Being armed is not an important part of the revolution
Recently, in Minnesota (the largest state of passive aggressive people known to man) the legislature passed a silly law called the "Personal Protection Law", otherwise known as the "Conceal and Carry" law. This is upsetting on so many levels. The first is that the senator that represents Northfield, Tom Neuville, voted for this bill. I have heard through several people that Mr. Neuville is just right of Atilla the Hun. He must be. His constituents are not for this bill, yet he voted it. I'm also a little personally hurt by this since I know his daughter, she was in a show I choreographed. She is a really beautiful girl and I just can't believe that she would come from a family that he was the patriarch of. I'm sure he's a good father because she is such a great girl. But how could any man who is a good father vote for a law that allows people to carry a gun anywhere they damn well please. I'm confused. I'm confused as to why a gun is going to make things safer. My brain is thinking, "Hey, if some guy gets mad at me on the street because I knock into him, he can blow my brains out just because he felt threatened." I know that's extremist, but that is essentially true. Again, it hearkens back to the whole idea that there is a way to feel safe and that that way is through weapons and means outside of ourselves. The law basically says that I can't have cigarettes in the parking lot of a school, but I can have a gun. I can't smoke in a mall, but I can carry a gun. Suddenly guns have become more acceptable than SMOKING?! Which one kills more? At least smoking is somewhat of a choice; getting killed in a gun fight usually isn't.
I also can't help but think that there is something terribly unique about Americans in their obsession with guns. I must admit that there is something very powerful about the image of a gun and the use of one. I've never actually seen one or touched one. My mother instilled a healthy hatred and fear of firearms in me at a young age. I don't know what I would do if I even had one in my hand. I , by far!, prefer a good looking Kung Fu fight to seeing a gun battle. If there's Kung Fu and guns mixed, well, then you've got something really exciting (i.e.
The Matrix!) The fact remains that Americans are more likely to kill people using guns than anyone else in the world. Michael Moore explores this in "Bowling for Columbine". He discovers that people in Canada own just as many hand guns as people in America, yet their gun homicide rate is phenomenally lower than ours. Why? He didn't come up with any hard evidence to answer this question. Part of it seems to be that Canadians don't have the same kind of manufactured fear as we do. There were several people who said that they had been robbed, but still did not lock their doors at night. Canadians don't lock their doors. Can you imagine? Americans thrive on their security systems and copious deadbolt locks on their doors. We pretend that a few locks are going to keep out criminals. I worked with a former cop for a while and he basically told me that if a criminal wants into your house or your car he is going to get in...period. It's the illusion of safety that allows us to sleep at night. This is convenient because this illusion of safety is only there to deal with the illusion of fear that is created to keep us in a perpetual state of crisis. There is a whole machine of fear in the US. I bet Canada doesn't have this sort of thing...
So, in conclusion (see, I'm finishing up, so I thought I'd write "in conclusion" and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief!) there's no real reason to carry a damn gun on the street. Learn Kung Fu. Learn Krav Maga. Learn Tae Kwan Do. Learn how to gouge someone's eyes out with your thumbs, but for goodness sake, leave your guns at home. Guns only foster the culture of fear. Personal Protection should mean being able to take care of yourself safely in any dangerous situation, not blowing someone away because you thought they were going to steal your Louis Vuitton bag, not that anyone in Minnesota knows who that is. Besides, do you really want someone who can't merge onto a freeway or tell you what is really on their mind carrying a gun? I thought not!
There are more superheroes to come. Stay tuned for
Super Bandana Man and
Mighty Prank Phone Call Man.
