Category Archives: Guns

The Matryoshka Doll Fantasy

One of the big arguments against taking guns away from individuals is that we need them just in case the big bad federal government comes to take away our rights.  This is a grown men playing Dungeons and Dragons fantasy, but it’s worth addressing in greater detail.

If you truly believe that the federal government may eventually come to take away your rights, the only logical solution is a well organized, well trained, well regulated state militia.

If you truly believe that the state may eventually come to take away your rights and the federal government won’t stick up for you, the only logical solution is a well organized, well trained, well regulated county militia.

If you truly believe that the county may eventually come to take away your rights and the state won’t stick up for you, the only logical solution is a well organized, well trained, well regulated town militia.

If you truly believe that the town may eventually come to take away your rights and the county won’t stick up for you, the only logical solution is a well organized, well trained, well regulated neighborhood militia.

If you truly believe that the neighborhood may eventually come to take away your rights and the town won’t stick up for you, the only logical solution is a well organized, well trained, well regulated household.
If you truly believe that your household may eventually come to take away your rights and the neighborhood won’t stick up for you, the only logical solution is a well organized, well trained, well regulated individual.

Here you are, the smallest matryoshka doll alone with all your guns.

In this fantasy world where someone is coming to take away your rights, at some point, you have to trust someone or you are going to have your rights taken away.  If you don’t trust your household to protect you, you should probably move to a different house.  If you don’t trust your neighborhood to protect you, you should probably move to a different neighborhood.  If you don’t trust your town to protect you, you should probably move to another town.  If you don’t trust your county to protect you, you should probably move to another county.  If you don’t trust your state to protect you, you should probably move to a different state.  If you don’t trust your country to protect you, you should probably move to a different planet.  Because if any bigger matryoshka doll decides to take away your rights, there is a zero percent chance of you keeping those rights.

The Unhinged Ramblings Of A Syphilitic Mind

Imagine there was a mass shooting in which scores of 6 and 7 year olds were killed.  Imagine the country reeling from such a tragedy and coming to terms with what it all means.  Imagine grasping for answers to try to prevent such a tragedy from occurring in the future.

What solutions would you come up with?  Would you want to ban assault weapons?  Would you want to improve our mental health capabilities?  Would you suggest that 6 year olds should all run and hug any mass murder assailant that happens to walk into school?

Wait, what was that last one again?  Yes, Megan McArdle is back to bring her special brand of stupid.  She wants to train children to charge at the assailants instead of hiding.  Think of how many less children would have died if they all ran straight at him instead of him having to actually seek them out!

That would be a great premise for a horror movie, though.  A bunch of six year olds who hug their victims to death!  Kind of Village of the Damned meets Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

If you ever use Megan McArdle to support your argument, you lose.  She’s like a stopped clock that happens to be right twice a day.

Grown Men Playing Dungeons And Dragons

Everyone wants to save the damsel in distress.  Everyone wants to slay the dragon.  Everyone wants to be the one to save the world from a great evil.  This desire can be seen in our movies.  It can be seen in our books.  And it can be seen in our gun culture.

I have a gun in my house so I can protect my family.  I carry a gun with me to protect myself from killers.  I will be able to use this gun to stop that mall shooter.  These are all the thoughts of an individual living out a Dungeons and Dragons fantasy.  Every single one of those scenarios only has a slightly greater chance of happening than you having the opportunity to slay a dragon.

That stranger in your house is not there to kill you.  That person robbing you on the street does not want to kill you.  You will never see a mall shooter.  Statistically speaking, those statements are all true.  If you confront and kill a burglar, chances are you’re killing someone who had no intention of killing you.  If you confront and kill a mugger, chances are you’re killing someone who had no intention of killing you.  You will never see a mall shooter.

It isn’t that you shouldn’t have these fantasies.  They are good fantasies to have.  I have them too.  It’s fun to imagine saving the day, protecting your family, routing evil.  But please, for the love of all that is good in this world, please recognize them for what they are.  And that’s fantasies!  Using these scenarios to justify owning a gun just shows you as a person who can’t escape from their fantasies.  And that makes you much more dangerous than the pretend person who is going to kill you.

What Part Of “Well Regulated” Don’t We Understand?

The 2nd Amendment is one sentence long.  One measly sentence.  Yet it causes so much conflict between people who want guns and people who don’t want people to have guns.  Let’s review:

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.

Everyone seems to focus on the second part of the sentence while conveniently ignoring the first.  These are not two distinct ideas, but one entwined within the other.  Yes, the right to keep and bear arms should not be infringed.  Yes, there is no limitation as to what defines an “arm”.  But all this is only relevant in the context of a well regulated militia.

If you want to keep and bear arms, you must belong to a well regulated militia in your state.  That militia can say who gets to keep and bear arms.  That militia can say what kind of arms you are allowed to keep and bear.    That militia is set up by the state.  The state can decide who keeps and bears arms.  The only limit that I can see is that the state must allow some class of citizen to keep and bear arms.  We normally call that class of citizens police officers.

Disagree with me?  Ok, do you think people who have already killed should be able to own a gun?  By your interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, shouldn’t they be able to?  What about that schizophrenic?  Should he be able to own a gun?  Given the 2nd Amendment, why not?

Now, I’m not saying that only police officers should be able to carry guns.  Far from it.  What I am saying, though, is that it is the state’s right to decide for themselves who gets to own a gun.  If a state decides that only police should own a gun, fine.  If a state decides that individuals should be able to own tanks, fine.  If a state decides that individuals should be able to own tactical nuclear weapons, fine.

I believe that individuals should be able to own whatever the heck kind of arm they want.  But they should be well regulated.  Psychological tests should be mandatory.  Regular, state approved, safety classes should be mandatory.  Regular, state approved, proficiency exams should be mandatory.  Permits should be issued for each arm only after a safety and proficiency exam is passed.  Insurance to cover potential damages should be mandatory.

We’ve lost our way on the 2nd Amendment.  Regulation of arms is necessary and proper for the functioning of a free state.  That regulation should be decided by the state, though, and not the federal government.