Right into the Danger Zone
A few months ago, while spending a weekend in Oceanside, guests from out of town asked if we could swing by “the Top Gun house” on our drive home. The blue bungalow where the character Charlie (Kelly McGillis) lived had recently relocated to commercial property near the Oceanside Pier. This was an improvement from the last place I’d seen the home on a dirt lot after being rescued from new owners who wanted it torn down. Townspeople rallied to save the structure, citing its historical significance as a place Hollywood made famous. An investor spent $1 million on a much-needed facelift.
That building, now a pie shop, got a lot of attention this past week as everyone readied for the official release of Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel that originally was to open two years ago. Local news outlets all took turns promoting the pie shop that pays homage to the 36-year-old film. The premiere was held 45 minutes south on the USS Midway along the Embarcadero a few weeks ago. There were a lot of advanced screenings, including one at the military base where scenes were filmed.
Critics panned the first film, but it didn’t stop movie goers from turning it into a blockbuster that’s stood the test of time. We watched it the other week; I’d forgotten just how cheesy it is. The sequel is getting much kinder treatment – by just about everyone who’s seen it. Even my friends who hate action movies recommend it.
In a nation that’s so divided, it’s nice to see such strong consensus. I can’t help but think of the other top gun issue on everyone’s minds as we mourn a succession of mass shootings and cement our reputation as one of the world’s dangerous places to live, work and visit. We aren’t safe getting groceries, going to school, or (lest we forget another infamous San Diegan in Aurora, Colo.) going to the movies.
I used to defend gun owners until I did some research, starting with what the Second Amendment actually says about the right to bear arms. It’s pretty specific and doesn’t include language to let mentally ill 18-year-olds purchase assault rifles to slaughter schoolchildren. Guns are now the No. 1 killer of children, according to the CDC. And, as many of you already know, there are more guns than people in the United States, which is saying something when you also realize only 34% of U.S. citizens legally own guns. If these weapons were purchased purely for sport, sustenance, or protection, we wouldn’t be living through the terrorism of today.
I wish we could muster the same enthusiasm to change gun culture in our country that we have for movies like Top Gun: Maverick. The original came out just as I was about to marry and well before a couple of kids at a Colorado high school gave other lost souls with access to arms and ammo an idea. Even after the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, compounded by an incompetent police force that failed in its duty, 13 more mass shootings took place.
I can’t help but wonder how many of the servicemen we remember today would be appalled at what we’ve done with the freedoms they died protecting. And how many would probably love the heroics on display in a movie that you really should go see.
