Oleg Volk
The Horace Mann Review Issue 5, Vol. XVI
are always better than laws partially or ineffectively enforced. Put a hold on polarized politics for a moment. Guns are not universally good or bad; they are always the same. They shoot projectiles at or above the speed of sound and make a lot of noise. It is the people and the circumstances under which they are owned that cause problems. In densely populated urban areas, guns are bad; in sparsely populate rural areas, guns are an important bulwark of American culture and the preservation of liberty. If someone wants to shoot an unsuspecting deer in the back and call it a sport, then let them. Whether you agree with killing defenseless animals or not, hunting and the freedom to do so with a cross bow, a bolt action hunting rifle, or an AR-15, is one of the few things we can (in some states at least) enjoy without Uncle Sam’s input. What is liberty to you? What freedoms do you cherish? Freedom of speech and expression, freedom to practice any religion you want, the right for a woman to do what she wants with her body, habeas corpus, or the very fact that I can write this article. What about the right to bear arms? As time marches on, the government only gets bigger, becoming involved with
more aspects of everyday life and wanting more control over its citizens. It knows what you search in Google and what you say to your friends on AIM, and it will soon have the ability to interpret this data and turn it into meaningful predictions and generalizations. Knowledge is power. But what sustains our liberties? People in America care enough about freedom to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union. Sometimes, however, the ACLU can be troublesome to government efforts. It could very easily be labeled a terrorist organization and shut down. But the government could not do that; the public outcry would force them to withdraw, right? Yes, but dissidents could be silenced if it were not for one factor: the government’ fear of what the people might do. Sic Semper Tyrawnus. The switch from democracy to a police state is easier than one might think. Whether you think the Second Amendment is an archaic remnant of revolutionary fervor or important to the preservation of the Big Rotting Apple, do not let Michael Moore beguile you; the right to bear arms is an essential check and balance that must not be infringed upon.
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