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A counterquote

12/10/2015

William Gibson said, "people who feel safer with a gun than with guaranteed medical insurance don't yet have a fully adult concept of scary."
Well, I've been without both when they were needed, and the former was a much more immediate need than the latter, with much more permanent potential consequences.
So I might be a bit biased, being a retired trigger puller and all. But I'll stack my level of both adult and scary against that of a draft-dodging hallucinogen connoisseur any day of the fucking week.

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Something pointed out to me

12/9/2015

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Something was pointed out to me yesterday (in a much more rude fashion than my usual way) that I'm not sure how I feel about.

I have yet to encounter a gun control advocate that comes close to meeting or exceeding my knowledge base on the subject. Legally, technically, tactically, culturally, the whole shebang.

I'm not the most knowledgeable gunman in the world (I look at people funny when they call me an expert). But my knowledge base is enough to get me the occasional email from folk with obscure questions, so that's something, I guess.

But every single gun control advocate I've encountered, I've trounced on the facts.

This is not to insinuate that they're stupid, far from it. I've faced the viewpoint from some very smart people, some of which are incredible in their fields. I'm not the type to dismiss someone entirely just because terms like, "largely unregulated" fall out of their mouths. (It does mean that they're placed into the "ignorant of the topic" or "actively lying" segments of my judgy brain, but that's not a dismissal).

But, genius or layman, they've all fallen as ignorant of the intricacies of the topic.

Some are just screaming out of fear or anger, which is valid, but not something to base a long-term decision on.

Some try, and I'll give them credit.

But too many will just repost the first article (or worse, a meme) that comes their way which agrees with them and never bother to question a damn thing.

I suppose it's easier to know just enough on a subject to disagree with it. After all, we're designed to fear the unfamiliar.

But I do get tired every time I have to trot out
"Well-regulated" = "held to a common standard,"
and
"Militia = "everyone left between puberty and senility once the able-bodied men have already gone"

Shut the fuck up about law and the National Guard. They do not apply here.

And I'll disagree even with other gunners on some points. I'll agree that training beyond "one box of rounds, 25 yrd slow fire" should be undertaken by those wanting to carry concealed. I just draw the line at making such a thing law, because the line between "damn good idea" and "should be a legal mandate" is pretty damn wide in my eyes.

I suppose someday I might find someone who's as well versed on the topic but my ideological opposite.

Until then I'll have to keep being convinced that I'm right.

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The armor of contempt

12/3/2015

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One of my acting "character types," what you could easily imagine seeing me do by looking at my head shot, right up there with "biker," and "bouncer," is "firearms instructor."
I've got most of the stereotypical traits: white, male, hairy, paunchy, between 30 and 70. The accent's neutral, but I can put on a southern flavor if needs be.
But the one trait I lack, I've consciously avoided. I find it in 9 out of 10 instructors in real life, and I'm not sure how many of them notice.
It's a scent. Somewhere between the Old Spice and Hoppe's No.9, is the faint but notable odor of contempt.
I've only barely understood it. And I never agreed with it. But I understand it more now.
I also never agreed with Sheepdog Theory. The idea that humans are separated by their capacity for violence. 98% can't fight, 2% can. Half of which has empathy, half doesn't. Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves, they call them.
Asinine, simplistic horseshit, I think. I've taken to calling them Peasants, Heroes, and Villains. Sounds more honest that way.
But it's some seductive horseshit sometimes.
Especially times like now. When the world explodes like a mob of angry peasants. Screaming, shrieking, flames. Everyone screaming their fear, putting a name to their hate.
"Islamic terrorists!"
"Guns!"
"Why won't it stop!"
"Burn the witch!"
Knowing no race, no income level, no education. PhD's scream their outrage right next to GED's.
And even the ones who aren't screaming are just wallowing in their own smug like a Jacuzzi full of warm bullshit, convinced if they turn up their noses high enough, all they can smell are the roses.
By this point, I'm usually out of sight of the mob.
Which as a plus, means I'm not directly in the line of fire for their vitriol.
As a minus, vitriol is an area affect weapon. And I get caught in those a lot.
What's worse are the "free passes."
"It's ok, I trust you."
"You're responsible. It's other people I don't want doing this."
"You know what you're doing."
"You're stable."
"I'm not talking about you. I'm worried about anyone else with a gun."
Right up there along with "Good house negro" as far as backhanded, blissfully ignorant, patronizing compliments go.
And not a Godsdamn one of them realizes that.
And the small, small percentage that knows the screaming isn't doing any good keeps quiet. Some have just finished washing the blood off their hands, but are too busy getting shit done to wonder when they'll next get a shower.
Some try and talk civil, but nobody wants that when their blood is up. Besides, calming someone down is "tone policing," as if how angry you are about something makes anything more right.
And then there's that small percentage that just growls what they've been growling the whole time.
Contempt.
I don't agree with it.
I don't like it.
But I wonder how long I'm going to last without it.
How many colleagues I'm going to flat-out lose all respect for before I walk away.
How many more shots to the heart I'm going to take.
Before I leave the field entirely.
Or put on that dark, cold armor of contempt.

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A counterquote

Something pointed out to me

The armor of contempt

Jay Peterson

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A counterquote

Something pointed out to me

The armor of contempt

﻿Jay Peterson﻿

Archives

Categories

Certa Bonum Certamen

Jay Peterson