by Frank Schaeffer
It seems to me that NRA/open-carry/gun lobby AND de-fund the police activists are BOTH mistaken. We think of these movements as opposites. They aren’t. They both express individualistic impulses from people who ignore the human evolution of community.
SOCIETY
The greatest social advance was creating community-based rules on the use of lethal force. We don’t live in forts or have to wear armor or carry weapons when we shop for groceries ONLY because humans evolved laws, courts, and cops.
Before that in tribal cultures violent death was 500 per 100 thousand people. We now have 5 violent deaths per 100 thousand people. Duh!
What we need is to reform BOTH the racist police-and especially their horrible unions that protect racist violent cops at any cost-AND destroy the nihilism of the gun lobby. The racist police culture must be changed AND the gun lobby must be destroyed.
GUNS
We can respect the 2nd Amendment, and own guns AND regulate them: No high capacity magazines. No military-style weapons. Strict background checks. No “open carry.” No “stand your ground.” No domestic abusers allowed to own a gun-ever.
COPS
Police unions must and can be reformed. Police must be fired and prosecuted for abusive and all racist behavior. No more prosecutors “investigating” the police they work with. No more pretending many cops aren’t racists.
BUT…
The idea that we should go back to every person for themselves with us all carrying weapons and/or with no cops to call is absurd. The paranoid fantasies of the Wild West of the NRA/gun lobby, and the paranoid fantasies of the Wild Left are no place reasonable people want to live.
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“the paranoid fantasies of the Wild Left are no place reasonable people want to live.”
The many millions of Americans who routinely watch Black people murdered by militarized police are not paranoid. And no sane person wants to do away with the police!
However, much like the women who burned their bras in protest of institutionalized sexism in the 1970s, Americans are demanding an end to the grave injustice of police brutality.
In other words, when the people in power understand we’re not fucking around, we’ll back off and put our proverbial bras back on.
We only want to live in peace with justice and equality for all. If our Black brothers and sisters aren’t safe, then neither are we.
I have been a Spiritual Seeker for 50 years and studied institutional religion and metaphysical experience have found a deeper understanding. Universal Consciousness has been my path and for me the Truth is Love is God. Frank, I think my path is in essence the same as yours.