Maybe

In this week's Washington Times "Third Century NRA", Olympic champion Kim Rhode (another in the series of good-looking white women the NRA is using to change its image) complains that people keep asking her about things like Aurora. "You don't hear NASCAR drivers interviewed about drunk driving deaths. So why do they have to link gun owners with criminals?"

Here's a thought, Kim. Maybe it's because NASCAR drivers don't go around talking about how wonderful cars are and how everybody should be able to drive as much as they want. Maybe it's because NASCAR drivers don't get their newborns "Life Memberships" in NASCAR. Maybe it's because they don't glorify "car culture", or drive like they're racing when they're not on a track, or accuse people who don't like to drive of being "un-American."

Maybe it's because NASCAR, the organization, doesn't spend millions lobbying for everybody in the country, regardless of age, to be able to drive whenever and wherever they like - to drive around kids' playgrounds or in shopping malls, say. Maybe it's because NASCAR doesn't fight licenses and registrations and insurance regulations. Maybe it's because NASCAR doesn't publish a magazine glorifying military drivers with "a raw look at their real missions", or a television show hosted by a convicted felon who lied to Congress.

Maybe it's because NASCAR and NASCAR drivers don't think their sport is a Way Of Life, and don't aggressively conflate themselves with every car nut out there who's run over a couple of people, or driven drunk, or just smashed up somebody else's car, arguing that those people too are entitled to drive.

Maybe.

What do you think?