I write an awful lot about gun control (who knew?), and no one who frequents my dank, cobwebby corner of da Interwebs should have any question as to where I come down on the issue. Sometimes, it’s good to change things up, so today my argument will be made for me by Chris Brosovic, a Facebook friend from deep in the heart of Texas. Chris is proof positive that not every Texan is a screaming, rabid gun nut who’d give up their first-born child before they’d part with their guns. Some (even outside of Austin) understand that guns don’t define us as Americans; they threaten our safety and well-being…and it’s our own damned fault.
Something I need to get off my chest.
The argument has been put forth that we, the citizens of this country, need guns because one day (soon to some) we will need to fight off a, make that our, tyrannical government.
Here’s my problem with this notion.
The reason our government is so jacked up is because of ‘we’ the citizens. That’s right, we either keep voting the same people into office, or we don’t participate at all.
We never hold anyone accountable. We don’t study our own history. We don’t pay attention unless something dramatic, and usually pointless, happens.
So let’s say this fairy tale battle takes place, and we defeat, um, ourselves? I mean who the fuck are we going to be fighting anyways? The military made up of our brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, etc?
But that’s beside the point. Let us say we ‘win’. Tyranny defeated. Do you really think that somehow everything is just going to shit itself right?
Suddenly everyone is going to put on their magic thinking caps and actually change their ways? Please.
Give it a week and we will vote the same assholes right back into office in our new and improved super-duper America.
Guns don’t protect you from tyranny in a democracy (I know, it’s technically a federal republic but whatever). Paying attention, voting, participating, you know, doing something other than sitting around polishing your guns and waiting for the end of times, those things protect us.
That’s the genius of our system. And its weakness. Because it depends on ‘we’ the citizens, not guns, not war. Us.
