The Guns Of Navarone

The first time I held a gun was in my early youth. My uncle-in-law, a Major in the Nigerian Army, such as it is, had left a Browning on the floorboards on the driver’s side of his car and I found it while he was in the house with everyone else.

I was maybe 10? I don’t rightly recall.

I do remember thinking, “Wow!” as I held it, but instinctively didn’t put my finger on the trigger because somehow (TV?) I knew a trigger pull was required to make the gun go “boom!” I also do remember, now somewhat painfully, that I pointed the pistol at my uncle’s housemaid who’d been travelling with him and motioned her, in the way I’d seen in movies, to move “that way.” She laughed and told me to put the pistol away, which I did sheepishly.

All that time, however painful it is to recollect pointing a gun at something I didn’t wish to destroy, all my fingers were around the butt, nowhere near the trigger guard or the trigger itself.

Now that I live in the United States where the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to own firearms, I own several and I will always guard the ability this gives me to protect my family and myself. This I believe is one of the best things about this country—know why? Personal and painful experience.

In Nigeria, the only persons who had firearms fell into two general camps: the police and armed forces in one and robbers in another. (There was one other, tiny group: the very rich who, as usual, could and did own weapons because of their connections and wealth. Teeny tiny group.) In my experience, the police acted like robbers, setting up “road blocks” where they extorted bribes from drivers and generally threw their weight around at a terrified public. The armed forces would regularly wrest power from the civilians anytime they felt slighted and power was passed from one General to another many times when I lived there.

On the other hand, the robbers operated with near-impunity. There were times when roving bands of armed robbers would ensure a virtual curfew every night starting at twilight. Only an extreme emergency would cause people to leave their houses past 6pm because they didn’t want to get shot. Armed robbers brazenly walked up to my mother’s house and demanded entry, which they obtained then proceeded to steal my brother’s passport after threatening him with a hot iron to his face. The “police” were nowhere to be found and never did show up.

That’s what happens when only the “authorities” and outlaws own guns. I have every reason to believe that the Second Amendment makes the First possible. Simple as that.

So when I see Democrats, many Jews (who should know better, considering WWII) and other gun-banners attempt at every opportunity to turn America into a “gun-free” country, I shudder with dread. Not only is this more than just a bad idea, we threaten the very essence of our Republic, inherited from some very bright people indeed.

Now comes news that once again, Democrats want to ban high-capacity magazines. Why this makes any difference at all speaks either to their mens rea (look it up) or ignorance or both. I think it’s both: they don’t understand how guns work, but they know something about committing political suicide by seeking an outright ban so “death by a thousand cuts” it is!

Ann Coulter writes:

In response to Columbine, schools adopted "anti-bullying" policies; in response to Virginia Tech, eBay ceased selling magazines online; in response to the Tucson shooting, liberals want to ban the particular magazine Loughner used.
And then the next killer will come along with a different arsenal and a different motive, and the only way to stop him will be with an armed citizen with a gun.

Read the rest, it’s an intelligent precis of the topic and how brain-dead it is to continue attacking symptoms while the disease rages on unabated.