Guns in America: Insecurity Compensation to the Extreme!
So I’ve been thinking a lot about firearms this week. I imagine that I’m not alone. For one thing, several legislators — on both state and federal levels — have made public statements about the greater need for gun legislation.
The NRA, as some commentators have duly noted, has remained silent on the subject of their existential theme. Meanwhile some “conservative commentators” have defended their ongoing interpretation of the second amendment to the United States Constitution that, within the context of establishing a well-ordered militia (ostensibly to defend a fledgling republic against aggressive imperial powers like England…centuries ago), guarantees the right of citizens to be armed. In such a case, this amendment is read in the most liberal light with its interpreters claiming it allows for an unmitigated permission for the average citizen to own and wield his or her choice of a weapon of (at least some, if not mass) destruction.
What the hell?
Prepared as I am for the criticisms that will inevitably land in my inbox from those who think that I am “unpatriotic” or something of the sort, I simply say that I am honored to be so labeled if it means that my public challenge is unsettling those who need to be unsettled and upsetting those who are comfortable with the way things currently stand.
I believe that the second amendment has been grievously misinterpreted for decades, if not centuries. I find no reason to repeal the law, believing wholeheartedly that what it says is indeed justifiable — and here’s the key — when read in context! The text reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
While I wish we lived in a world where a “well regulated militia” was not necessary and war was nothing but a memory of a less-civil and unchristian time, I accept that our military (of which my father is a Marine Corps veteran) is not going anywhere. And, in order to have a military that exists practically in this world, the right for soldiers to bear arms is necessary – although my Christian faith REQUIRES that I never take part in that activity. I personally would have no choice, along with anyone who claims to follow the Gospel, to be a conscientious objector.
I’m even willing, at this point, to concede certain rifles be permitted for some in the citizenry to hunt and gather food for consumption (not sport). However, non-military personnel should never be permitted to own the same equipment with which the military is armed. The purpose, whether one wishes to engage the subject honestly or not, of the arms that the military bears is singular: to kill other human beings.
I don’t believe that anyone, with the begrudging exception granted to military and police personnel, should be permitted to own a handgun, automatic weapon, or anything that was created solely for the execution of other human beings. That is not a right protected by the second amendment and extended to the populace, but a necessary clause to establish and maintain a military force.
In light of this belief and the recent tragedy in Tucson, the horrendous defense of divisive and polarizing rhetoric by some politicians, pundits and media personalities, and the increasing sense of unrest — particularly on the internet, I have been trying to understand what this nation’s collective obsession with firearms is all about.
The only thing I can think of is the personal and collective insecurity and inferiority that must be compensated in the alleged need for ownership of these death tools. Fundamentally, I am convinced that the underlying issue is one of control. Guns provide a false sense of power and control for their owners. Knowing that you possess the power to quickly end another person’s life, whether you consciously realize this or ever intend to utilize its option, is, I imagine, quite a trip.
There are those who claim, falsely, that they own firearms and carry these weapons on their person in public because these guns provide “safety” or “security.” Both of these claims are false. I cannot recall a case (and would be delighted to be told of an instance) in recent history (if ever) when some ordinary citizen carrying or possessing a firearm made a situation “safe” or “secure.”
On the contrary, I can think of many instances when children have found firearms and killed themselves or others in play or accidentally, I can think of instances when innocent bystanders have been victims of both intentional and unintentional weapons discharge in public places and, as the former Vice President demonstrated, even the most congenial hunting trips can end in accidental (or not-so-accidental) violence, injury or death.
I believe that the only explanation for the obsession with firearms in this country — particularly the “bigger,” “better” and “deadlier” weapons — has to do with a population that feels very out-of-control. Fear and insecurity plays a big role in all of this, as the renowned academic Abraham Maslow explained in his hierarchy of needs decades ago. The need for security and the feeling of control must be met, and if it isn’t met in some constructive, healthy ways, it will be met in less-than-healthy ways like the ardent defense of gun ownership.
As I sat in the Louisville Airport working on this post an older gentleman sat near me. He looked familiar and it wasn’t until we were boarding the plane at the same time that I realized it was U.S. Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) flying back to DC. Having thought through this post and its related ideas, I was eager to speak with him. Unfortunately for me I didn’t have the opportunity, but I will say that having two undercover capital police (or secret service, or whatever) with firearms on the tiny regional plane with us did not make me feel safer. Instead, it made me a bit uncomfortable to be that close to such a deadly weapon (times two).
If I had the opportunity to speak with him I would have shared my disappointment with his party’s position on the violent and divisive rhetoric that continues to polarize the nation. I would also encourage him and his fellow Republican legislators to change their position on guns in this country. Perhaps we can all work together to make this country a safer land, a more peaceable community so that what we witnessed last weekend might never again happen.
