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Signatures Of The Gun Culture
nunn
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Signatures of the Gun Culture
Dr. Michael S. Brown
Anthropologists study a culture by interviewing individuals and observing group meetings. Now that communications are mostly electronic, an easier way to gather data is to monitor e-mail lists and bulletin boards.
Many Internet correspondents set their e-mail program to automatically add a quote or slogan at the end of each e-mail to support their beliefs. These are called signatures or ".sig files" and in no other American subculture are they more popular or seen in greater variety than in the gun rights movement.
Anyone who wishes to understand this segment of society would be well advised to scan these brief sub-messages. They reveal a depth of knowledge that belies the image of the ignorant redneck gun owner. Let's read a few and you'll see what I mean.
Invoking the words of respected historical figures highlights the concept that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Many signatures have included this popular Benjamin Franklin truism:
"Those that give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety."
A popular quote from Thomas Jefferson is actually his quotation of brilliant criminologist Cesare Beccaria:
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. ... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
Famous authors are often quoted in e-mail signatures, especially Robert Heinlein, whose science fiction novels influenced a generation of baby boomers. The most famous Heinlein aphorism is:
"An armed society is a polite society."
Even before the groundbreaking work of Prof. John Lott, this statement was a powerful reminder of the positive effect of guns on human behavior.
Author William S. Burroughs contributed this gem:
"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it."
Some gun rights activists use their signature messages to change the terms of the gun control debate. Rejecting the anti-gun concept that guns are useless and dangerous, they include slogans like these:
"Guns protect moms and kids."
"Save a life, teach a woman to shoot."
"Self-defense is a basic human right."
"When did they revoke innocent until proven guilty?" expresses the feelings of many gun owners who believe they are being treated like criminals.
Another popular theme is to highlight the stupidity of the opposition. An activist named Sam Cohen came up with this one:
"The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90 MPH, where the speed limit is 25. Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20."
A speaker at the Million Mom March uttered this infamous malaprop:
"If someone comes at you with a knife or gun, say, 'I know you're upset.' We all want to be valued as human beings."
This rather crude apothegm has been popular for years:
"Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound."
A new group called "Pink Pistols" promotes the firearms rights of sexual minorities; some members have modified the previous statement to read like this:
"Gun Control: The theory that Matthew Shepard hanging from a fence post in Wyoming is morally superior to Matthew Shepard explaining to the local sheriff how his attackers got those fatal bullet wounds."
Famous firearms instructors also contribute their share of quotes. Col. Jeff Cooper, considered the father of modern pistolcraft, said:
"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician."
Massad Ayoob, the most famous currently active instructor, stated:
"The irony is, if you're willing to kill a perpetrator, you probably won't have to."
I believe the most popular and significant signature of the gun rights subculture is an ancient challenge issued by King Leonidas of Sparta. In 480 B.C., he and 300 of his Spartan warriors occupied the narrow pass at Thermopylae to delay the onslaught of the gigantic Persian army. Historians put the size of the Persian forces between 150,000 and 2 million men.
When ordered by the Persian commander to give up their weapons, Leonidas shouted back, "Molon labe!" or "Come take them!"
The valiant Greeks fought to the last man and bought precious time for their countrymen to prepare.
If the leaders of the anti-gun lobby had been aware that Molon labe! is a highly popular rallying cry among their enemies, they might have realized that their plan to force their views on American society was doomed to failure. Unfortunately for them, they were not comfortable monitoring the communications of their foes. They probably feared exposure to contagious ideas.
Dr. Michael S. Brown is a member of Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws (www.dsgl.org). He may be e-mailed at: rkba2000@yahoo.com.
SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
Dr. Michael S. Brown
Anthropologists study a culture by interviewing individuals and observing group meetings. Now that communications are mostly electronic, an easier way to gather data is to monitor e-mail lists and bulletin boards.
