gun rights.

[symbioidlj]

I admit, I have a strange view on guns. Most of you I think are trending towards the left end of the political spectrum, somewhere between liberal, green, anarcho-socialist, gaian(well, aren't we all?), mother earth loving(i hope) people.

Most people on the left side tend towards favoring gun laws. Some on the more extreme end, really do believe the populace should be disarmed.

I don't like that idea. The idea of the state owning all the weaponry, and the military brainwashed into taking top down order, there needs to be an ability to counteract this.

So from the ideologues theorys, they believe that "a well regulated militia" means individuals. Some really believe in the "militia", unfortunately, those militias tend to be very racist, jingoistic, reactionary bastards. There's a confluence of these types at gun shows.

I do believe that it doesn't mean citizens, but that there should be independent citizen's brigade(current political theory on this states that the National Guard is the militia.) I don't buy that. I admit, it does fit the definition. But I do believe there was a need for independence from the government in some way. ??? What am I saying? I don't know.

Anyways, I do think that we need to have close to equal weaponry, or at least automatic weapons, and possibly RPGs(Rocket Propelled Grenades) to guard against a fascist takeover. Personally, I don't own any weapons, and probably never will. I'd rather not own one. I'm not necessarily frightened by them, but I'm just not particularly fond of loud things. HAHAHAHA!!!!

Now, the saying "If guns are outlawed, only criminals will have guns" isn't my take. It's "If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns"(guns aren't really outlawed in this context, but rather taken away from private hands, and a monopoly on their ownership is granted to the government)... I saw a poster that said something like that. An anarchist poster maker said "Protestor's! If guns are outlawed, only the cops will have guns!"(and it showed a riot cop storming towards you) VERY effective propaganda...

The scary thing to me, though is what is happening. The right-wing in this country are pleased as punch that this assault weapon ban is over. The left is frightened. The neo-nazi, posse comitatus, KKK types are the ones who own these weapons.

I'm not afraid of Joe Thug, but I am afraid of a movement of the right. A few years back, there was the militia thing with Ruby Ridge, Waco, Montana Freemen, the Lone Star Republic crew. Personally, I say let them secede. Really. Who the fuck needs them. Why the hell should they be in our society. Lock them in a nice little compound area, and let them survive "free" in their space.

Again, it's why I think the wrong side won the civil war. I really fucking do.

Now what happens when a civil war starts? The liberals and lefties better hope to fucking god that those in power are on their side. If it's bush and his crew, guess who's getting fucked! The extreme right hates the government, but they both hate queers(and by this, I mean all queer people around the world in all their wondrous, varied form!!!), non-whites, and perhaps certain religions. We will never kowtow to this extreme right. Are we then going to have to rely on this government to defend us? It will strip us of many more rights, and we suck at it's teat, stay warm cuddled up to the fat mama pig.

Anyways, I'm wayyyyyyyy the fuck off track.

One of my points is also: I'm not worried about criminals, and not just government, and not just a couple kids having guns. What about crazy ass fucking people. How many people over the years, have been killed in workplace shootings? You can say, probably, that statistically, it's insignificant. But it is significant to the colleagues, friends and family of the people who were shot. A whole community is affected every time something like this happens. There is a social trauma that occurs in the psyche of this community.

How much more efficient is a workplace shooting with automatic weapons. Those are the most efficient indoor guns you could use. Tight enclosed quarters really enhance the effectiveness of the spray power of these weapons. Their lethality.

umm... i really have no clue where i'm going with this, and you probably don't either. So, eh...

BTW, does anyone even read this rants? I know, in theory, it's supposed to be my blog, and it shouldn't matter, but I never get comments on them(then again, i suppose I never reply enough to the comments I do get... I should rectify that.)

eh... yeah.

Comments

[metaphorge.livejournal.com]

I read. And, in this case, I pretty much fully agree with you. :)

[trisquareangle.livejournal.com]

I'm also in the middle as well although I myself
can't imagine owning a gun nor do I allow devin
to think I approve of them and think they are
'great' but when the shit hits the fan if I
had a choice between being
a. pacifist who is going to just stand
there and take it
or
b. gun toting pissed off protecting her
family from the pigs woman

I'll choose B. These days are weird dave,
the possibility, the REAL possibility of
some kind of 'civil war' is more real
to me now than ever....I've even had
thoughts of going to a shooting range
just so I know how to handle one if and
when the time comes.

lolol....strange days...a bunch of armed buddhists, LOL!!
what a contradiction :)

peace

[vesicular.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'd like to see gun laws like that of Japan, but I know that would never work considering Americans and Japanese have exact opposite perceptions of government.

