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Friday, February 22, 2013

The Marine, The Gun, and Civilization




 Open Letter by 

Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)


 

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force.

If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force.

Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion.
Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force.
You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations.
These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a armed mugger to do his job.
That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury.
This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst.
The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter.
It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force.

It removes force from the equation... and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.)

So the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.

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2 comments:

  1. I totally 100% agree. There are actually numerous opinions or reasons given for gun confiscation or regulations, but when you cut through all the "bullxxxx" there is only one real reason. "They" are scared to death about the truth coming out that the citizens of this once great nation are actually living slaves from cradle to grave, and "they" fear us because we have means to stand up to them, only through our God given right to defend ourselves and loved ones. Without guns, obviously, just like all other tyrant's have done, we will be made, by force, to do whatever they want us to do. I believe, a small minority, growing everyday though, have a different opinion in this country, compared to other fallen nations, true patriots, that believe in a Constitutional Republic, will inflict pain and death to these elitist scumbags. We will be "behind every blade of grass" and if it comes to it, will search out these elitist scumbags and show them what force is. Today, I would assume, that there is part of their conscience that actually tells themselves they are immune from us, (their terms), low life, slave, useless eaters, but if the collapse comes, as they hope it does, they will scatter like cock roaches to there little underground bunkers they have built. I doubt most of them will actually make it to their holes though. Very very good article newamericanow, may you stay safe.

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  2. ...and this is why the government wants to disarm us. Once disarmed, We The People can be forced to do anything. We've been persuaded and brainwashed into doing more and more destructive things. Now, they're asking us to do even more and we're not having it. You know, the mugger, above can have a 44 Magnum and the little old lady can have a 22 Derringer. She can still take him down and he can miss. Frankly, even guns and skill levels that are mismatched are not NEARLY as mismatched as if the little old lady doesn't have a gun. Mr. Mugger and his 44 magnum are going to bleed. So it is with We The People and those that have declared us their enemy. They may win in the end but they won't win without loss. Without the guns, they just win with a loss that is very miniscule. For those that don't understand the worth of firearms, you need to take a course in understanding the psychological profile of a bully. If he has to pay for ANYTHING, he'll abandon his bullying. So it is with the US government. Disarming us isn't about winning, its about them doing to us what they want with impunity. Keep your gun at any price because the price you will pay without the guns is manifold larger.

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