Many Internet correspondents set their e-mail program to automatically add a quote or slogan at the end of each e-mail to support their beliefs. These are called signatures or ".sig files" and in no other American subculture are they more popular or seen in greater variety than in the gun rights movement.
Anyone who wishes to understand this segment of society would be well advised to scan these brief sub-messages. They reveal a depth of knowledge that belies the image of the ignorant redneck gun owner. Let's read a few and you'll see what I mean.
Invoking the words of respected historical figures highlights the concept that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Many signatures have included this popular Benjamin Franklin truism:
"Those that give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety."
A popular quote from Thomas Jefferson is actually his quotation of brilliant criminologist Cesare Beccaria:
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. ... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
Famous authors are often quoted in e-mail signatures, especially Robert Heinlein, whose science fiction novels influenced a generation of baby boomers. The most famous Heinlein aphorism is:
"An armed society is a polite society."
Even before the groundbreaking work of Prof. John Lott, this statement was a powerful reminder of the positive effect of guns on human behavior.
Author William S. Burroughs contributed this gem:
"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it."
Some gun rights activists use their signature messages to change the terms of the gun control debate. Rejecting the anti-gun concept that guns are useless and dangerous, they include slogans like these:
"Guns protect moms and kids."
"Save a life, teach a woman to shoot."
"Self-defense is a basic human right."
"When did they revoke innocent until proven guilty?" expresses the feelings of many gun owners who believe they are being treated like criminals.
Another popular theme is to highlight the stupidity of the opposition. An activist named Sam Cohen came up with this one:
"The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90 MPH, where the speed limit is 25. Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20."
A speaker at the Million Mom March uttered this infamous malaprop:
"If someone comes at you with a knife or gun, say, 'I know you're upset.' We all want to be valued as human beings."
This rather crude apothegm has been popular for years:
"Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound."
A new group called "Pink Pistols" promotes the firearms rights of sexual minorities; some members have modified the previous statement to read like this:
"Gun Control: The theory that Matthew Shepard hanging from a fence post in Wyoming is morally superior to Matthew Shepard explaining to the local sheriff how his attackers got those fatal bullet wounds."
Famous firearms instructors also contribute their share of quotes. Col. Jeff Cooper, considered the father of modern pistolcraft, said:
"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician."
Massad Ayoob, the most famous currently active instructor, stated:
"The irony is, if you're willing to kill a perpetrator, you probably won't have to."
I believe the most popular and significant signature of the gun rights subculture is an ancient challenge issued by King Leonidas of Sparta. In 480 B.C., he and 300 of his Spartan warriors occupied the narrow pass at Thermopylae to delay the onslaught of the gigantic Persian army. Historians put the size of the Persian forces between 150,000 and 2 million men.
When ordered by the Persian commander to give up their weapons, Leonidas shouted back, "Molon labe!" or "Come take them!"
The valiant Greeks fought to the last man and bought precious time for their countrymen to prepare.
If the leaders of the anti-gun lobby had been aware that Molon labe! is a highly popular rallying cry among their enemies, they might have realized that their plan to force their views on American society was doomed to failure. Unfortunately for them, they were not comfortable monitoring the communications of their foes. They probably feared exposure to contagious ideas.
Dr. Michael S. Brown is a member of Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws (www.dsgl.org). He may be e-mailed at: rkba2000@yahoo.com.
SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
Comments
Dr. Michael S. Brown
June 1, 2002
Anthropologists study a culture by interviewing individuals and observing group meetings. Now that communications are mostly electronic, an easier way to gather data is to monitor e-mail lists and bulletin boards.
Many Internet correspondents set their e-mail program to automatically add a quote or slogan at the end of each e-mail to support their beliefs. These are called signatures or ".sig files" and in no other American subculture are they more popular or seen in greater variety than in the gun rights movement.
Anyone who wishes to understand this segment of society would be well advised to scan these brief sub-messages. They reveal a depth of knowledge that belies the image of the ignorant redneck gun owner. Let's read a few and you'll see what I mean.
