Monday, April 12, 2010

Got My Gat, G



I thought I'd discuss a more philosophical issue, rather than a technical one, the private ownership of firearms. It's actually one of the subjects that I usually don't discuss (part of my policy of being a "grey man" and I even try to appear politically neutral). Maybe it is fear or paranoia that motivates me. I don't care. I just know that proceeding through life from a position of strength and security brings me comfort. And since I don't effect anyone else (unless they go out of their way to come bother me) I see no harm being done, no net effect. Whereas if I proceeded through life from the obverse position, helplessness and vulnerability, sure, most likely I will never need to ever defend myself and I can rely on the law level of my society to protect me, but if I ever did, I have severely disadvantaged myself. It's simply sound logic to use technological advantages (tools, devices) that readily exist that make life easier or give us control or protection from the natural world. So to ask me, why own a gun? is equivalent to asking me, why drive a car? why use a cell phone or the internet? why use a wrench, knife, hammer? or perhaps more pertinent to our theme here, why store disaster supplies? why have a fire extinguisher handy? why lock your front door? the likelihood of being a victim of a natural disaster, fire, or burglary are slim, right? well, essentially, I feel the same way about firearms (a precautionary defensive tool).

I don't plan to blow smoke here. I won't falsely claim to be a hunter or "sportsman". As a biologist, I don't buy into that specious line of necessary "wildlife management" (culling herds), as nature will find it's own balance if left without interference. And the "preserving traditional skills" justification is rather weak too, unless you are actually tracking and stalking prey with a bow and arrow and not sitting up in an aluminum tree blind dressed in Mossy Oak with a scoped 7mm rifle scanning a patch of ground soaked with deer attractant. I wish they could just admit that they derive a primal pleasure from playing with guns, the concomitant camaraderie, and the thrill of actually shooting something (animals), legally. I also personally believe that the prepositional phrase "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State," which proceeds the more oft-quoted "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" means that the founding fathers probably intended for the citizenry to be prepared to militarily support the Federal army (or not if a state so chooses), and therefore in modern times (due to technology and tactics) this really means the National Guard (come on, with today's modern computers, satellites, robots, night vision, thermal vision, smart missiles and cluster bombs, artillery, tanks, helicopters, jet planes, titanium super subs, nukes, body armour, and fully automatic air burst laser guided individual weapons... and the word "militia" was meant to justify the possession of rifles and handguns???).

However, despite these flawed arguments, I for one am glad that the 2nd Amendment has been misinterpreted to mean de facto private ownership of arms by continued convention.

So, why have firearms? My short answer to the question might simply be, why not? First of all, very fundamentally, beyond laws, governments, Constitutions, both the right to arm oneself and the inalienable right to self-defense is a human right under Natural Law. One never waives this right, even (rarely) to law enforcement or government. Furthermore, in Nature, any tool that I may opt to utilize in any manner is not subject to any artificial limitation or restriction by the rules of a society or the universe. I feel no moral obligation whatsoever to explain why I happen to possess anything that I legally purchased, fabricated, foraged, or otherwise obtained through legal means. In a free society, the reason why I possess something is irrelevant and should not be a concern to anyone else unless I am infringing upon the rights of others.

"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so" --from Hamlet


But perhaps more helpful to the spirit of the "discussion" i.e. in practical terms, I frequently travel long distances, conduct business/run errands in the middle of the night, and/or hike in remote wilderness areas by myself, sometimes away from the rapid assistance of the authorities. I happen to be nocturnal, sleeping by day and being active at night (which is perfectly lawful and my right). I'm a reasonable (not paranoid, not a hot head), non-violent, law-abiding citizen and I just feel that I encounter situations where I feel like I am basically on my own should I need protection from external agents (hate criminals, muggers, carjackers, burglars, predators, drugged/intoxicated assailants, dangerous organisms). I admit, maybe I am being fearful and paranoid... but imagine, traveling alone on a stretch of highway unknown to you, it's 3am, and you need to pee... you see a "rest stop" with a few other cars around, no police... and you have a nice vehicle, travel cash, pricey electronics... maybe you happen to be female (not that gender is necessarily an issue here). So, do you have a legitimate reason to worry about your physical safety? If you answer "no", then good luck to you and I'm glad you have such trust in the law and your god. But as for me, I would take a little personal responsibility and precaution. I would choose to arm myself. "I'd rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it", or, specific to weapons "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6" (When in doubt, I'd rather be alive and sorting out the legal consequences than dead).


As I've stated before in this blog, a weapon is a tool just like anything else I supply myself with to be prepared. It is just a tool optimized for causing injury or death. As a military veteran and a former MP I have been well trained in their use. As a civilian I took the firearm certification classes and got a permit. I take the responsibility seriously and maintain proficiency by practice, and upgrade equipment as technology advances. I don't hunt with firearms and I am not a member of any club, organization, or involved in "gun culture" at all. I am a quiet, tax paying, law-abiding private citizen without even an overdue library book on my record and absolutely no demonstrated propensity for violence. And more than anything else, I sincerely just want to be left undisturbed.