[sophy.livejournal.com]

Well, you know my stance on the issue. I'd like to take the guns away from everyone: citizen, military, criminal, government, whoever. Ideologically, I'm an extreme pacifist. I do understand, however, that if a possible aggressor has weaponry, then people have a right to protect themselves. What scares me about things like automatic weapons and the like is how much damage they can do. If guns were primarily used in this country as a form a defense and rarely used in crimes, maybe I wouldn't have such problems with them.
One of my biggest problems with the NRA and their ilk is the idea that any kind of gun control is wrong. What about all of the kids who accidentally shoot themselves or their friends when they find daddy's gun? The fuckers who buy guns at gun shows because of the loop holes and then use them commit horrible violent acts? The people who buy guns to protect themselves and then end up shooting someone in their own family, either by accident or in a moment of rage? Some controls need to be in place. We control vehicles more than we control guns in this country. And there is something wrong with that.
But there is, of course, also a larger issue. As Michael Moore pointed out in Bowling For Columbine, it's the climate of fear that we live in that's contributing the most to the violence out there. It's probably also the climate of rage and repression and over-work and over-stress and lack of support in this country that leads to the excessive violence, too. Not to mention the economic gap that is growing wider every day, the racism, classism, etc.
Those are all issues pertaining to violence that also need to be addressed. It's true that it's people, not the weapons they are holding, that kill people.
But still the point remains - automatic weapons in the hands of violent people makes it a lot easier for them hurt and kill people. It would be nice if we could find ways to limit access to such weapons. I know that there already is a black market for guns and that if they were made illegal, it would be become even bigger. I know that criminals will always have weapons. I know the government and the military are always a threat with their weapons and power over us. But it's just hard for me to accept that the right way to deal with these problems is to arm everyone and watch them run around killing one another, which is basically what's happening in this country right now.

[rflagg.livejournal.com]

I agree with you Rosemary, to an extent, but still in agreement.

The NRA could easily force, with their political and authorative power, each and every gun maker to TOMORROW have safety features in place that would eliminate just about every accidental shooting. Hell, a simple cheap LED on every gun displaying red if the saftey is on, green if not, would go miles to help with accidents and all that.

But, it's the same ilk as saying alcohol manufacturers and cigarette manufactures could be more responsible of the product they produce. Pharmaceutical companies could actually disclose what they put in the medications they feed us at insanely high rates, and so on down the line. Of course, guns are more likely to directly harm people than other things down the line. However, none of these powers will ever force anything of the sort.

We may yet see in our lifetime that we need weapons with which to take back our country from a radical dictator who refuses to give up power. But it would hurt no one to make guns a million times safer, other than the money the manufacturers would lose with having to spend more to make the weapons. It's the same as the car companies, we could easily be completely oil independant today, but no one wants that, because it's less money.

I uh, obviously don't have an answer for this, or I'd be on every talk show and running for president. However, we can still attempt to change for the better by choosing people who are willing to not bow to every corporation, and fight our fights as necessary.

-m.

[sophy.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutley on the same going for alcohol, tobacco, and pharmacutical companies. There needs to be stricter regulations all the way around on that stuff. If the corporate world isn't ethical enough to monitor itself, then the government ought to step in.

[dreamsoft.livejournal.com]

I don't read the LJ religiously, so I miss some stuff... but I read fairly frequently (especially now that I'm back on high speed).

I'm similar to you seemedly... so far left, I look right in some ways. I dunno, I was left, because that's what poor artsy types do, right <sarcasm and humor massively injected). But since I chose to think for myself rather than follow what seemed to be the prerequisite way of thinking that the "left" (and right) seems to have... I piss off lefties and righties fairly equally. I am absolutely 100% AGAINST gun control. That was written in the constitution for a VERy valid reason. The populace needs to have a last ditch emergency "our government is no longer for the people and we will take it back" fallback. We have the numbers, they have the power. They have so much power that, without guns, the populace doesn't have a chance. Maybe not even then. But I'll take every chance I can get. The State of Jefferson almost seceded (thanks to guns and people) in the 40's... Actually, it DID, and would still be, if not for WWII it would still be around. (Damn that solidarity/nationalistic approach). Gun control only controls gun usage for those who follow the laws. The criminals will still have them. So you potentially save a few "accidental shooting" lives... and in the process, damn all the other lives to slavery (or at least the inability to fight a dictator type situation). As it's most clear our government is not for the people. Then again, I also don't "value every human life" above everything else.