Guns And Emotions
By David Yeagley
5-20-2002
In early America, weapons were considered sacred. The family swords and rifles were hung proudly over the stone hearth, and all the men knew how to use them. But today most Liberals are terrified by guns. All their popular anti-gun appeals are based on fear.
Guns are dangerous, say the Liberals. Guns can kill, therefore guns are evil. Liberals even condemn the use of guns in self-defense, because that might mean killing someone.
But guns are not instruments of death. They are the tools of freedom. Weapons built the American Republic. Weapons mean freedom. Guns are souvenirs of America’s political achievement. Guns should be associated with the triumph of the Republic. Americans once associated everything precious with the rifle. They respected their swords in the same way they respected their family Bibles.
Clayton Cramer reports that in 1619, Virginia’s statutes required everyone to attend church on Sunday “and all such as bear arms shall bring their pieces, swords, powder and shot.” That same statute was renewed in 1632, and again in 1738.
Connecticut law of 1650 required every man above the age of sixteen to possess “a good musket or other gun, fit for service.” Fourteen years before, in 1636, each settlement’s militia leader was required to have two pounds of gunpowder and 20 bullets” in his home, and to inspect the other men’s arms for serviceability. A year later, 1637, a fine of five shillings was imposed for failure to appear so armed with gun and ammunition.
Clearly, the early laws of America made men responsible for their own defense. Of course, there was not yet a tax-supported army in the colonies. But there were policing forces. James Ensign, of the Hartford Settlement (1636), for instance, was Constable for two terms. Yet, personal responsibility was the foundation of the society.
Yet, many Americans have completely forgotten how America came about. As an Indian, I certainly haven’t. I can’t. I’m bewildered by today’s popular but naïve and childish notion that guns are evil because they are dangerous.
Freedom and guns was the topic of a speech I was about to deliver at Ohio University (Athens), May 16. On the plane to Columbus, I suddenly realized the deep emotional factors involved in modern America’s attitude about weapons and gun control. It hit me like an epiphany in mid air.
People are naturally afraid of guns. You have to be consciously educated and trained to feel otherwise.
I changed my speech. Oh, I was already well prepared with Richard Poe’s Seven Myths of Gun Control (2001), and William Norman Griggs’ Global Gun Grab (2001). I was ready to talk about the facts― local, national, and international.
But it was the feelings about guns that suddenly seemed much more important.
When I opened my speech to the Second Amendment Club, I pointed out that a child’s first reaction to a gun is a mix of fear and excitement. A gun is loud and scary at first, but it’s also exciting. Every parent knows a child likes excitement. A toddler would much rather knock over a tower of blocks than take the time to build the tower. It’s more fun to watch the blocks fall.
It is precisely the child’s penchant for excitement which must be early informed and trained. The child must simply be taught to respect guns. A great character element is formed in this process, which applies to a lot more in life than just weapons. Many things the child will encounter are dangerous by nature. The child must learn to manage danger, to be on top of it, not controlled by it.
That was certainly the old Comanche way. It was the Indian warrior way. Self-control was the most important thing. There was simply no place for fear in a warrior.
But Leftist and Liberals love fear. They love to fan it into a political force. They want the public to turn over all our fears to the great father in Washington.
What happens when you do that? Well, take a look at Indian reservations today. Behold the miseries of dependency. And just remember, that’s what happens when you rely on the strength and promises of government.
But a weapon represents self-reliance and independence. A healthy relationship with weapons should be one of the first responsibilities of every man to himself, and then to his children. A gun should be thought of as a profound, yes, sacred responsibility. Guns need to be returned to their place above the family hearth.
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