House of Eratosthenes

We’re having a debate over in the Demilitarizing thread about how equipment being held changes one’s outlook on the world & the things in it. Well…I can see how the other side gets confused about this. It’s pretty obvious these little darlings have become liberals, not quite so much because of experience maintaining and using the equipment, but because of the lack of it. They want to seem so worldly, wise, and informed about the subject.

Lacking that knowledge, they perhaps still would not have become liberals but for the desire to seem more informed than they are. Liberalism, at their age, is largely a defense mechanism. The truth is so unappealing in a crowd-think situation: “Actually, I’m one of the few people present who hasn’t given that a lot of thought.” No, one’s social stature is more likely on the upswing when one says ooh, look what I just figured out. The second amendment is “antiquated.” They might have needed the guns back then, they don’t need them now. Look how sophisticated I am.

After the expansion of the horizons, they speak of “adrenaline rush.” I’m sure it feels that way. But, if you take a little tow-head half their age to the gun range, and keep bringing him back, as that child grows he or she will experience a powerful pull away from the allure of liberalism, and this pull will strengthen long after the adrenaline rush has worn off. It’s a benefit of experience.

A gun, one will notice when one fires it at a range, has to be engineered. It has a chamber that has to withstand great pressure from within. It has a barrel that has to guide the projectile accurately, and a magazine to feed, all this stuff has to weigh in at something reasonable. You can’t figure out how to put all that together thinking like a liberal — thinking, for example, “That is not an argument because I and my friends find it to be ‘incoherent’.” Guns, like any other things that actually function, do not work that way.

And so yes, I can certainly see how the experience of using a certain tool or machinery can alter one’s worldview. Or rather, the lack of experience can.

Lacking that knowledge, they perhaps still would not have become liberals but for the desire to seem more informed than they are.

I’ve long maintained that “I love you” may be the three sweetest words in English, but “I don’t know” are unquestionably the most important. How much grief and loss and, yes, most definitely bloodshed could have been avoided if more people were more willing to admit to ignorance?

If you don’t know something, ASK. Ignorance kills. Literally.
- Severian | 08/20/2014 @ 06:52
[…] House Of Eratosthenes has video of liberals shooting guns for the first time (awkward) […]
- Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup » Pirate's Cove | 08/24/2014 @ 07:32

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recent

Items of Interest

Monthly Archives

What They Say

Links

Liberals Shoot Guns For the Very First TimeWednesday, August 20th, 2014

Liberals Shoot Guns For the Very First Time
Wednesday, August 20th, 2014