Invoking the words of respected historical figures highlights the concept that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Many signatures have included this popular Benjamin Franklin truism:
Those that give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.
A popular quote from Thomas Jefferson is actually his quotation of brilliant criminologist Cesare Beccaria:
Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. ... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.
Famous authors are often quoted in e-mail signatures, especially Robert Heinlein, whose science fiction novels influenced a generation of baby boomers. The most famous Heinlein aphorism is:
An armed society is a polite society.
Even before the groundbreaking work of Prof. John Lott, this statement was a powerful reminder of the positive effect of guns on human behavior.
Author William S. Burroughs contributed this gem:
After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.
Some gun rights activists use their signature messages to change the terms of the gun control debate. Rejecting the anti-gun concept that guns are useless and dangerous, they include slogans like these:
Guns protect moms and kids.
Save a life, teach a woman to shoot.
Self-defense is a basic human right.
When did they revoke innocent until proven guilty? expresses the feelings of many gun owners who believe they are being treated like criminals.
Another popular theme is to highlight the stupidity of the opposition. An activist named Sam Cohen came up with this one:
The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90 MPH, where the speed limit is 25. Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20.
A speaker at the Million Mom March uttered this infamous malaprop:
If someone comes at you with a knife or gun, say, "I know you're upset." We all want to be valued as human beings.
This rather crude apothegm has been popular for years:
Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound.
A new group called "Pink Pistols" promotes the firearms rights of sexual minorities; some members have modified the previous statement to read like this:
Gun Control: The theory that Matthew Shepard hanging from a fence post in Wyoming is morally superior to Matthew Shepard explaining to the local sheriff how his attackers got those fatal bullet wounds.
Famous firearms instructors also contribute their share of quotes. Col. Jeff Cooper, considered the father of modern pistolcraft, said:
Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.
Massad Ayoob, the most famous currently active instructor, stated:
The irony is, if you're willing to kill a perpetrator, you probably won't have to.
I believe the most popular and significant signature of the gun rights subculture is an ancient challenge issued by King Leonidas of Sparta. In 480 B.C., he and 300 of his Spartan warriors occupied the narrow pass at Thermopylae to delay the onslaught of the gigantic Persian army. Historians put the size of the Persian forces between 150,000 and 2 million men.
When ordered by the Persian commander to give up their weapons, Leonidas shouted back, "Molon labe!" or "Come take them!" The valiant Greeks fought to the last man and bought precious time for their countrymen to prepare.
If the leaders of the anti-gun lobby had been aware that Molon labe! is a highly popular rallying cry among their enemies, they might have realized that their plan to force their views on American society was doomed to failure. Unfortunately for them, they were not comfortable monitoring the communications of their foes. They probably feared exposure to contagious ideas.
Dr. Michael S. Brown is a member of Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws (www.dsgl.org). He may be e-mailed at: rkba2000@yahoo.com
http://www.newsmax.com/commentarchive.shtml?a=2002/5/31/183751
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
quote:After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the ones that didn't do it.
muley
**I love the smell of Hoppes #9 in the morning**
One of the ironies in the quote that you've taken a shine to, is it's from William S. Burroughs, who is often held-up by liberal academics, as one of their icons!
www.waveformwear.com
The new wave in free expression.
muley
**I love the smell of Hoppes #9 in the morning**
A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom.
Chinese proverb
Oppression can only survive through silence.
Carmen de Monteflores
You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered.
