McPherson: Call And Response

[A message arrived in my inbox this morning, forwarded by the Future of Freedom Foundation, from a reader who does not seem to agree with my position on gun control. I re-post here the original message and my response. SM]

Hello Scott,

I am fairly sure that I have not written to you before, but i hope my correspondence will be civil and respectful. I am very concerned that a large segment of our United States population is losing confidence in our democracy. I believe it is fairly clear that one nation, namely, Russia, is putting a lot of effort into trying to divide us into political camps that seem so polarized that there is no way forward. Our government is of, for, and by the people. It is our duty to make sure that our democracy works by availing ourselves of the energies of the three branches of this government.

Much of what I read on the internet comes from very insecure people who are afraid of our government. This government is ours.

When I read your article about gun control right after the tragedy in Florida, I was saddened that you referred to those raising the issue of gun control as 'suspects'. This nation is hurting, Scott. I used to think that i was not insecure. Then I see mass shooting after mass shooting with the only common denominator is someone with some kind automatic weapon murdering whoever falls in the gun sights. I never used to worry about going shopping, or to a ball game, or church, or school (i did teach for many years in both public and private school systems). Now I not only worry about myself, but also my grandchildren going to school, my neighbors going to church or synagogue or mosque.

Our government is a democracy. WE are guaranteed certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This whole argument of militias is playing right into the hands of the enemies of democracy.
They want us to believe that we cannot trust ourselves to govern each other fairly. So we need armed citizens to protect us from 'us'?

Let us all start talking to one another more about our fears etc. I mean across party lines. I have seen way too much talk on the internet of civil war. A civil war is not going to do anything except get thousands, if not millions, of people killed, and we will not be any closer to what our democracy should and can be. In the meantime hundreds of innocent people are dying in order to protect the rights of people with guns who have legitimate fears that they are not going to have the world the way they individually want it to be. It has to be a government by all of us for all of us.

I do not like a lot of things that our government does. it is my job to elect people that I think will do their best to preserve democracy for all. it is my job to seek redress in court if I or someone else is being deprived or life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

If someone feels so insecure that they feel the need to arm themselves, I encourage them to reach out to their neighbors, relatives and friends to look out for each other.

Frankly, Scott, I find it difficult to see these tragic events continue. Let us consider, and I am very serious about this, that maybe we should start mending our families and our communities by laying down our arms. We have a government to protect us. We can hire more police, set up neighbor watches, but put away our guns. From an old song of the 60s "too many people have died".

If my letter to you is offensive in any way, I want to amend it to help bring us closer together. That is most important to me, not making a point.

Peace,

***

Mr./Mrs. _____________:

Hello, and thank you for the thoughtful note.

While I long ago grew tired of the constant epithet of "insecure" being hurled at 60-100 million US gun-owners, let me take a moment to address your points dispassionately.

You say that "much" of what you see on the Internet is written by people who are afraid of the US government. That's no surprise; polling has found that anywhere from a large plurality to even a majority of Americans don't trust their government. That isn't our failing; blame lies at the feet of naive people who actually believe "we are the government."

We most certainly are not! Any doubt about that should have been wiped away when it was revealed that the NSA has been spying on Americans for years, without telling Congress, or the public. Quick question: Did "we" spy on ourselves?

My use of the word "suspects" in the context of gun-control supporters must itself be considered in context. I was using a term in common usage – "usual suspects" – to refer to a predictable group within the media and the political establishment who can always be counted on to climb atop piles of dead bodies to push their anti-gun agenda. I think the term applied quite well in the aftermath of Florida's recent tragedy.

The US is most certainly not a democracy. If you doubt me on this point, please find anywhere in the US Constitution, or its philosophical antecedent, The Declaration of Independence, so much as one single reference to democracy. I'll save you some time; it's not in there. A perusal of the Federalist Papers, however – written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, to explain the newly proposed Constitution – will reveal many references to the dangers of democracy!

Leaving the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Ben Franklin was asked by a bystander, "What sort of government have you given us?" "A republic," he replied, "if you can keep it."

You write, "it is my job to elect people that I think will do their best to preserve democracy for all." Not true. It is our job, as citizens of a free republic, to elect people who will uphold the Constitution and protect individual rights. Period.

It's a very lofty notion, the idea that we can "mend our families and our communities" by "laying down our arms." But it is the creed of victims-in-waiting. "We have a government to protect us," you say? Please don't make me laugh. There were five – five – armed officers outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Each one of them sat by, hiding behind a police car, listening to the sickening pop! pop! pop! of Nikolas Cruz's rifle. They are the government. They did nothing. We don't need "more" of that.

Thank you again for your thoughts. I always appreciate hearing from people, even, perhaps especially those with whom I disagree. I hope that you will continue studying this issue, as I will.

All the best,

Scott McPherson