For young boys a BB gun is like a right of passage. It is the first step to gun ownership. [More]That would be "rite of passage," but that's not why this caught my interest:
The most important thing to remember if you get your child a BB gun is to supervise them while they use it.See, that's the thing--when I was young, my Dad got us our BB guns and taught us how to use them. We learned safety and marksmanship from a man who spent his early twenties with the Marines on Guam in WWII, so we couldn't have had a more qualified instructor. And we learned rules and consequences, what you can shoot, what you can't, and then we were left free to exercise our judgment independently--critical skills if we were to become adults who understood and appreciated the responsibilities of freedom.
If we abused that freedom, we knew there would be trouble and we would be the ones to pay dearly for it. And we got something immeasurable in return: we learned how to earn trust from adults, who understood that at some point, we'd need to learn to work without a net, and that we'd never learn to be free men and women through incessant nannying.
I took my Daisy with me just about every time I was out playing, strapped to my shoulder as I rode my bike--no eyebrows were ever raised, no cops ever hassled me. And I did this not only here, but also in Iran (click the "Fourth Grade" link over in my blogroll), where we lived for several years, and that brings me to my real point:
If my sons today went casually about their public business bearing a BB rifle, indistinguishable to many from a firearm (both in reality and law), is there any doubt that 9-1-1 calls would flood the police station, that a response team replete with SWAT would be dispatched, that they would have their lives gravely at risk while arrested at gunpoint, and that the aftermath would include legal woes, expenses, potential criminal records and hysterical negative publicity?
This is the state of public respect for the rights of free Americans to keep and bear arms, and how much it has devolved in my lifetime. In this respect, I had more freedom as a boy in the Shah's Iran than my sons do in today's United States of America.
And we've allowed it to be done to us.
6 comments:
It is not to late to reverse the trend David. Where there is a will, there is a way.....
How fortunate that you were able to experience another culture growing up. It gives you the advantage in how to truly value freedom. After having lived in a part of the world where it is restricted.
My mother had the same fortune, except she turned into a sheeple.....
Question for David: Would an organized Day of Defiance be possible or effective? One where every gun owner and child with a BB gun went out and gathered someplace or marched in the streets with their guns and BB guns, peacefully of course, no ammo, w/signs and such. It does occur to me that it might be met with a very bad attitude on the part of the Only Ones. Maybe with mock or toy guns? Maybe with nothing but signs and flags? Maybe like you usually point out the ridiculousness of trying to get gun owners to do anything except belch and change channels. I will understand, but could you reply, please?
Years ago I marched with the NRA Members Council in a Santa Monica Constitution Day Parade--the ACLU marched for the 1st Amendment, we did the 2nd--we were met with jeers and catcalls and obscenities (I remember one guy screaming "Go back to Bakersfield!"--a reference to a part of SoCal that is perceived as being more rural, less "liberal", that is, "redneck"). In terms of armed marches, suggestions for these have been around for some time--in one highly publicized case over a decade ago--for a proposed armed march on Washington DC--the woman organizing it had a past that included being a socialist, and there were fears she may have been an agent provocateur--my own feeling is, unless you can truly control who your co-marchers will be, you will always be exposing yourself to an irrational anti (or even a nutcase from our side--we do have 'em, you know) joining you and then doing something outrageous and possibly dangerous--that will end up damaging the reputations of all involved as well as the concept of armed marches.
But I understand the Ohio CCW folks did some open carry marches to make their point--whether it was successful enough to justify the effort is something they are better qualified to relate than me. I think perhaps a more effective public effort would be a rally, possibly in front of a city hall or state house--we did one in Sacramento some years ago in front of the state house--a few thousand gun owners showed up, we had speakers, people had tables to pass out literature, recruit members, sell t-shirts, etc.. A lot of gun owners were milling about and networking between different groups from all over the state (with no shortage of undercover folks, as well as a highly visible uniformed police presence). I have heard that NRA will not attach its name to a march or rally--probably not unwise since they can not control events that could unfold--but without leadership, that means someone from grassroots is going to need to take the lead for all these local events, be they marches or rallys, coordinate getting permits, securing locations if a rally, including insurance and porta-potties, etc., and somebody has to finance that--otherwise, if it's just a small spontaneous rally, you'll need to decide if you and 4 other guys marching is really the most effective means of activism with the most bang for the buck ROI for your efforts.
One reason I'm jaded is that several years back, the Million Moms did a rally in front of the federal building in West LA--they probably had 2,000 attend--we were on the other side of the street--I'm told we had around 650 show up, but at no time did our ranks exceed a couple hundred or so that I saw--understand this was at a time when the Great Western Gun Show would draw 40 THOUSAND gun owners over a weekend--they can go save a buck on a box of ammo, but forget about getting involved.
I also related what happened here at a Sarah Brady press conference, and I doubt we mustered more than 50 from "our side"--which I considered substantial based on experience, but this in an area that has a population measured in millions.
So been there, done that, several times, and unless a leadership with the time and resources to do things right takes the initiative to coordinate and organize things, I don't have high hopes that it would be all that effective...
Don't mean to be a pessimist, just a pragmatist...
"The most important thing to remember if you get your child a BB gun is to supervise them while they use it."
In concept thats great, trouble is most parents don't know thing one about weapons safety.
Enroll your kid in a hunter safety class. then buy them the bb gun
Most pro 2A people are responsible and hard-working. I can't help but think that that plays a part in their numbers being smaller than the welfare mothers doing the million mom crap. Or the academics that make it a field trip.
Going to work seems to be a problem that we have. Most rallies happen when the "important" people are at work (supposedly). They aren't there on weekends and holidays when us working people can rally without risking junior's school shoes.
Just a thought.
My personal response is that I make sure everyone knows I won't quit coming after anyone that denies me my citizenship. I don't give a damn who he is or what colors he wears.
Understood. Don't worry, I don't confuse facts with pessimism. I quit going to church, not because I'm pessimistic about Christianity, but because everywhere I've attended here is either a snoozefest or a flaggelation session. When did Christianity become a suicide pact? Anyway, I sure as hell appreciate your dedication, risks, and sacrifice. If only a few more were like you. There is something else we all need besides resources and organizational skills, and savvy. Guts. I look at my sons and wife and what we have and I wonder if I can afford even principles. Sooner or later, we will all be forced to action. "If thy strength faileth on the day of adversity, thy strength is small". That day is near.
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