Thoughts on Gun Control

“War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” - John Stuart Mill

Two decades ago, I memorized the above quote as part of Basic Cadet Training in the United States Air Force Academy. Now, over twenty years later, I am still capable of remembering the quote, it was written without the aid of a search engine. I selected this quote for several reasons. I am proud that, as I joined the next generation of American warriors, we were taught not to glorify violence, but instead to view it as a necessary evil.

It also reminds me of being a young man finding myself at the Academy. Years later, when I met my future wife, I told her that I was the “flaming liberal of the Air Force Academy”. She rolled her eyes and stated, “There is no place on earth where you are a flaming liberal.” Years later, when she met some Academy graduates she apologized and said as far right of center as I am, I really must have seemed like a liberal there. As I have publicly engaged several vocal pro-gun advocates since my return to the United States and the tragedy of Sandy Hook, I would like to dispel any misconceptions for those who may not know me well.

Through the course of earnest debate, I have been somewhat painted as a sushi eating, latte drinking, pot smoking hippy pacifist, from the ultra-Blue state of Washington. On the contrary, I was raised in the ultra-Red state of Arizona and on most things am pretty right of center. I am not a crazed supporter of some left wing agenda nor am I a pacifist. I believe violence is an option - but it should always remain the very last option. In fact it was my belief in violence that made me the liberal of the Academy.

In 1992, I was in a political science class discussing the upcoming presidential election. The Republican nominee, George H. W. Bush was a decorated Navy aviator who served his country in WW II fighting the enemy in the Pacific arena. The Democratic nominee was the disgraceful draft dodging pot smoker William J. Clinton who wanted to allow GAYS - DIRTY DISGUSTING HOMOSEXUALS serve in our beloved armed services.

“If I ever found a gay in the Cadet Wing, I would personally beat the shit out of them,” my classmate proudly asserted.

“No you wouldn’t,” I said calmly.

“Why not? Fucking fags do not belong here!”

“You simply can’t go around beating people up because they’re different from you.”

“It won’t just be me, there are plenty of others who wouldn’t mind a bit of queer bashing.”

And I ended the debate with the sincere threat of violence in front of my instructor, an officer in the Air Force. “You would have to get through me first.”

That was my stand. I lacked the courage to support gays in the military. I never said that homosexuals should be allowed into the Cadet Wing. I simply stated that beating someone senseless for being gay is morally reprehensible and I became a fag lover. I would like to think that had I been born in another century that I would have been called a nigger lover too.

Based on my experiences at the Academy and my own self-professed fairly right wing world view, I get concerned when I appear to be the liberal. Throughout my course of debate on the gun control issue, I now find myself re-embracing the role of the flaming liberal and that concerns me. I would like to address some of the issues I have heard from the pro-gun side and see how that compares with President Obama’s vision of gun control in the twenty-first century.

I have personally used a gun to put a critically injured deer out of its misery.
There you have it, the single best use of a firearm by a civilian I have heard throughout the course of debate. Sadly, there are deer that will be hit by cars and the humane thing to do is to put them down instead of let them suffer for hours on the side of the road until they eventually die from their wounds.

I like to shoot. It’s a real sport. If you ever shot guns you would get it too.
I have in fact, been raised with guns. I started shooting rifles when I was ten. I grew up in Arizona and partook in the great white trash tradition of shooting shit in the desert. In the Air Force, I qualified as an expert on the M9 and the M16. Being an accurate shot is definitely a skill and everybody needs a hobby. If anyone wants to go to a gun range and do some target practice, I really don’t care. It’s not my thing and there was a time when I used to do it. For whatever reason, it no longer appeals to me personally, but I see no reason why people should not still be able to participate in this if they so desire.

Hunting.
I have never been hunting, but I have always wanted to go deer hunting. As a non-vegetarian, I would like to know what it’s like to catch my own dinner. I would be willing to obey all laws related to hunting, purchase a hunting license, and only hunt during hunting season. I have never gone hunting because I don’t know what I am doing. If anyone out there is willing to take an inexperienced liability with them on their next trip, I would gladly take them up on it.

Home protection.
I have just listed three reasons for gun ownership, that while don’t have me running out to buy a gun, don’t really appall me either. This is where I start to differ. I do not own a gun nor will I ever own a gun to protect my home. I feel there is more danger from accidental shooting and other reasons that I will get into a bit later. However, I do think there is some middle ground here. If one truly feels they need a gun for home protection and understands all the safety risks associated with gun ownership, I think that choice belongs to the individual and will be shaped by their unique circumstances.

