April 1, 2013 6:45 AM

Debate (n.): An argument based on opposing interpretations of facts...unless you're a gun nut

Most of us continue to say we “support the Second Amendment” as if it were written by God (or we’re just afraid of being seen as anti-American). But this amendment was written by the same white men who thought a Negro was only 3/5 human. We’ve done nothing to revise or repeal this…. Pack your bags, NRA - you’re about to be shown the door. Because we refuse to let another child die in this manner. Got it? I hope so.

It’s become as amusing as it is predictable and disappointing. I’m being attacked on a personal level by gun nuts who evidently can’t be bothered to put forward a coherent argument that supports their position. It seems that personal insults- “You idiot” or “Blow it out your ass” have become the coin of the realm for those who can’t be bothered to think because they’re far too busy reacting.

A few insults directed my way aren’t things that have any particular impact on me. In order for an opinion to matter to me, I must first value the person offering it up. I don’t particularly care how these folks feel about me, though I do feel sorry for them. It must be difficult going through life so infrequently using your ability to reason. And it’s not as if being insulted will cause me to change the way I think.

The reality is this, y’all: I want to take your guns. The 2nd Amendment is an outdated construct that bears no relation to the world we live in. It was promulgated at a time when the firearm of choice was a muzzle-loading musket and when calling 911 wasn’t an option. Today we live in a world where the amount and types of firepower available to civilians are as breathtaking as they are efficiently lethal. Why any civilian would need military-grade weaponry in their home simply defies rational understanding. I believe that confiscating guns would save thousands of lives every year…something that matters less to gun nuts than their “inalienable right” to possess whatever degree of firepower their heart desires. It seems human life is a secondary consideration to those who value their “gun rights” over any and all other considerations.

Of course, I live in something of a fantasy world. I recognize that the 2nd Amendment isn’t going away, but that doesn’t make it sacrosanct, immutable or impervious to change. This country needs an honest discussion of what “the right to bear arms” means. Or are we really to be OK with the idea of thousands of innocent Americans being slaughtered every year in the name of “gun rights?” Should we re-examine our relationship with guns…or should we accept the never-ending carnage as a cost of doing business to maintain our “right to bear arms?”

Sadly, this isn’t destined to spark much of a reasoned and/or rational debate. I’m far more likely to receive a few more insults than I am to be engaged by those who feel differently…because being opposed to guns evidently means I’m worthy only of vilification. That’s OK, because I think it says far more about those throwing insults my way than it does about me.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on April 1, 2013 6:45 AM.

Gun violence: not a cost of doing business to protect our freedom was the previous entry in this blog.

Egypt bans humor: This explains why Bill Maher was declared persona non grata is the next entry in this blog.

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