Lyndon Johnson
John Adams:
"Resistance to sudden violence, for the preservation not only of my person, my limbs, and life, but of my property, is an indisputable right of nature which I have never surrendered to the public by the compact of society, and which perhaps, I could not surrender if I would." Boston Gazette, Sept. 5, 1763,reprinted in 3 The Works of John Adams 438 (Charles F. Adams ed., 1851)
Samuel Adams:
"That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." During Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution ratification convention, (1788), Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at 86-87 (Pierce & Hale, eds., Boston, 1850)
Fisher Ames:
"The rights of conscience, of bearing arms, of changing the government, are declared to be inherent in the people." in a letter to F.R. Minoe, June 12, 1789, in 1 Works of Fisher Ames at 53-54, (1854)
Fisher Ames:
"The rights of conscience, of bearing arms, of changing the government, are declared to be inherent in the people." in a letter to F.R. Minoe, June 12, 1789, in 1 Works of Fisher Ames at 53-54, (1854)
Patrick Henry:
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined." During Virginia's ratification convention, (1788), in 3 J. Elliot, Debates in the Several State Conventions at 45, 2d ed., (Philadelphia, PA, 1836)
Patrick Henry:
"The great object is, that every man be armed....Every one who is able may have a gun." During Virginia's ratification convention, (1788), in The Debates of the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution at 386, Jonathan Elliot, (New York, Burt Franklin: 1888)
Patrick Henry:
"Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" During Virginia's ratification convention, (1788), in The Debates of the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution at 168, Jonathan Elliot, (New York, Burt Franklin: 1888)
Thomas Jefferson:
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." Proposed Virginia Constitution (1776), Jefferson Papers at 344, J. Boyd, ed., (New York, N.Y.:Putnam, 1896)
Zachariah Johnson:
"The people are not to be disarmed of their weapons. They are left in full possession of them." in 3 J. Elliot, Debates in the Several State Conventions at 45, 2d ed., Philadelphia, 1836
Richard Henry Lee:
"...;whereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them;..." Additional Letters From The Federal Farmer at 170 (1788) Walter Bennett, ed., at 21,22,124 ( Univ. of Alabama Press, 1975)
James Madison:
"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."[Guns & Ammo, Feb. 1993, pg. 105]
George Mason:
"I ask, Who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." During Virginia's ratification convention, (1788), in The Debates of the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Jonathan Elliot (New York, Burt Franklin: 1888)
George Washington:
"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." in Writings of George Washington at 30:391, Fitzpatrick
Mohandas K. Gandhi: "Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest. If we want the Arms Act to be repealed, if we want to learn the use of arms, here is a golden opportunity. If the middle classes render voluntary help to Government in the hour of its trial, distrust will disappear, and the ban on possessing arms will be withdrawn." Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Chapter XXVII, Recruiting Campaign, Page 403, Dover paperback edition, 1983.
Sigmund Freud: "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." ("General Introduction to Psychoanalysis," S. Freud)
Admiral Yamamoto: "You cannot invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass." Advising Japan's military leaders of the futility of an invasion of the mainland United States because of the widespread availability of guns. It has been theorized that this was a major contributing factor in Japan's decision not to land on North America early in the war when they had vastly superior military strength. This delay gave our industrial infrastructure time to gear up for the conflict and was decisive in our later victory.
Benito Mussolini: "The measures adopted to restore public order are: First of all, the elimination of the so-called subversive elements. ... They were elements of disorder and subversion. On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results." (address to the Italian Senate, 1931)
Adolf Hitler: "The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let's not have any native militia or native police. German troops alone will bear the sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order throughout the occupied Russian territories, and a system of military strong-points must be evolved to cover the entire occupied country." Adolf Hitler, dinner talk on April 11, 1942, quoted in Hitler's Table Talk 1941-44: His Private Conversations, Second Edition (1973), Pg. 425-426. Translated by Norman Cameron and R. H. Stevens.
George Orwell: "That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there."
The Dalai Lama: "If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." (May 15, 2001, The Seattle Times)
An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface.
Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?
The Second Amendment is in place in case they ignore the others.
64,999,987 firearm owners killed no one yesterday.
Know guns, Know peace and safety. No guns, no peace nor safety.
You don't shoot to kill; You shoot to stay alive.
Assault is a behavior, not a device.
Criminals love gun control - it makes their jobs safer.
If Guns cause Crime, then Matches cause Arson.
The American Revolution would never have happened with Gun Control.
So many guns, so little money . . .
The gene pool needs chlorine.