The Tyranny of “Freedom”
We are paralyzed.
The narrative of “guns protect against tyranny” has us in a vice grip that seems to have cut off our nervous system. If you question it, then you are deemed naive about the natural goodness of governments. “You are just like a frog in boiling water,” they claim (Fun fact: That metaphor is not accurate. Frogs will react to a gradual increase in temperature).
But just for a second, I want to embrace the perspective of those who see the Second Amendment as a fundamental right, akin to life. After all, I don’t believe anything gets done by telling those you oppose “you are crazy.” I’ve heard most of the arguments over the years:
The nation state needs a counterweight. Citizens with arms provide that.
If we believe that people have a fundamental right to life, then we must believe the right to self-defense is inherent as well.
People buy guns as a deterrent for crime.
“A good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun.”
To those who espouse these beliefs, I thank you for being watchful of our individual rights, of ensuring we do not let coastal biases silence the rest of the country.
However, the claim that guns bring about freedom through what they enable (self-defense) defines the idea of freedom far too narrowly to be practical or realistic.
It is this myopia that makes gun proliferation advocates ignore the present tyranny. And the longer we ignore our present tyranny, the more stress we ultimately put on our social contract–the guarantee that by being part of American society, we are given certain rights that are protected through our collective action and agreement (represented in the form of a government).
Freedom should not be constrained to “I can do whatever I want.” It has to be reconciled with “I will not be harmed.” Both of these are absolutes, and true freedom is the negotiation of these elements. They are not at opposite ends of the spectrum by default, but in a complex, dynamic system, like a society, there will be instances where they oppose. And if we believe that the maxim of freedom is life, then in circumstances where “I can do whatever I want,” conflicts with “I will not be harmed,” we must prioritize harm reduction. You can’t do “whatever you want” if you are dead.
We must also redefine the word tyranny. There is a tyranny of the state, which is what the founding fathers were thinking when drafting the Second Amendment (Newsflash: They did not have in mind the sort of weapons we have today). And there is tyranny of anarchy. This is when the absence of rules/customs creates an environment where the circumstances limit your agency, behavior, and you have no recourse.
Today, our lack of sensible gun control is forcing schools into this tyranny. Active shooter drills, talks of arming teachers (even if they don’t want to), prison-like security arrangements. The imminent danger that you can’t really see.
You also see the rise of gun violence driven by anger and/or the desire for revenge. The shooting in Tulsa last week, a patient shooting a doctor he blamed for post-surgery pain, is a vivid illustration of this rising trend. Taking justice into your own hands is one of the most dangerous slippery slopes a society can descend towards.
What will the unchecked proliferation of guns evolve into? Or better said, what will it devolve our society towards? Will we all have to walk around with guns and body armor, as if we were bounty hunters in Tatooine? Is this the type of world we want to live in? I’d be delighted to partake in an immersive Star Wars experience, but this is not what I had in mind.
“Life is hard, and there are always dangers, you must protect yourself.” Some find that advice pragmatic, in the same vein as having six month of expenses in your savings, or having jugs of freshwater in your basement. Yet, for all the patriotic talk of the United States being the greatest country on earth, I find this advice cynical and unremarkable.
We can and we must evolve into a safer society. Not one that is built upon utopias or Pollyanna. Just one that acknowledges that enough has not been done, the social contract is not being upheld, and that in other countries gun violence is an outlier, not a defining characteristic of their society. That’s where we are today.
Let not our incomplete pursuit of freedom drive us off a cliff with no parachute. That’s where we are heading right now. Unless we react.
