Not sure of the use of something like this but it struck me earlier. Critique please.
Do you know what a ladder is?
You might not own a ladder but odds are pretty good you know someone who does or you've at least seen one on TV. The fact is, ladders are everywhere and they let people do something they couldn't do otherwise. Is it anyone's fault they're not naturally capable of reaching 12 feet high off the ground?
Sure there's probably a few exceptional people who can go their whole lives without a ladder, but even they will probably acknowledge ladders are useful.
There's all sorts of ladders.
There's ladders that are really tall, that can reach heights of two stories or more.
There's ladders made out of fiberglass, wood, and metal.
Some ladders have features that make them easier and safer to use. For instance a ladder may be made out of light weight material, or it may collapse for storage, or it may have ladder boots with non skid surfaces.
They're everywhere, and they're not exactly cheap but there's surely one in your budget. All you have to do is pay for it and it's yours.
Sometimes you don't want a big ladder. Sometimes a little step stool or step ladder is all you need.
Do ladders make some people nervous? Of course. Lots of people are afraid of high places, and some people are afraid of passing under one. However, these are just paranoias and myths playing on our minds. The truth is that ladders are actually safe as long as you use them properly.
I'm afraid of heights myself, very afraid as a matter of fact. But I've found the more I use a ladder the less scared I am.
So even if you don't have a step stool or ladder of any sort let's pretend you do. It's not that much of a stretch, right? Are you so fundamentally different from a person that would own such a thing?
Okay so you're a ladder owner now.
Now let's pretend everyone starts telling you one day that ladders should only be used by professional contractors who are licensed to do repairs. But you don't do repairs. You just need to reach the gutters so you can clean them. Or maybe you can't reach the top shelf. So you keep using your ladder anyway.
And people keep warning you. Wouldn't that get annoying? After all it doesn't make any sense to have that ladder and not use it.
Then one day there's a law passed that you can't own a ladder more than 12 feet tall. Odds are pretty good this law doesn't actually effect you, but what if you had a two or three story house? Some people do. Can you see how a maximum ladder length could be annoying for someone?
Then it comes out in the news that people are sneaking fiberglass ladders into ladder free areas because they're so light. They start a campaign to ban fiberglass ladders. But wait a minute, aren't most modern ladders made out of fiberglass? The more you think about it, the less sense this idea makes but it keeps going strong.
Then a law is passed that your ladder has to weigh at least 40 pounds, it can't fold or collapse, and it can't have certain safety features unless it was made before a certain date. Also, your ladder can't have more than 10 rungs unless you're a licensed contractor, then you can have as many as you want.
Then they ban any ladder costing less than $250, stating that such cheap ladders are only useful for cat burglars and vandals. But your ladder costs about $100 and you've never robbed or vandalized anyone.
Then they say you can only get ladders from licensed ladder sellers. You have to register your ladder with the police. You can only buy one ladder a month. Meanwhile, people who use ladders for illegal purposes just seem to get ladders from nowhere.
And to top it all off they start talking about banning step stools and step ladders because they're too small. No honest person could need a ladder that small, they say.
Are you confused? Flustered? A little angry? You should be. All you did was own a ladder.
Was all that nonsense necessary? Did it really accomplish anything?
Yes it accomplished one thing. It made it difficult to impossible for you to use a ladder and take care of a very simple thing effectively without going to jail.
And now you know how over sixty six million Americans who own firearms feel.
Do you know what a ladder is?
You might not own a ladder but odds are pretty good you know someone who does or you've at least seen one on TV. The fact is, ladders are everywhere and they let people do something they couldn't do otherwise. Is it anyone's fault they're not naturally capable of reaching 12 feet high off the ground?
Sure there's probably a few exceptional people who can go their whole lives without a ladder, but even they will probably acknowledge ladders are useful.
There's all sorts of ladders.
There's ladders that are really tall, that can reach heights of two stories or more.
There's ladders made out of fiberglass, wood, and metal.
Some ladders have features that make them easier and safer to use. For instance a ladder may be made out of light weight material, or it may collapse for storage, or it may have ladder boots with non skid surfaces.
They're everywhere, and they're not exactly cheap but there's surely one in your budget. All you have to do is pay for it and it's yours.
Sometimes you don't want a big ladder. Sometimes a little step stool or step ladder is all you need.
Do ladders make some people nervous? Of course. Lots of people are afraid of high places, and some people are afraid of passing under one. However, these are just paranoias and myths playing on our minds. The truth is that ladders are actually safe as long as you use them properly.
I'm afraid of heights myself, very afraid as a matter of fact. But I've found the more I use a ladder the less scared I am.
So even if you don't have a step stool or ladder of any sort let's pretend you do. It's not that much of a stretch, right? Are you so fundamentally different from a person that would own such a thing?
Okay so you're a ladder owner now.
Now let's pretend everyone starts telling you one day that ladders should only be used by professional contractors who are licensed to do repairs. But you don't do repairs. You just need to reach the gutters so you can clean them. Or maybe you can't reach the top shelf. So you keep using your ladder anyway.
And people keep warning you. Wouldn't that get annoying? After all it doesn't make any sense to have that ladder and not use it.
Then one day there's a law passed that you can't own a ladder more than 12 feet tall. Odds are pretty good this law doesn't actually effect you, but what if you had a two or three story house? Some people do. Can you see how a maximum ladder length could be annoying for someone?
Then it comes out in the news that people are sneaking fiberglass ladders into ladder free areas because they're so light. They start a campaign to ban fiberglass ladders. But wait a minute, aren't most modern ladders made out of fiberglass? The more you think about it, the less sense this idea makes but it keeps going strong.
Then a law is passed that your ladder has to weigh at least 40 pounds, it can't fold or collapse, and it can't have certain safety features unless it was made before a certain date. Also, your ladder can't have more than 10 rungs unless you're a licensed contractor, then you can have as many as you want.
Then they ban any ladder costing less than $250, stating that such cheap ladders are only useful for cat burglars and vandals. But your ladder costs about $100 and you've never robbed or vandalized anyone.
Then they say you can only get ladders from licensed ladder sellers. You have to register your ladder with the police. You can only buy one ladder a month. Meanwhile, people who use ladders for illegal purposes just seem to get ladders from nowhere.
And to top it all off they start talking about banning step stools and step ladders because they're too small. No honest person could need a ladder that small, they say.
Are you confused? Flustered? A little angry? You should be. All you did was own a ladder.
Was all that nonsense necessary? Did it really accomplish anything?
Yes it accomplished one thing. It made it difficult to impossible for you to use a ladder and take care of a very simple thing effectively without going to jail.
And now you know how over sixty six million Americans who own firearms feel.
