Yes, I do understand and respect – but reject as founded on needless worries – the argument that citizens need to be armed in case they need to protect themselves from thugs or from the government.
And, despite my sometime irreverence, I do appreciate the passionate belief, which many have, in gun rights and in the 2nd Amendment.
But some seem to believe that the constitution is a sacred document. I don't.
… Not that a gun in my hands wouldn't make me dangerous to myself and innocent bystanders, anyway, but for the sake of argument let's pretend that I'm fully physically coordinated….
And not that I'm brave – but, I am willing to risk requiring myself (hypothetically able-bodied) and others to be unarmed, because I believe that we have enough political rights that we would remain free and be safer if we enacted two measures that I concede are unlikely even to be considered any time soon: a repeal of the 2nd Amendment and a national handgun ban….
I'm more afraid of crazy citizens with guns than I am of American cops, soldiers and politicians.
Many would argue that guns need to be legally available to ward off potential dictators and so that the good folks could protect themselves from the bad ones who would and do carry guns legally or not. I believe that the proliferation of guns is the more dangerous threat, and that we should have a strict national handgun ban on possession, sale and manufacture.
I believe that enough enforcement could control handguns.
And I don't think it remotely probable that any group of righteous (or riotous) armed people could successfully oppose the police or the overwhelmingly mighty U.S. military (anyone who tried could create a bloody mess), and I'd be justifiably very afraid if it could.
Basically, I believe the power of Americans comes from ballots, not bullets.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The 2nd Amendment should be repealed
Yes, Right 2 is confusingly worded, but, much more importantly, we Americans simply don’t need it and shouldn’t have it.
We have many much more relevant and important rights than the crazily outdated right to form militias, or, if you will, to pistol pack: Freedom to eat French fries. Freedom from slavery. Freedom of speech. Freedom to cry like a baby. Freedom to live life largely as we want. Freedom to protest against the government. Freedom to call the president a pig fucker. Freedom to be a complete asshole. Separation of church and state. Freedom of religion. Freedom from religion. Freedom to be out. Fair housing. Freedom to fair elections. Freedom to vote, or not. Freedom to have our vote even matter sometimes. Freedom to call a lawyer or somebody. The right to a fair trial. Freedom to be represented by a very expensive shark, a lowly zero-cost public defender or any lawyer in between that we can almost afford. Freedom to confront our accusers. Freedom not to incriminate ourselves. Freedom to sue the pants off those who have negligently hurt us. Freedom to go on worker’s comp, unemployment, Food Stamps, welfare, Medicare. Freedom to approve of universal, socialized, government-run health care. Freedom to buy way more than we can afford on credit at 13.9 APR. Freedom to accumulate wealth greedily way beyond any family or personal need. Freedom to give absolutely nothing to charity. Freedom to be a wingnut on either side of the aisle. Freedom to rant. Freedom to think. Freedom to drink. Freedom to wear pink. Freedom to stink (within reason).
We have many much more relevant and important rights than the crazily outdated right to form militias, or, if you will, to pistol pack: Freedom to eat French fries. Freedom from slavery. Freedom of speech. Freedom to cry like a baby. Freedom to live life largely as we want. Freedom to protest against the government. Freedom to call the president a pig fucker. Freedom to be a complete asshole. Separation of church and state. Freedom of religion. Freedom from religion. Freedom to be out. Fair housing. Freedom to fair elections. Freedom to vote, or not. Freedom to have our vote even matter sometimes. Freedom to call a lawyer or somebody. The right to a fair trial. Freedom to be represented by a very expensive shark, a lowly zero-cost public defender or any lawyer in between that we can almost afford. Freedom to confront our accusers. Freedom not to incriminate ourselves. Freedom to sue the pants off those who have negligently hurt us. Freedom to go on worker’s comp, unemployment, Food Stamps, welfare, Medicare. Freedom to approve of universal, socialized, government-run health care. Freedom to buy way more than we can afford on credit at 13.9 APR. Freedom to accumulate wealth greedily way beyond any family or personal need. Freedom to give absolutely nothing to charity. Freedom to be a wingnut on either side of the aisle. Freedom to rant. Freedom to think. Freedom to drink. Freedom to wear pink. Freedom to stink (within reason).
