This story unknowingly/unintentionally brings up the dichotomy in every ‘gun enthusiast.’
There is the blustery side. The side that is appalled at other people’s reach for power. How DARE they trample on other’s rights, those gun banners! From my cold dead hands… Molon Labe! What is that, a wiener joke, you fraidy cat hoplophobe?!
This blustery side is the side you see, as it is boisterous, and refuses to be bullied. It attracts the most attention in the media and is the characteristics our political enemies also rail against.
But it isn’t all us, as the article linked goes to show.
There is also the quiet responsible side to so-called gun enthusiast. The side you don’t hear about because it is quiet. The side that knows this is a weighty responsibility, gun wielding and ownership, and perhaps that most serious of events... use, for keeps. The side of us that is protective. The side that scans around, in case something pops up to make us go from yellow to orange on our alert level. The side that practices. The side that notes that there is a backstop over there so if this really is a bad guy a missed shot won’t hurt anyone else. The side that isn’t SAD that guns are necessary because the thought they weren’t at one time (I don't know what presumably civilized time and place in the past they weren't necessary... 1922 York, England? 1956 Bangor Maine?) was a mere self indulgent fantasy of SOME in society. We never lived in a Utopia, wishing for its return is folly.
I wish this quiet side was all we needed to present to the world, but the Utopia-ists brought out the boisterous half. Maybe one day the boisterous half will be able to go dormant. But I kinda doubt it. That whole ‘wishing for utopia’ cuts both ways.
Eternal vigilance.
There is the blustery side. The side that is appalled at other people’s reach for power. How DARE they trample on other’s rights, those gun banners! From my cold dead hands… Molon Labe! What is that, a wiener joke, you fraidy cat hoplophobe?!
This blustery side is the side you see, as it is boisterous, and refuses to be bullied. It attracts the most attention in the media and is the characteristics our political enemies also rail against.
But it isn’t all us, as the article linked goes to show.
There is also the quiet responsible side to so-called gun enthusiast. The side you don’t hear about because it is quiet. The side that knows this is a weighty responsibility, gun wielding and ownership, and perhaps that most serious of events... use, for keeps. The side of us that is protective. The side that scans around, in case something pops up to make us go from yellow to orange on our alert level. The side that practices. The side that notes that there is a backstop over there so if this really is a bad guy a missed shot won’t hurt anyone else. The side that isn’t SAD that guns are necessary because the thought they weren’t at one time (I don't know what presumably civilized time and place in the past they weren't necessary... 1922 York, England? 1956 Bangor Maine?) was a mere self indulgent fantasy of SOME in society. We never lived in a Utopia, wishing for its return is folly.
I wish this quiet side was all we needed to present to the world, but the Utopia-ists brought out the boisterous half. Maybe one day the boisterous half will be able to go dormant. But I kinda doubt it. That whole ‘wishing for utopia’ cuts both ways.
Eternal vigilance.
[To sum up the Denver Post's writers arc: All guns are bad, but I now see a case where it wasn't, so now I'm a bit conflicted. The policy should still be all guns are bad, regardless. I'm really sorry that the world and how it works doesn't match the picture in my head. Not 'head in the oven' sad, but almost.]
No comments:
Post a Comment
I reserve the right to delete patently offensive comments. Or, really, any comment I feel like. Or I might leave a really juicy comment up for private ridicule. Also spammers.
You can always offend hippies in the comment section. Chances are, those will be held up as a proper example...