Guns and America

The idea of campaigning to take away my right to carry a gun seems paramount to strenuously fighting for the right to put on a lead suit and jumping into a deep, dark, still lake because it is safer down there and there are no guns there.

The idea of not being able to protect myself is unfathomable.  There are so many places where there are no cameras and so many situations where no authorities could be there in time.  Maybe my outlook on this was hardened when I worked in a building in a dangerous part of the rust belt.   It was actually formed by countless experiences I have had, but let me share my story on what it was like to work in this forgotten and destroyed little ward, lost in the shadow of a dying city in despair.

There was an employee that was sexually harassing a young female employee.  He was aggressive, rude, and disgusting.  She was having none of it and told him to keep moving.  At this point, he became enraged and started threatening to assault and rape her.  He had to be physically removed from the building, screaming, fighting, and frothing.  Once outside the building, he said he would be back at closing time to assault the employee he was fighting with.  She was unfortunate enough to have to take a bus to and from work through a decayed urban battlefield and he knew.

We called the police and they answered with a professional “Yo!”  This is a true story by the way with no embellishments.  I asked, incredulously, “Is this the police?”  The voice on the other line said “Yah, Whatch you need?”  I told him what happened and that I was concerned that he would show up at the end of the shift.  He said to call if the guy was there.

Fast forward through all the chaos this incident caused to the end of the shift.  There he is at the edge of the property on the sidewalk, with a large pipe in his hand.  A brave member of the staff went out to ask him what he was doing there.  He responded with something to the effect that he was going to knock that bitch out and rape her.  Once again, we called the police.  While I cannot recall how the phone was answered, I do recall their response to the situation. After he was apprised of the insane situation that was playing out, the voice on the other side of the line said “We ain’t going there.  It’s after five. We don’t go there after five. You can call tomorrow after 10 and see if they want to come, but we ain’t coming.”

OK, this was after 2010 in the United States and something I had to deal with.  This was not the fist incident that could have turned violent unfortunately.  This was about the twentieth.  But, the audacity and absurdity of it and the ridiculous response to it really hit home the idea that we have to be able to defend ourselves. Another staffer got the victimized employee home in their car, but that was a whole other harrowing, ironic, and painful story, like so many in these parts of towns and cities where anarchy happens.

I personally only had to pull out my gun once there.  We had a gate with barbed wire on top to the fortress of our building, but it was not automated.  Whoever the first unfortunate chump was to arrive had the task of getting out of their vehicle on a street more dangerous than the Amazon River and manually unlock and roll the gate open it, then get back to their vehicle unmolested and drive into the lot.  That chump was me as often as not. 

Whenever I got there first it was early.  This was when all the junkies would be wandering the streets like zombies on their way to or back from getting their Methadone doses, lurching around with no idea of personal space or any idea of who they were or were they were going seemingly.  It was really an unnerving experience filled with terrifying sites.  One early morning I was there, and the street was mercifully empty, and I was thrilled to not have any close calls.  I unlocked the fence and slowly rolled the gargantuan gate noisily open. 

When the noise subsided, I heard a low and menacing growl.  I turned around to see an emaciated and probably rapid pit bull advancing toward me.  He was a cast off from the dudes that fought them in illegal gambling events.  He was lucky not to be dead in a bag and hurled in the corner of the parking lot like so many others before him, but he wasn’t feeling it.  He was growling and looking at me like I was lunch.  He was now in between me and my car and taking his time getting to me with his growls getting louder and louder, his teeth bared.  Time seemed to slow down.

I pulled out my hand gun and pointed it at him.  He stopped and looked at it.  Then he started coming toward me again with his growling and snarling ramping up.  I cocked the gun.  He froze, turned around, and ran away.  I got back into my car and drove in the lot.  Just another day.  Another day that I would have been dead had I not been armed.

The point it, this is our given right as Americans.  We need more guns, bigger guns, not less guns.  If some unbalanced assholes want to play Wild West, we should handle it the way our forefather’s did and defend ourselves   How far would any school shooter get if the teachers were armed and were capable and qualified to handle their firearm? 

Yes, I hear that when one gets into teaching, they may not have considered that one day they may need to shoot a student.  Times, job descriptions, and expectations are fluid.  The chances of anything ever happening if all teachers were armed and trained would be miniscule.  Yes, it would be new, and no one likes change.  But that is a terrible trait.  Change is not going anywhere.  If one can’t change, it is they that go away. So, build a bridge and get over and do what you have to do.  That is what we all have to do in so many countless ways.

If some fuckhead has the bright idea to walk into a bank, lock the door, tell the five females there to get on the ground and then blows their brains out, what is going to stop him?  The only thing that would stop him would be if the five ladies pulled their guns out on him.  There is no way that it would not have turned out better if they were armed.

To those of you that have lost family or friends due to senseless gun violence, the answer is more people with more guns.  Most people are good.  Most people want to do the right thing.  People are often courageous beyond their own estimations even.  More guns to more people will inevitably result in more good people having guns and stopping bad people from doing bad things.  Furthermore, it is a strong deterrent to those prone to even consider committing a violent act.  

I would implore anyone impacted by this sort of violence to embrace guns and not run from them.  I implore you to learn how to use a gun, train with your gun until you are a good shot, get your concealed carry permit, and be prepared to be the person that stops the next senseless act of violence instead of being the next hapless victim.  Taking away guns legally insures that only bad people and law enforcement have them and this is a terrible idea. 

It was not that long ago that marijuana was considered a “gateway drug” whose consumption was to be stopped at all costs.  People are still serving decades in prison for marijuana related crimes and it is still classified as the worst sort of drug by the Federal Government.  Yet the majority of the states now have legalized legal medical marijuana and many states have recreational.  This has resulted in a plethora of beneficial developments in a myriad of ways.  It is time to change our attitude that guns are bad In some or any way.  What is bad are the people that obtain guns legally or otherwise and use them for evil purposes. Guns are our right, but people can be bad.  The answer is to deal with the bad people, not try to take guns away from everyone.

There is a reason that minors are minors and not afforded all the rights and privileges of adult citizens.  It is because they are not grown up and they are still finding their voice.  Don’t let idealistic silly young voices drown out our responsibility to protect them.  Banning guns will not protect them even if that is what they wishfully think they need.  If they knew it all or anything, why can’t they vote, drive, or even have to have a legal guardian?  A minor is a minor with a minor voice.  The adults in the country need to grow up and accept the responsibilities that come with the glorious privilege of existing in this reality we all find ourselves in.

Let’s stop this absurd “gun debate” and be real.  If you don’t want to be victimized, scared to break down in a bad neighborhood, robbed on the way to your car, raped in the vestibule of your apartment, get a gun and learn how to use it.  Vote against anything that would restrict your right to have a gun. 

Notice I say, YOUR RIGHT.  If it affects someone else, maybe it is OK.  I think we all can agree that convicted violent criminals should not have guns.  Maybe non-citizens should not be allowed to have a gun and the would be fine.  However, I am talking to you, the rest of us should not have our rights regarding weapons compromised or weakened in any way if we are to have any hope for our future generations by maintaining a law-abiding society in the present.