Conservatives Are Terrified That People Like Me Are Buying Guns
No they’re not. I’m progressive in my politics and beliefs but associate with a lot of conservatives because firearms are a big hobby of mine.
I’ve seen some embrace left-leaning people because they’re just happy to see others join the firearms community. I’ve seen others laugh at the idea of “pink-haired lesbians” training and imply that everyone on the left is weak and incapable of ever getting good with firearms. Still others dig in with a serious tone and talk about being ready to defend America ® and Patriotism ™ against the communist pedophiles.
But not a single one has expressed fear, because they don’t see themselves as the bad guys. They will either never be the aggressor in a confrontation (but tacitly support those who will be) and thus won’t be in the line of fire, or feel ready to lay down their lives for God and Country and Family Values and Good Righteous People Everywhere. They really don’t see inevitable future that comes with the othering language they use and administration they support.
I’m not advocating for anyone to start a civil war. Believe me, I know better than most what it looks like when everything falls apart. I was an idiot high school student who believed the “fight for democracy” bullshit and wanted to see what war was really like, so I enlisted in the Marines in the early 2000s as an infantryman. I got my wish and it made me as anti-war as anyone else.
But unlike my dumb ass, historically, the vast majority of people involved in violent conflicts had no choice otherwise. You can do everything right to avoid being the catalyst for conflict, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will do the same.
But we can choose what tools and capabilities we will have at our disposal if violence insists on coming to our homes and families.