Monday, June 22, 2009
Announcement
Some people – hopefully not you – might stop reading this at the end of this paragraph. If you're offended, I'm sorry, but honesty overrides other concerns, as, nervously, I announce my gayness.
You might think my sexuality is a private matter, but I think that, because it's an elemental part of me, it needs to be out there, which it largely already is. (I told my then-wife, my mother, siblings and others close to me almost five years ago and have told others close to me since.)
Many people would probably assume from my actions – long giving the impression (often successfully) that I'm straight (heterosexual like "normal" people), dating only women, fathering a child, marrying her mother, etc. – that I am indeed straight. (My divorce, finalized in December of 2006, was a catalyst in forcing me out.)
When someone is not out, society largely assumes he's straight. I don't want to perpetuate the falsehood.
Many childhood friends and others saw my gayness, though virtually no one even hinted it to me then, and only a few old friends (Dean, Peter, Noreen) – many years into my adulthood – told me the truth before 2004, which is when I first came out, to most of those closest to me. But many, including family members, had thought I was straight.
I repressed my gayness; I still do, out of habit or societal pressure or … whatever.
I'm still not completely sure of my personality (I think I might be bisexual, which is something I want to discuss with my therapist), but I know that it contains gay and effeminate traits and that I repressed those traits.
In my youth, I was confused, frightened and disgusted about my sexuality and seemingly unable to acknowledge it. In my young adulthood, I convinced – or deluded – myself that I could choose to be straight. In the 1980s, I began to justify to myself my rejection of my gayness as valid given my fear of AIDS.
Now, as the first decade of the new millennium draws to a close and I draw near to age 50, it seems that I have cemented my personality to fit more comfortably – more straightly – into society. Maybe – probably? – slowly I can melt the cement.
It seems some people – both heterosexuals and homosexuals – have scorned me because they saw my hiding behavior as unforgivable dishonesty. Are "scorn" and "unforgivable" too strong? Perhaps. Hopefully.
A few old friends seem homophobic.
Some straight people seem to shun me simply because I'm gay.
For virtually everyone, especially friends, I wish to present a fully honest face.
As society continues to become much more open about sexuality, I want to follow that positive trend, to be more alive, human, myself.
Thank you for reading all 460 words of this.
You might think my sexuality is a private matter, but I think that, because it's an elemental part of me, it needs to be out there, which it largely already is. (I told my then-wife, my mother, siblings and others close to me almost five years ago and have told others close to me since.)
Many people would probably assume from my actions – long giving the impression (often successfully) that I'm straight (heterosexual like "normal" people), dating only women, fathering a child, marrying her mother, etc. – that I am indeed straight. (My divorce, finalized in December of 2006, was a catalyst in forcing me out.)
When someone is not out, society largely assumes he's straight. I don't want to perpetuate the falsehood.
Many childhood friends and others saw my gayness, though virtually no one even hinted it to me then, and only a few old friends (Dean, Peter, Noreen) – many years into my adulthood – told me the truth before 2004, which is when I first came out, to most of those closest to me. But many, including family members, had thought I was straight.
I repressed my gayness; I still do, out of habit or societal pressure or … whatever.
I'm still not completely sure of my personality (I think I might be bisexual, which is something I want to discuss with my therapist), but I know that it contains gay and effeminate traits and that I repressed those traits.
In my youth, I was confused, frightened and disgusted about my sexuality and seemingly unable to acknowledge it. In my young adulthood, I convinced – or deluded – myself that I could choose to be straight. In the 1980s, I began to justify to myself my rejection of my gayness as valid given my fear of AIDS.
Now, as the first decade of the new millennium draws to a close and I draw near to age 50, it seems that I have cemented my personality to fit more comfortably – more straightly – into society. Maybe – probably? – slowly I can melt the cement.
It seems some people – both heterosexuals and homosexuals – have scorned me because they saw my hiding behavior as unforgivable dishonesty. Are "scorn" and "unforgivable" too strong? Perhaps. Hopefully.
A few old friends seem homophobic.
Some straight people seem to shun me simply because I'm gay.
For virtually everyone, especially friends, I wish to present a fully honest face.
As society continues to become much more open about sexuality, I want to follow that positive trend, to be more alive, human, myself.
Thank you for reading all 460 words of this.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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