We need guns to keep a tyrannical government in check!
I have served in the armed forces of the United States. No civilian is ever going to overthrow a tyrannical government armed with body armour and attack helicopters. I have held the shells that are shot out of A-10s and are capable of piercing tanks. To think civilians could stand up against this is sheer lunacy.

Within our system of government, there are much better tools to overthrow bad government policy that do not involve the use of arms. As a case in point, I would like to acknowledge the Civil Rights movement. For one hundred years after the formal end of slavery in the United States, black people remained second class citizens with real rights (not pretend rights like assault rifle ownership) infringed upon. Black people faced discrimination in buying property, intimidation in voting, segregation in schools, were not permitted to use the same bathrooms and water fountains as white people, and had to suffer through every day humiliation like giving up a seat on the bus so a white person could sit down. While not as bad as slavery, all of the above seem fairly tyrannical to me. These laws and traditions were nothing short of government sponsored intimidation and humiliation.

The Jim Crow laws were not ended by black people arming themselves and righteously shooting government agents of discrimination. The Jim Crow laws were brought to an end through bringing attention to the matter from speeches, peaceable assembly, boycotts, and media exposure. As black people courageously faced tear gas, were attacked by guard dogs, and were sprayed with water hoses; we as a nation watched and were shocked by what we saw. The images of those marching and speaking for civil rights shocked a disgraced nation in front of a global audience to do the right thing and end these abhorrent practices.

Wanna end tyranny? Try free speech and peaceable assembly. It works.

I am not naive enough to think that there was no violence involved in the Civil Rights movement. People were severely beaten and many died before the passing of the Civil Rights Act. However, it could have been much, much worse. A huge social upheaval was accomplished with a minimal amount of violence. The tactics practiced by the leaders of the Civil Rights movement are every bit as practical today as they were then. In fact, we now live in a society where almost every citizen is carrying a video camera and can quickly and easily upload any evidence of tyranny to a global audience. If the mainstream media does not want to pick it up, we now have the technology to self publish and expose our government should it chose to turn on its people. I firmly believe that in fighting tyranny, a camcorder is far more effective than a gun.



I don’t want to give up one of my sacred rights because of a few idiots!
Sadly, our nation was founded upon slavery. Forever enshrined in our Constitution is the Three-Fifths Compromise which states that slaves are to be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of a census. As a nation, we went to war and lost more American lives than every other war put together over the issue of slavery. There were many slaveholders who felt that their moral and Constitutional rights to own slaves were being violated. Looking back, the idea of one human owning another human seems ludicrous. Through our twenty-first century morality, it is almost impossible to empathize with the slave owner who lost his rights.

Stop thinking of gun ownership as a cherished right that is being taken away by your tyrannical government. Start thinking of it as a society that is growing up.

My rights.
Yep, I think your “right” to gun ownership is infringing upon my rights. Let me explain...

In high school I had a friend who was two years behind me. I went off to college and wound up at a party on New Year’s Eve. It was an epic party - truly one for the ages. I was having a great time and had a great buzz going. The clock struck 12 and “Mark” (name changed to protect the stupid) thought it would be a great idea to pull out his gun and shoot it in the air. I can still remember trying to drunkenly explain the laws of gravity and that shooting bullets into the air was a horrible, unsafe idea. Mark disregarded my advice and I thought it would probably be a good idea not to hang out with Mark anymore.

A few years after the party, another friend told me a story about Mark. Mark and another idiot got in an argument over a parking space in Tempe. There was some bluster and shouting when the first idiot pulled out a gun. Mark dropped to the ground and pulled his gun, shot, and killed the first idiot. Shortly after, Mark willingly turned himself into the police. Mark made a statement, witnesses made statements, and Mark was let go. The case was never prosecuted and closed as self defense.

This is not a feel good story of self protection. This is proof positive of Baron von Clausewitz’s statement “violence tends to escalate.”  The rhetoric and aggression would not have reached this pinnacle had these two not been carrying guns, someone would not be dead. At worst, a fight would have broken out, but sadly a life was lost over a fucking parking space. I fear as people arm themselves increasingly for “self-protection” this scenario will play out over and over again.

Performance Enhancing Drugs
Wait a minute, I thought you were talking about gun control? In the wake of Lance Armstrong’s confession to the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), there is a growing group of people asking why PEDs should even be banned in the first place. Why not let them be a part of sports?

