An offshoot of the site VICE, Noisey was launched in 2011 to highlight “new and exciting music across the globe” and, according to their website, “uses music as a lens to investigate the movements, scenes, and stories” that drive our culture “through in-depth reporting and incisive storytelling”.

Deep, man.

Apparently, “in-depth reporting” means tapping the guitarist of an 80’s rock band to opine on gun control in his column “Hey, did you see this… with Duff McKagan”. The Guns ‘n Roses bassist, or as I call him -you know, the other guy, not Slash- is obviously an authority on gun laws and Second Amendment politics. After all, he’s in a band called Guns and Roses.

According to McKagan, there’s “some super-heavy s— going down in the world right now” and he doesn’t want to “write some piece-of-s— article to create another snazzy social media ‘headline’ for people to click on and f—ing ‘like,’” he felt compelled to weigh in on what he sees as a common-sense, cut-and-dried argument.

When President Obama came out with his announcement of trying to procure background checks for online sales and at gun shows. I was slightly stunned that this practice hadn’t been in use since the, uh, the advent of modern-day gun sales.

So let’s do some tweaking. Background checks for all gun sales? Hell yes, right? What’s the argument against that? Banning AK-47’s and the like? Probably a damn good idea, right? Who needs them? I understand and respect the right to bear arms, but do some of you actually think we maintain this right still for the sole purpose of the ‘in case’ of our own government somehow taking over (as opposed to fighting off the English imperialistic monarchy in 1775)? This all seems as basic to me, as banning sales of guns here for people who are on the no-fly list. Is there something I am missing here?

Yes, there’s quite a bit you’re missing here, Mr. Rock Star. First of all, federal law dictates federally licensed firearms dealers must perform background checks on prospective firearm purchaser. Secondly, yes; we need guns, and even AK-47s are necessary to the security of our free country. If Mr. McKagan truly does understand and respect the right to keep and bear arms as he proclaims, he would also know our forefathers said this right shall not be infringed. Lastly, restricting the right to bear arms for anyone on the no-fly list without due process is unconstitutional.

This Republican/Democratic schism is so rank and divisive; I’m just not sure how any of us could pick one party or the other. I think I used to be a Democrat, but some Republican ideas work great too, and Socialism too, has done great things for the financial safety nets of this country. If we could just scrape up and pool all of the good ideas that work….that’d be my new party allegiance. No, I don’t claim a party, because they are all mostly assholes at this point.

Democrat… Republican… Socialist… pooled together to make a Demopublialist? Hmm, what else you got for us, Duff?

Don’t believe the NRA emails you get. It’s pure hooey. If you are a gun owner in this country and you actually think somebody is gonna come to your house and take your gun away…uh….maybe you shouldn’t be a gun owner (just my two cents).

Hooey. There you have it.

Is there a counter article from another musician for Noisey readers? Something from a classical artist, perhaps?