Flipping Antis the Bird Might FEEL Good, But...

Interesting and controversial discussion over at Tam’s today about a woman who has a facebook page where she poses with guns and then captions the photos with various pro-gun phrases that are stereotypically typical of the pro-gun movement.  You know, the tough-guy, you can have my gun when you pry it out of my cold, dead fingers stuff.

Well, her stuff seems to be disproportionately leaning towards the “just give me a reason and a chance” variety.  One caption says that she’s hoping someone will break into her home, because she’s just itching to try out her new AR-15. 

Tam said it made her feel squicky.  I agreed.  Many did not, and felt like Tam was a turncoat against the pro-gun cause by speaking negatively about this woman’s blog. 

Here’s why I think Tam is right:

There was a study done once that showed that only about 15 to 20 percent of front-line soldiers ever actually fired their weapon at people, even in time of war.  Even during times when the other guy was shooting back and trying to kill them.  We monkeys are very good at killing each other, but we are, most of us, wired not to do so. 

I can believe this. I can totally see soldiers seeing groups of enemy soldiers and just sort of pointing their weapon in their direction and popping off rounds, never really knowing if they hit anything or not, as opposed to picking out one individual, a man with hopes and dreams and desires of his own, with a face, and a wife and maybe some kids back home, and putting three in his chest. 

Killing someone, I’m lead to believe, (and probably meant to believe) is a hard thing to do.  It should not be easy, and only a select few of us monkeys have the ability to do it without experiencing psychological damage as a result.  I am not one of those monkeys.  I don’t care if the guy was in my home threatening to harm my family – killing him would damage me.  I know this.  Not because what I did was wrong, but because there are far-reaching ramifications to a killing that you just can’t imagine at the time you pull the trigger.  I pray that I’ll never, ever have to take a life.  I stand prepared to if I have to, but if I get through my entire life without having to shoot anything but game and targets, I’ll die happy.

Thinking about having the opportunity to kill someone so often that it justifies a facebook page and posed photographs is not healthy.  This is squicky, gang.  I know she’s technically on our side, but that doesn’t change the fact that, while she’s on my team, she’s that team mate that you’ll work with on the field and do what is necessary to help the team win, but that once the game’s over you don’t want anything to do with her. 

Also, don’t discount the gay-parade angle.  Is running around half nekkid, dressing as an anthropomorphic penis, and pretending to have teh buttsecks in a public pride event more, or less likely to get people on your side?  Waving your middle finger at the anti-crowd feels good, but it makes you look like a jackass, and people in the middle or who are undecided are going to see things like this and gravitate away from us as a result.

Also, think MLK vs. Malcolm X.  Which one got the most support from the people that they needed support from the most?  The one that was scary and talked about violence a lot, or the one who preached peace and equality?  Being scary and intimidating to the anti-crowd may feel good, but it is going to scare undecided away, too. 

This woman is not going to bring people over to our side.  She may run off some undecided folk, or she may not.  Either way, she’s not doing herself, or the pro-gun movement any favors.  Not that I think she should stop if it makes her happy; it’s just that I wish she would.  Stop, that is.