The Gun is Civilization

[Guest TnRebel]

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Interesting take and one you don't hear much.

I offer you a stellar example of a letter (written by a Marine) that places the proper perspective on what a gun means to a civilized society.

Read this eloquent and profound letter and pay close attention to the last paragraph.

The Gun is Civilization

by Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

So the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=+Maj.+L.+Caudill+USMC+%28Ret%29&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=The+Gun+Is+Civilization&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

[Garufa]

Outstanding!

[Mark@Sea]

Very good essay, not written by 'major caudill', but by a gunblogger named marko kloos. Google 'munchkin wrangler'.

[Chucktshoes]

+1 for Marko Kloos. He writes a really nice, often quotable blog.

[Trekbike]

Thanks for the link to this guy. His essay called "I Am Bullet" is also very good and thought provoking. I haven't had a chance to read the others yet.

[Chucktshoes]

Something else he posted recently that I think would find agreement here is this...

“Heartless” is an accusation often hurled at Libertarians by left-leaning folks. In progressive parlance, “heartless” in this context means “insufficiently enthusiastic about spending other people’s money”.

You know, that might just be my new sig line...

[ShamGlock]

That was a great read. Thanks for posting.

[eapking]

Perfecto!

[Ebow1]

A firearm is more then just a weapon. It is a machine, a tool, a work of both scientific genius and artistic brilliance. When properly maintained it is a faithful and ever ready companion.

[Guest Straight Shooter]

Hot DAMN! I had chills reading this!!! As a Marine myself, I simply say OOOH-RAH!!!!

[Guest oldsmobile98]

Very good essay, not written by 'major caudill', but by a gunblogger named marko kloos. Google 'munchkin wrangler'.

I read Mr. Kloos' blog sometimes as well. He has served in the military, though not our military! He was in the Bundeswehr for four years. Now he lives in New Hampshire with his family. Before he moved to NH, he actually lived here in Knoxville (yup, our Knoxville).

It is too bad that it is often misattributed to Maj. Caudill. It really is a great essay.

Edited April 17, 2010 by oldsmobile98

[MacGyver]

Even though I've seen Mr. Kloos's article several times over the years, it's always worth a read. Good post.