Will Toby Keith Sing About This?

There was a shooting in Colorado this week. Seventy one people shot. Twelve of them killed. One of the twelve was a sailor. Another was a sports writer. And still another was a child. All I can do is helplessly offer my heartfelt condolences to the people who were shot, and those who survive.

These events lead to a storm of arguments about gun control. This put me into the awkward position of defending my friend in his gun control stance.

When it comes to that debate, I am kind of in the middle. I’ve owned rifles and hand guns. I have been certified in Illinois (1980s), and Texas (2007 to 2009) to openly carry a side-arm while working. I still have a double barreled, break action, 45 Colt Long, .410, Cobray derringer. It is too much of a hassle to own guns in Illinois, so it is safely tucked away in protected location in Texas. The rest of my modest (by Texas standards) collection was sold to pay rent, buy gas, and food, between 2009 and 2011. 

One argument which rose out of the maelstrom of on-line gun debate is the idea that you need weapons to protect yourself from government oppression. That is an NRA argument. That is a Constitutionalist argument. And it is a nonsensical argument. Many of the same people who make this argument would call the Taliban in Afghanistan terrorist for resisting our forces who invaded their country. Whatever you wish to call them, they are fighting our government forces in a politically charged environment, and losing. The idea that an armed insurrection within the United States would result in a different outcome is preposterous at best.

Our government, any government, is too willing, and capable of using unreasoning force to quell an uprising. All one has to do is look at what has happened around the US in response to the Occupy Movement. Even where there is no threat of violence the government concocts one, and moves in to suppress the mass, peaceful movement. The idea that you, or I, are going to stem that with a pretty little Glock 26, or a massive .50 Bull Pup, is just the rational side of silly. 

The only thing that you, or I, can do to stop an oppressive government is to not cooperate with their violent, tyrannical agenda. 

And just maybe we can stop killing each other in the process.