.09.87 in Denver, the same day as the Enniskillen bombing), U2 unequivocally condemns the IRA on film and in explicitly clear terms makes it clear they do not support the Revolution. Hardly "fence-sitting" from my perspective.

Second, with regard to the recent activity in Ireland, I think U2 know better than to engage in party-line politics of "well you should do this" and "you should do that." It's not that simple. Finally, last time I checked the Protestants in Ireland are stoning 6-year old innocent children going to school. This act to me is as heinous and barberous as the WTC hijackers...if I was a gun-toting Republican this sight would certainly make me think twice about disarmament!!

And finally, on the Heston video, it was absolutely one of my very favorite parts of the entire show. The IRA thinks banning uzis from 5 year olds will somehow inhibit their freedom to shoot squirrel in the forest - I don't see the logic in that argument (i.e. that ANY gun prevention measure is a threat to the 2nd amendment). I don't feel hunting is at risk when there is legislation to ban so-called "cop-killer" bullets.

 

[IvanClaytonJnr]

I might be wrong , BUT
I think this intro and bono 's rap during BTBS is more about 'guns' itself , it is about the whole world ( not just about USA or any other nation ) , about people characters , thier really dark sides of souls .

 

[Hawkfire]

Whoops, correction on that last paragraph: "IRA" should be read "NRA" - don't want to confuse the two!

 

[Diemen]

They're not just poking fun at the comment - they're pointing out that it is really flawed. Of course a gun in the hands of a bad man is a bad thing, but saying that a gun in the hands of a good man is no threat to anyone except bad people is dangerous and flat out wrong (as is shown by all the accidental shootings in the states and all the cases of small kids showing up at school with loaded handguns, maybe not with intention of actually using it, but a loaded gun in the hands of a little kid is a damn dangerous thing. I hope we can all agree on that.

 

[Sperber]

Wow, Hawkfire, what an intelligent post! It?s really interesting how you explain your opinions!Go forth, people like you keep this forum awake

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beLIEve

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

Octopus needs to take a closer look at the U2 catalogue. Made a career of "mocking and criticizing everything American?" Huh? Rattle and Hum was a love fest to America. The band live part time in New York. They have expressed their love and respect for America and Americans on countless occasions. God forbid that they are actually honest enough to criticize us as well.

Get a grip.

MP

 

[Dorian Gray]

Originally posted by octopus:
If U2 and our boy Bono had real political courage they would, after more than 20 years of cautious fence-sitting, finally take a strong position against the IRA and their cowardly brand of terrorism. Perhaps a more courageous message for U2 on this tour would be an unequivocal call for the IRA to disarm (that's right--disarm--there are actually people in Ireland with guns who use them on other people. Can you believe it?) Thereafter, maybe there could be peace in Ireland and no more cowardly murders in U2's own back yard.

However, that may be too controversial for a rock band that has made its living for twenty years on mocking and criticizing everything American (except the huge sums of money collected from album and concert ticket sales in America).

Well, what about it U2? How about a clear call for the IRA terrorists to disarm? Isn't it time? Can we hear this on the Autumn leg of the North American tour? If not, please keep your f#*cking hypocritical Irish mouths shut. Thank you.

To do that would be to simply say that the IRA is the only problem in Northern Ireland which would be a criticsm of the Catholic side of the conflict. What about the Protestants?
I hope that U2, and no one else, would ever take such a one-sided stand.


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Pictures in grey...

[This message has been edited by Dorian Gray (edited 09-29-2001).]