Interestingly, being quiet and law abiding (not drawing attention to myself in any way if possible), I have never been lawfully pulled over in my vehicle or been subject to a search when I was carrying my weapon. Aside from the "Sobriety Checkpoints" which I consider un-Constitutional, I've been pulled over in traffic stops exactly twice in my adult life and both times, it was for the wrong car and for nothing that I did. The few times that I have been searched or scanned were always when I expected to be searched (at concerts, airlines, court houses, the White House, etc). So, really, I am not legally concerned about "being caught". I don't show off or brandish. As far as my family or even my closest friends are concerned, I don't own a weapon and I'm the most peaceful, non-violent gentleman around. As far as you readers (including government authorities) who know me by this name are concerned I own no weapon, right?

As a side note, I have spent some time in the great state of Alaska. I love it there (in all seasons) and I still plan to retire there someday. Much of the state is still pristine, wide open wilderness. Drive a few hours outside the major towns and you will be the only human within 100 miles. Therefore, there are parts of the state where you must carry a firearm and aren't supposed to hike out without one, by ordinance. This is because humans are still on the food chain there (and not necessarily at the apex, if you know what I mean).


I have numerous personal anecdotes about justifying my being prepared, but the following are 3 well-documented events that made me grateful that I owned a defensive weapon.

The first was the big Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. I immediately went out to help in the rescue and relief efforts, but there was clearly a time in the first few days afterward, when the authorities were overwhelmed and society had broken down to smaller, simpler elements (neighbourhood groups). Nothing bad happened for the most part, but for about a day, if you called 911 (if you could find a phone that even worked) you would not have gotten a police or emergency responder. It was every man for himself and everyone was on the honor system. This was the time that I worked a 30 hour shift, and afterwards, it brought up for me the issue of the "haves" (those that took the time and money to prepare) vs. the "have nots" (those that didn't even have rudimentary food/water or a friggin' flashlight!). I had all my stuff, and, sure, I was willing to share with my family and neighbours, but if things turned ugly, yes, I would defend myself and what is legally mine. My loaded and ready weapon brought me much comfort through those dark nights.

The second was the rioting in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict in 1992. It really surprised me how quickly the authorities in our area lost control. And make no mistake, they did lose control. What I thought of the King verdict was irrelevant. The fact was, there were several thousand people outside in the city smashing windows, turning over cars (including police vehicles), burning tires and setting fires to newspaper stands, and apparently joyously looting. People were shooting at each other, beating people after dragging them out of their cars, burning homes and businesses, and the police were completely powerless to stop them. I can tell you some alarming anecdotes of police brutality/over-reaction also, but I understand, there was much confusion and the police were stressed and scared also. So once again, I loaded up my magazines, put on my "doomsday" gear, and patiently waited for civilization and civil order to return. And I was grateful once again that I had a weapon and was not a totally defenseless source of supplies at the mercy of the mob outside.

The third and most recent occasion was the great "Y2K" scare. It turned out to be a big "non-event". In hindsight we laugh at it now, but back then, no one really knew for sure what would happen. Remember? We were ready for power grids and communications to fail, international banking to go haywire, airplanes to fall out of the sky, and pretty much (at least temporarily) a mass disruption of our technology infrastructure. There was the possibility of chaos. None of the dire predictions happened of course, but those of us who lived through that time could not just dismiss it as silliness offhand. If you made no preparations or devoted zero thought to an event that we were all warned about years in advance, well, then you deserved what dire consequences could have happened, much like the major quake that geologists predict will occur on the Hayward Fault within the decade. I'd rather err on the side of caution, so I did prepare (again). I had my food, water, and supplies, and I did arm myself once again for a breakdown in society (as I had already witnessed twice). I was relieved that everything turned out ok.

I'm not saying that this is relevant to our discussion, but consider for a moment the Federal emergency response to Hurricane Katrina, an event that everyone in New Orleans had 3 to 5 days pre-warning of (i.e. they watched the hurricane slowly approach). The organized rescue and aid was delayed,and I don't know about you, but it didn't look much like the authorities were in control or doing much protecting people/property.


So that's it. When people start debating "you don't need a gun", "why do we need private guns?" or "guns should be banned", I just smile quietly and step away from the conversation. These are probably the same naive type of people that don't even have a single jug of water, a case of canned beans, rudimentary FAK or batteries for their radio... and are going to wait for the "gub'ment" to help them out. It's no use trying to convince these people.


All I know is that I legally and responsibly have my weapon and know it's proper use. I plan to survive.

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