Living by the Gun

We all have different thoughts when it comes to weapons. Guns (pistols, rifles, etc.) seem especially divisive. You can't get very far in the world today without at least hearing some part of the constant debate. Between the anti and pro gun rallies and school shootings and violence being promoted by the mainstream media there isn't enough silence for questions to be asked. It would seem that there are only two sides to this debate and that those that claim to be somewhere in the middle are only refusing to choose. I am hoping to broaden the conversation by instead challenging a very commonly held premise and a feeling that I believe is experienced by all that choose to carry a pistol...

FIRST a hard fact for the pro-gun lobby to stomach:

A pistol is inherently negative in use. I understand and agree with the argument that there are times when only lethal force will do. Those times when you wake up and realize there is an intruder in your house, or you're out shopping and you find yourself faced with a person armed and demanding your keys and wallet. Or among the worst, you find yourself in a public area and about to become apart of the next mass shooting. These are all times that I think for the most part we can universally agree it would great to both know how to use and posses a gun. It can also be agreed that these occurrences don't give us much warning, and so the only way to be sure you have a gun is to keep it handy.

You've probably noticed that I said a pistol is inherently negative in use and then immediately began talking about guns. That was on purpose, and very shortly you'll see my point. The word gun is used to generally stand in for just about any firearm. Among the most common guns are rifles and pistols. A rifle gets it's name from the grooves inside the barrel which spin the bullet, greatly increasing it's accuracy, these grooves are called rifling hence rifle. A pistol still has a rifled barrel but does not have a butt-stock. A butt-stock is the portion of a rifle (or shotgun) that you hold against your shoulder/chest and cheek allowing for even better accuracy at range. So, it's easy to see that a pistol is then much smaller than any of it's counterparts. Because of a pistols size it looses a lot of it's accuracy and control. So, why on earth did we make the pistol if it's so much less accurate than the rifle and yet seems to serve a similar function. Well, in short, because it does not serve the same purpose. A pistol was never intended for hunting. A pistol was never intended to be reliable at long range (I understand that there are people that enjoy using pistols for both hunting and long range shooting). A pistol was designed to be small, sturdy and light. A pistol was designed to be easy and convenient to carry. As in, a pistol was designed to go anywhere just in case you needed a gun, but didn't have a rifle handy.

So, from above we can see that a pistol was designed specifically for emergent situations you didn't see coming. Most of those would be similar to the situations I mentioned earlier. But wait, if carrying that pistol is the reason you survived that situation, how can you say that pistols are inherently negative in use? The answer to that is: because you took the life of someone or something. You may have been justified, there may not have been any other option other than to surrender you own life; but you took a life. You were carrying that pistol on the chance that you may find yourself in a position to take a life. Taking a life is negative in any circumstance whether or not it's justified.

SO A PISTOL IS INHERENTLY NEGATIVE...

NOW, let's explore how that realization makes you feel while carrying a pistol.

If you have personally chosen to carry a pistol you have most likely received training on it's use and how to safely carry and operate it. Also, in most classes they do a little introduction to a "safety mindset" that they say is necessary to maintain while carrying a pistol. The advice varies by instructor, but some more common bits are the maintain a vigilance on your surroundings (especially concerning new or different people), while sitting at restaurants have your back to the wall, etc... These bits of advice, while good for safety, make you edgy. You can't trust people and suspect them at the same time. You may think that you are good at hiding your suspicions, but I can almost promise you that it comes across in either body language or words. That body language or those words will cause these strangers to treat you differently in-turn causing you to treat them with more suspicion. This long, exhausting and never ending cycle continues until you find yourself willingly avoiding the public. To fill in this gap, you seek like-minded people either in person or online through a forum. Finally, you've found a place that you can discuss things and interact without stirring up that awful cycle... But, there is a cost. Among like-minded individuals dissent is less likely. You are less likely to come across an article or opinion that challenges what you have been taught or your point of view. Before you know it, you're "sucked" into group think (everyone has been there at least once). Along with group think comes a feeling of superiority. With superiority comes a resistance to changing your point of view because you feel that you are standing up for the group.

ARE there consequences to group think unique to those that carry pistols?

Yes, there are organizations that thrive off of the self-alienation of "pistol carriers." A great example of one of these organizations is the NRA. They swoop in and promise to lobby Washington to assure that you will always be able to carry you pistol and in more places. There is, however, a catch. For you to have this representation you must pay a small annual fee, and they'll also make the case that you should vote for candidates based on their recommendations because that will help with their protecting of your rights. Just like that, you are now answering to another organization that you have charged with protecting your rights. You have essentially thrown in with a group you only mostly agree with, but have promised to support. There is also one more thing that has happened as a result. You've taken the carrying of a pistol from a personal choice to a political decision.

BUT, everything gets political! What makes politics so bad?

Politics makes it's living by dividing the population. For the most part, in the United States, when it comes time to vote you have two options. Depending on the source you have several different labels. You have left/right, conservative/liberal, and republican/democrat. The republicans have become the party known for supporting "gun rights" and therefore, many gun owners vote republican. Which means many people feel they have to vote for a certain person for president just so they can walk across the street carrying a pistol. But, WAIT, it gets better. Because it has become known that many (if not the majority) gun owners own guns and want to carry a pistol, then anyone that carries a pistol must be a conservative. And with the great title of conservative you get thrown in with the lot of Trump and every other conservative there has ever been. All this for carrying a pistol.

WHY have we tied pistol ownership to certain attitudes, behaviors and opinions?

Why does the site of carrying a pistol cause a "snap" judgement of the person carrying it? Why do they have to be violent? Why do they have to be barbaric? Why do they have to be conservative? And on the flip-side... Why does someone who does not carry a pistol have to be a democrat? Why do they have to be weaker? Why do they have to be peaceful?

People carry many things with them at all times. People carry cellphones for communication, keys for various doors, a lighter for smoking, a pen for writing, money for spending, etc... But, we don't question these things, even when we do them ourselves. We don't wonder if we'll need all the keys on our key ring today, we just carry them all in case. We don't question whether or not we'll need our cellphone we just carry it. This is all logical and accepted. But, for some reason, if you add a pistol to that pile of "daily carry" it makes you another kind of individual. HOW?? WHY??

We have made the pistol a political statement, a political position, and a behavioral indicator... We have done all of this without any proof, without fact, and for the most part without knowing it!

WHY?????? (Not Rhetorical)

A pistol is not politics, it is not a statement piece, it is not a religion. A pistol is a tool. It is a tool for a bad situation, one that most of us hope to never need, but some of us would like to have around just in case.

IF you're out in public and notice someone carrying a gun (safely) don't jump straight to considering them a violent person and possible threat. For the most part these people are only interested in protecting themselves and their family. Chances are they will likely defend you as well if the situation arises. And if you're out carrying a pistol and happen across someone that is opposed to it don't jump to the conclusion that they are weak or stupid. The fact is people aren't that simple. There isn't a black and white. Most people are decent. And ALL people should think for THEMSELVES.

There is no reason to feel guilty for carrying a pistol. It is only dangerous if it is misused. There is no reason to feel guilty for going about your day completely unarmed. The chances are very small that you'll ever find yourself unprepared because you didn't have a pistol.

THIS DIVISION IS ABSOLUTELY POINTLESS AND WEAKENS BOTH SIDES!

Now who benefits from that?????