Musings - On Gun Ownership

Musings - On Gun Ownership

What if, everyone in the world who was willing to pull a trigger had to take a shot in the chest.  No kevlar, no shielding, no anything.  What if anyone and everyone, who was willing to kill someone else had to take a hit first, had to know how it feels like, really how it feels like, before they could ever commit to the same action against others.  Had to watch themselves bleed, had to deal with the pain, with the lasting damage, with the time it takes to get better, or the chance of not getting better.  All before they could fire their own weapon.



Do you think we'd have more gun killings in the world?  Or fewer?

When I was in martial arts, you went almost an entire belt before you ever learned to kick.  Actually the first two patterns are strictly blocks.  There's a reason for that.  Partially because blocks are integral to an understanding of force (which often goes right over young student's heads), but also because you need to understand what it's like to be hit before you are allowed to throw a punch.  You need to know what it feels like to be kicked, in the chest, in the head, in the shoulders, to be punched, to be thrown or pinned before you can do that to someone else.  You have to be on the bottom, you have to take your beatings, wear your bruises with pride, and have a visceral, physical and mental reminder of exactly the possible reprecussions of action on you, before you can ever be taught to push them on others.

I wonder if we could ever get back to that place.

I wonder if we could ever be in a world where you need to take one in the chest to give one.