Second Ammendment Myth: Busting the Line

Ultimately, what is the NRA peddling? Fear of the other. There is no ration reason anyone should have a weapon capable of mass-murder; there aren’t that many ‘others.’ Why a semi-automatic with tens of rounds per clip and not a small bomb? Does the method really mater? Where’s the line? The maverick, the self-contained, self-made man lies at the root of America's grotesque fascination with its past. No one is an island. What did you eat today? Did you slaughter that pig and collect those chicken's eggs? Society is about interactions. It’s human nature. Think about it. By definition, the purely independent man’s story is never heard, never known and therefore wasted. To function as a whole, individuals must care sufficiently for one another, at least on average.

We must consider the question of the line between that R in the NRA and the AK of this modern-day. What weapon is appropriate for anyone to wield? Is a taser sufficient? Should we treat this like drivers licenses with classifications? Just because there is no Constitutional Right for an individual to keep and bear arms doesn't mean guns should be removed from homes. Assault rifles, large caliber sniper rifles, explosive devices, etc. are examples of overkill. Creating well-regulated militias will allow passionate people to not only safely experience the dream of firing some of the most powerful weapons on Earth, currently beyond the reach of the common man, but will also support the common defense in a real way.

Is it the guns or the sick individuals responsible for all this tragedy? Fact: healthy people do not commit mass-murder. Fact: societies without guns do not suffer these events. It's both. Maybe the solution is both. Maybe we must allow the Citizenry to embrace weaponry to their liking but in a “well-regulated” manner. By opening up the concept of a militia, we can mix the satisfaction of blowing stuff up with the dream of being a hero, all while supporting the real heroes. By limiting the supply of deadly weapons like the AR15 and the AK47 to the military and these Constitutional militias, we drain the pool of deadly weapons, thereby forever limiting access to criminals. Eventually, remaining models will be far too expensive for casual use. Seriously, handguns and shotguns are more than enough to protect the average home; and pepper-spray is a sensible precaution for any outing. Fact: the Second Amendment is not about a well-armed populace.

That's what this is all about: arms are for armies and well-regulated militias. It's not about the government taking away one's ability to defend their property. It's about taking away that crazy couple's ability to kill a bunch of people, no matter what that phone might contain.

Tim, thanks for holding the line.