Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took to Twitter to push the idea of a random resident of the U.S. shooting at a large balloon originating in China suspected of usage in espionage — despite stated concerns about debris from the balloon hitting people on the ground if destroyed and the very high altitude at which the balloon has evidently been recorded.
“Literally every regular person I know is talking about how to shoot down the Chinese Spy Balloon,” Greene posted Friday. “It would be great if an average Joe shot it down because China Joe won’t. Regular Americans can do everything better than the government and actually care about our country.” There’s largely no indication anyone on the ground who was just standing there with a sidearm could fire with enough force to get close. Also, why did she randomly capitalize the balloon in her discussion of it? It doesn’t have a name…
“Yes, there are reports that the Chinese balloon is flying over our area at the moment,” the York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina said Saturday on Twitter after it moved across what was apparently much of the continental U.S. “It’s flying at 60,000+ feet. Don’t try to shoot it!! Your rifle rounds WILL NOT reach it. Be responsible. What goes up will come down, including your bullets.” Why on earth is a member of Congress posting on Twitter with fervor about the prospect of firing random guns into the air, leaving it to local authorities to remind observers that’s not a great idea?
Replying to a petulant post on Twitter from Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) that was jarring in the Congressman’s flippant approach to the balloon, Greene was supportive. “You heard the man from Montana. Shoot it down!” Greene yelled Friday on Twitter, this time addressing government authorities. “The official response saying shooting it down could harm people on the ground doesn’t sell. In rural America, there aren’t people everywhere. There’s land.” Does she understand that you can’t just hope for the best when it comes to potentially leaving debris hurtling towards random bystanders on the ground? There are some people there, Marjorie!
The depth of her arguments would do a disservice to third-graders to make such a comparison. Do she, Zinke, and the others talking in similar terms understand it’s not a video game? Other Republicans, like Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Kari Lake, who lost last year in the race for Arizona governor, also posted pictures of themselves with guns, referencing the balloon, although theirs were at least a little more flippant… maybe? It’s just ridiculous.
You heard the man from Montana.
Shoot it down!
The official response saying shooting it down could harm people on the ground doesn’t sell.
In rural America, there aren’t people everywhere.
There’s land. https://t.co/QPBfGuf6bf
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 3, 2023
Literally every regular person I know is talking about how to shoot down the Chinese Spy Balloon.
It would be great if an average Joe shot it down because China Joe won’t.
Regular Americans can do everything better than the government and actually care about our country.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 3, 2023
