Why shooting your TV after watching Bristol Palin dance shouldn’t be against the law
Today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a great story about a true American hero. His name is Steven N. Cowan, and he's a man from the small Wisconsin town of Vermont who was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment earlier this week after shooting out his television set. The reason: He could no longer stand the indignity of watching Bristol Palin on Dancing With The Stars. Reports the Journal Sentinel:
“The (expletive) politics,” he yelled, according to the complaint. Cowan was upset that [Sarah Palin’s] daughter was on the show when he didn’t consider her a good dancer, his wife told authorities.
Cowan went to his bedroom and came back about 20 minutes later, demanding that his wife find his pistols. Cowan’s daughter had taken two handguns away for safety reasons, according to the complaint.
Cowan had tracked down a single-shot shotgun in the house, he “slapped” bullets down onto a TV tray, loaded a round and took out the TV, the complaint says.
Cowan’s face was bright red. He loaded the gun again. His wife put a blanket over her head, thinking that if her husband decided to shoot at her, she didn’t want to see it.
Okay, so maybe this guy isn’t a hero. Cowan’s display understandably terrified his wife, and led to a 15-hour standoff with local police. But still, shooting your TV for Bristol Palin-related reasons ought to qualify as self-defense.