As a society, we love sports because it may be the very last true meritocracy. It is a place where talent overcomes everything else. The coach’s son may get extra time and attention in little league, but by the time we view college or professional sports it’s all about getting the best athletes onto the field. If someone uses PEDs they have an edge over anyone who does not use. At some point, sports such as cycling, get so dirty that the only way to compete is to use PEDs. The sport is now no longer a meritocracy and a display of talent. It starts to come down to who has access to the best PEDs. An athlete who has a moral qualm or concerns with the health risks associated with the PEDs can no longer compete in this environment because everyone else is using. They have no choice but to use themselves.

As much as the pro-gun side envisions a dystopia run by a tyrannical government that robs them of their precious guns and the ability to overthrow said tyranny; I am starting to envision a completely different and more real dystopia. My dystopia involves everyone carrying a gun because they simply have no choice. To go out unarmed would leave one subject to the whims of the bulk of regular civilians who are armed and my rights would be infringed upon. Ordinary arguments over parking spaces or workplace disagreements would end in death. Maybe I have a vested interest here because I am loud, obnoxious, freely offer my opinion to people who do not necessarily want to hear it, and am capable of being quite the asshole. What if my unpopular opinion is not appreciated by someone holding a gun? Does he have the right to flash his piece, threaten shooting, or draw on me? This is the real scenario that I truly fear.

Vividness. You are only focusing on guns because the images from Sandy Hook are so incredibly vivid that it upsets you. You face many more dangers from life including driving a car or germs in a hospital.
Ah, the vividness argument. Yes, life is dangerous. However, the NRA and the pro-gun lobby actively celebrates guns and cherishes the opportunity to use their guns. I realize I may sound a bit like a pro-lifer talking about wanting to foster a “culture of life”. There is a key distinction here as I don’t think any woman has ever celebrated an abortion. In fact, women who do have abortions typically suffer from depression and are far higher suicide risks. It is possible that the guilt and weight of this decision haunts them for a very long time. While the pro-life side has their reasons to believe they are right, no one on the pro-choice side loves it when a woman aborts a fetus.

Back to gun control though, the pro-gun side loves it when a “good guy” stops a bad guy. They dream of the chance to be a hero. This scenario scares me and is why I would like to see reasonable gun control enacted and end the glorification of righteous good guys with guns.

The Second Ammendment
I don’t care which side of the debate you are on, if you have read this far, you should read the Second Amendment in its entirety. It’s short.

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Does the second amendment mean that well regulated militias may own guns or does it grant freedom to every citizen to own military grade weaponry? Since our founding fathers are all dead, we will never know their true intentions. However, I believe our founding fathers were simultaneously visionary dreamers who created an amazing system of government designed to keep us free and hypocritical slave owners. They were wrong about some things like black men having 60% of the value of a white men. Regardless of their intentions, which is probably somewhere in the middle between guns for militias and assault rifles for all, it doesn’t matter. Our society has changed. Get over it. There is room for gun control without infringing on the sacradness of the second amendment, depending on your interpretation of it.

Only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun.
“Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” - Lord Acton

This is my nightmare scenario. Some guy who has been picked on his whole life goes out and gets a gun because he is, in fact, a “good guy”. Now the next time he feels bullied or intimidated, he is going to whip out his gun and relive every humiliation he suffered through as an adolescent. In that moment, he is going to build himself up to be that good and righteous person and stand up for his rights and shoot someone for being an asshole. Again, I have a vested interest here as I am, in fact, quite the asshole at times.

If someone wants to be a “good guy”, by all means, volunteer to serve in our nation’s military or law enforcement services. I will say this, I entered the United States Air Force Academy in peak physical condition. I was capable of running a mile and a half in nine minutes flat. Could rattle off 20 pull ups. Bench press 315 pounds. I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that Basic Cadet Training nearly broke me physically and mentally. I say I am not ashamed because everyone who went through it felt the same way. I learned what the word “serve” meant and appreciate the men and women who do serve.

However, going down to the Army/Navy surplus store and buying a field jacket and going to the target range once in awhile does not qualify one to be a righteous armed citizen. That is not a life of service dedicated to the protection of liberty. It’s vigilantism at best. At worst, it will lead to the next George Zimmerman or an angry man out to right every perceived injustice he has ever suffered.

