Friend, foe, or just misguided?

Sebastian has stepped in it again!

He was able to go to DC to be at the Supreme Court building for the McDonald arguments, and he took in some sights, saw a few NRA bubbas, and got into some other stuff.

But he also mentioned that maybe he should buy Peter Hamm (of Brady fame) a coffee from Starbucks, since it was so cold.

This started the battle over whether the Brady bunch are our misguided friends, or our enemies.

Regarding the twitter post that started it all, I believe that Sebastian's suggestion was a simple case of good-natured ribbing, and not out of character for Sebastian.

But I mentioned at Joe's, I couldn't do that .... let me try to explain.

Only the most cynical individual would ascribe malevolent motives to all anti-gunners; I'm quite sure that most of them have what they feel are good intentions - reduction in crime, reduction of murders, reduction of senseless accidental firearms deaths. These are all laudable goals, goals I agree with. Where we differ is in how we get there. And despite the evidence, despite the trends, despite the acknowledgement from criminals that gun control does not work ......

They keep trying. And trying. And trying. They lie ..... they obfuscate .... they publish nonsensical ratings for states. And they keep losing, and not just politically, they're losing the intellectual battle as well. Why do they keep at it? When do their attempts to disarm turn from well-meaning into sinister? I see two facets to this question.

First, my right, your right, their right to self-defense is absolute. When it's you or the goblin, I pick you. You deserve the right to defend yourself. Even if the goblin has a rock ...... or a knife ...... or a gun. I believe you have the unalienable right to arm yourself with whatever weaponry that is required to keep you safe.

Whatever weaponry. Pepper spray ...... knife ....... gun.

Second, the founders recognized the natural right to self-defence, but saw the need to codify that right as a political guarantee against outside forces and, if necessary, the government itself.

So the reduction of crime, the reduction of murders, all of that, must come second to my right to survive. And given that I can't have a sheriff's deputy with me 24/7, I carry a firearm.

So you tell me ...... are the Brady bunch our friends, or our enemies?

pm