For Certain Reasons

The NRA has been robo-calling the shit out of our office these last few days.  I'm not sure what's causing the spike, but usually the call times out before one of their reps picks up, which leaves one of our employees - me lately - repeating the word "hello" like an idiot for 10 seconds or so.  Today, however, some unfortunate rep was on the other end.  I let her introduce herself, and then:

Me:    Oh my God!  Is OBAMA gonna take all our GUNS!?!?!?!?!

NRA Rep:    (pause) Yes, that is a possibility.

Obviously, the correct answer was, "No sir.  That very concept is just as silly as, say, deporting all of the 'illegals' or 'ending the fed.'"  But no, the NRA needs to keep everyone as scared as possible at all times.  I am still looking for better sources, but there are stories of people burying their bibles when Jefferson was elected in fear that an atheist (he wasn't, unfortunately) would ban them.  This is precisely the sentiment the NRA is trying to channel.

So, where do I stand on gun issues?  I'm not anti-gun, and I'm not sure that we need new gun laws.  We definitely need to do a better job of enforcing the laws already on the books.  What I despise, however, are some elements of the gun culture in this country, for the following reasons.

Firstly, I don't get the NRA.  At all.  Comparatively speaking, gun owners in the United States are among the least restricted in the world.  Why, then, does the NRA make it seem like the very mention of the word "gun" will get you tossed in a gulag?  The way they play the victim card is truly disgusting and cynical, and they use the worst kind of fear-mongering to keep the money coming.

Secondly, the horrible truth is that if someone really wants to harm you, your family, or anyone for that matter, they are going to do so, and no amount of personal protection training or firearm ownership is going to stop it.  Period.  Even American presidents, with the most comprehensive personal security regimen on the planet, get assassinated.  I find the wet-dream hero fantasy embraced by many elements of American gun culture to be both disturbing and delusional.  Oh, and if you're using deadly force to protect non-living personal property, you have completely missed the point.  You are no better than Gollum.

Thirdly, the idea that having guns will protect you against a tyrannical government is almost completely obsolete, thanks in large part to our morbid addiction to militarism and adventurism.  Have you not been paying attention to the war in Afghanistan?  Good luck using that Mac 10 against a f**king predator drone, stupid.  It's frightening that, in 2010, there are people for whom we still have to explain that "Red Dawn" wasn't a documentary.

Finally, the concept of "bearing arms" in public has become not a matter of personal freedom, but of personal intimidation.  We're not that stupid, teabaggers - the not-at-all subtle subtext of your bringing weapons to public rallies is, "Oh, you disagree with ME?  Let's see how you disagree with my friend KALASHNIKOV."  This is the very definition of cowardice.

To summarize, I rarely think societal problems are solved by "more banning."  We definitely need better enforcement of our current gun laws.  Also, I should point out that I have no problem whatsoever with the type of firearm use associated with hunting, sport shooting, and other hobbies.  It's the type of gun culture that is inextricably linked to killing or harming another human being that, I believe, causes the most problems.