Gun Phobia v. Common Sense

I’ll never understand gun phobia. I have a friend who is anti-gun, anti-NRA, and generally against guns. You know the type. But here’s the thing. He’s Jewish and ardently supports Israel and her right of self-defense.

I’ve pointed out to him that I exercise my right of self-defense by owning and knowing how to use guns. I mentioned the recent shooting in Seattle. A Muslim killed one woman and wounded several other Jews in a place well equipped with security. I politely suggested that his own self-defense might just be a good idea. He was aghast at the idea. He let his gun phobia exceed his common sense.

Not to pick on him; but I will anyway and give another example of his gun phobia. He visited Israel a couple of years ago as a representative from an American Jewish group. He and other representatives traveled near a border that had been infiltrated a few times.

His hosts offered him (and others) in the group sub-machine guns for their defense and they would give him a lesson on how to use it. When he refused, they—thinking maybe they had offered something beyond his comfort level—offered him a handgun and a lesson. He refused and was told, “Okay, your funeral.”

Nothing happened to him. Still he refused to arm himself even though everyone else in his group accepted the offer. He evidently sulked on the tour bus during the range session. (I would never pass up the opportunity to shoot a submachine gun especially at no cost to me. But that’s just me.)

It’s easy to say each to their own, but my friend believes in the motto, “Never Again.” Never again will Jews let a holocaust happen, but he is unwilling to equip and train himself to prevent that.

It’s pure gun phobia. Part of his phobia stems from him growing up in a city and never understanding that good people can use guns for good purposes. Another part comes from his political leanings. He’s a leftie; so much so, that he bemoaned Kerry’s nomination in 2004 instead of Dennis Kucinich’s although he knew Kucinich couldn’t win.

Maybe one of these days he’ll get it. There’s hope. A friend of his visited Israel and spent a week near Gaza. He borrowed an Uzi submachine gun, learned how to use it and now wants to buy a rifle and handgun.

Thus one more gunnie was born. Maybe my friend will become a gunnie too (I’m not holding my breath).