At what point does someone’s “right” to a gun end and my right to go out and have a good time and not get shot begin? Seriously, what is wrong with sensible gun control? What’s wrong with a ban on assault rifles, background checks, cooling off periods? What has President Obama proposed that is so damn offensive? What are the alternatives that can be used to help our society evolve? Is there an answer besides arming every citizen?

I lived in a society that voluntarily disarmed itself following a gun massacre. In almost every way, I cherish the American life over the Australian life, except when it comes to gun control. I felt safer walking around Australia comfortable in the knowledge that I was not surrounded by wannabe heroes itching at the chance to prove themselves “good guys”. I am notorious for not caring about my personal safety, but if I were given the choice of having my wife or daughter walk through St Kilda or Venice Beach at night - I would not hesitate on this hypothetical to say St Kilda. Gun disarmament can work. I have seen it.

Last Thoughts
As I have said, I am not a pacifist. There have been a few times in my adult life when I felt violence was merited. In both of these incidents, having been armed would have been disastrous.

I was a poor twenty-three year old living in Hermosa Beach. I had very few material possessions, but did possess a shitty, old couch. At some point, a roommate went out and bought something much nicer than my shitty, old couch. For some reason, rather than doing the sane thing like hauling the shitty, old couch to the dump or arranging for oversized trash pickup, we took my shitty, old couch and moved it outside to a patio area.

Since the couch was old and shitty, I didn’t care if it got rained on. By the time summer came around and we felt like barbecuing on the patio, the couch would be dry enough to sit on. I guess we figured that if it got moldy and so gross that no one would ever sit on it, we could deal with it later. So the couch sat there throughout the Spring and I more or less forgot about it.

Then one night, my girlfriend and I decided to leave my apartment at around 10PM to walk to the convenience store and get some snacks and drinks. As we walked past the patio, I heard some strange noises. In the shadows, I saw two men raping a woman. The adrenaline started pumping and I was ready to take two rapists on by myself. Except... As I approached the patio ready to fight these vile attackers, I heard the most surprising noise. Giggling. The two men and the girl quickly pulled their pants up and ran away towards the beach, arm in arm in arm.

I was absolutely shocked that a young lady would willingly decide to get double teamed by two guys on my shitty, old couch not far from a major street. My girlfriend caught up to me and we watched in stunned silence. A few moments ago, I was absolutely convinced I was going to stop a rape and it only took a twenty second delay to realize I was wrong. What if I were packing and desperate to prove myself to be a hero? I could have easily shot two men for having incredibly bad judgement. There were a few crimes that were committed by the threesome and I would have been within my rights to file charges for lewd acts in public, trespassing, and ask for restitution for my now forever soiled couch. If caught, I am pretty sure that a sentence of community service and possibly drug and alcohol counseling would be reasonable. However, these crimes did not merit a death sentence. For clarity’s sake, I feel obligated to say that I never sat on the couch again.

The last time I actually hit someone was not long after the couch incident. I went on a trip with my girlfriend and was around a bunch of people I did not know. I was having a great time and the entire group consumed a lot of alcohol. A LOT OF ALCOHOL. Sometime around 3AM, my girlfriend and I decided to call it a night. I woke up at 6AM to a phone call and my girlfriend telling me I had to go to her friends’ room. One of the guys in the group went to the girls’ room and then proceeded to get on top of one of the girls and he wasn’t leaving.

I walked into a scene that was ugly and only getting worse. A six foot, two hundred pound man was on top of a 110 pound girl. She was screaming and hitting him while pinned underneath him and he was not letting go. I have said it numerous times, I hate violence, but this was not the time for me to gently tap the man on the shoulder and ask him if he thought the young lady was appreciating his actions. I hit him as hard as I could repeatedly in the ribs. He momentarily forgot about sexually assaulting the girl and focused on me. Punches were thrown. I managed to pick him up and physically throw him out of the room. In the hallway, I had him in a choke hold until he stopped fighting. Without another word being said, after he calmed down, he got up and left ashamed of himself.

The girls would have been well within their rights to have called hotel security. They would have restrained the guy until the police came. The girl who was pinned could have filed a sexual assault charge and the guy would have become a sex offender. Some would say that would be right rather than take a mild beating from me but escaping without any other consequence. I do know that this incident was a turning point for the guy and he acknowledged he had a problem with drinking and stopped doing it.

Either way though, I am glad that I did not enter the room with a gun out yelling, “Stop or I’ll shoot.” Instead of being jailed or taking a beating he would be dead and I would be a killer. I would be spending the rest of my days second guessing myself and definitely would not choose to see myself as a hero.