I know, I know...this is looking like me beating a dead horse. Gun ownership, Second Amendment Rights, Everyone Play Nice, yadda yadda. However, some things have occurred to me for the very first time regarding my ambivalence about gun ownership and I want to share them before they get eaten by Vodka Particles.
First: I know some of my good friends who believe that everyone should be able to bear arms a) know my opinion and b) have probably stopped reading by now. Friends, it's okay, I understand. Many of you have a knee-jerk defensive response to anyone who suggests otherwise - I have those triggers too (haha, get it?!). Let me assure you that I have no intention of attacking you. That being said, here are some of the reasons I have heard, along with my response.
1) "It's my right under the Second Amendment"
Yes. Yes it is. I won't belabor the point regarding the historical context of the Amendment itself, that's a whole 'nother argument and I'm not well educated enough to tackle it anyway. However, exercising that right to carry a gun around is sending me ('cause it's all about *me*) a message. And that message is: you have to trust me implicitly that I won't use this gun to shoot you.
When I see someone with a gun who does not have a uniform, a badge, or both, I don't see someone who is exercising their right to defend themselves. I see someone who is a direct threat to me. I assume that, since you have a gun, you intend to use it. Without that badge or uniform I have *no* way of knowing what kind of training you have recieved, if any. Cops are neither omnicient nor omnipresent, so I can't trust that you didn't just pull it out when cops weren't around. You are asking me to trust that you won't pull that gun out and use it to demand that I suck your dick. If you are a stranger, that is asking a HELL of a lot from me. Just like you should have the right to carry that gun, *I* should have the right to not get shot by some deluded trigger-happy asshole.
Which brings me to my next reason:
2) "I only use it in self defense"
I took this wonderful self-defense course last fall where I addressed my concerns about using a gun for self-defense: namely, how does one decide when deadly force is called for? The police officer told me that, when one recieves their weapons certification, they are taught just that: when they can a) recognize when their life is in danger, and 2) the appropriate use of deadly force. In other words, they are taught many of the same ways to judge a situation that a police officer is taught. I thought that was definitely worth learning.
See, I don't think someone running off with my purse justifies me shooting them...it's just a purse. I also don't think that someone breaking into my home to take my stuff is justification for shooting them...it's just stuff. However, if they threaten me or my family, I do feel justified. My problem is: at what point has that person (or persons) crossed the line between threatening my stuff and threatening me? And what if I'm wrong? What if that person wasn't carrying a weapon at all, but a bag of Skittles? And what if the gun they are threatening me with is my own?
That is a hell of a lot of responsibility to shoulder. That is why I am not a police officer, and why I have so much respect for individuals who *have* taken on the responsibility for deciding who lives and who dies. If I'm right, I'm a hero even though I've killed or injured someone. And if I'm wrong, I've committed murder or assault. That leads me to the next reason:
3) "If everyone had a gun, we'd all be safer"
Guns are the great equalizer. You don't have to know how to use a knife, or your fists, or verbal coercion: you just point and shoot. So, having a gun gives you power. I believe that, more than anything else, is why people want them so desperately. Having a bad day at work? Boss walking all over you? Girlfriend thinks your a pushover? Not anymore...now you have a gun. You make the rules, because no one can stop you. Now what?
I'm cynical enough to believe that having that kind of power brings out a darker side of human nature. Anyone - ANYONE - can become a murderer, no matter what your background or training. Access to a tool such as a gun that would enable you to exercise that power more readily would enable more "impulse" shootings. You have the tool, you may not be thinking clearly, you can take charge. Why not just do it?
"But the other person has a gun, too" you might be thinking. I honestly have no idea if that is any sort of deterrent for someone with murder in their heart. And if I have a gun too, and we have a John Woo-style standoff, one or both of us will end up dead. Doesn't exactly make me feel any safer.
4) "I only collect them"
Guns are beautiful pieces of technology. They are thrilling to hold. That greasy, sleek heaviness that can only come from a gun barrel, beautiful, smooth wooden stocks, the smell of gunpowder. And, of course, the rush of power you feel when you hold a gun, aim, and shoot. Target shooting truly is fun.
That being said...unlike knives, guns have one purpose and one purpose only in their design. To Kill. Hunting rifles are just that - they are made to hunt. Pistols are made for easy portability, easy wielding, and easy access. To. Kill.
I can understand the appeal of having a collection of deadly weapons, I really do. As I have said, guns truly are awe-inspiring, not only in their design, but in their deadly potential. So long as we remember - they are weapons, not toys, not trophies.
Over all, I know there are perfectly responsible gun-owners out there. I don't know how many of those people have successfully defended themselves against danger by using their gun - I'm not sure there is a way to tell, really. I understand that owning a gun gives you a sense of power that you might otherwise be lacking. I just can't support an umbrella policy that EVERYONE can and should be entrusted with the responsibility of owning a gun. Some people have absolutely no business owning a gun.
There are no easy answers to the question "So, Pam, how would *you* determine who should have a gun and who shouldn't? Who gets the power? Who can use it responsibly?" I can only answer that power, ultimately, corrupts. Someone who might not otherwise hurt another person might shoot if they had a gun, because they can. That's what power does. I don't trust myself with that kind of power. I think Harper Lee nailed it when she said "Having a gun is an invitation for someone to shoot you."
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