With the recent Supreme Court decision on guns, it is a good time to talk about guns and the left. Now a continuing theme of this blog is going to be the distinction between what I call Rich People’s Leftism (RPL) and Poor People’s Leftism (PPL). For example, RPL favors communism or socialism, while PPL sees them as nothing but systems which (1) help guilty rich people feel good about themselves and (2) would generally be avoided by actual poor people if they had a choice. As far as guns go, RPL hates them, though it’s not clear why, while PPL favors them. Here’s why:
1. Guns allow poor people to supplement a meager income by hunting, which can bring in some extra food.
2. Guns give poor people some security. Since poor people cannot afford to live in gated communities and are likely to live in crime-infested neighborhoods, or else in rural areas where police presence is minimal, guns allow poor people to protect themselves.
3. In rural areas, the deer population is a problem. They can be kept in check either by hunting them or by accidentally running into them with one’s car. The latter, if it happens to a poor person, means a great deal of bother and expense, while the former means extra food. (See number 1.)
4. The poor are much more likely than rich people to end up in the military, where having some prior experience with guns can be helpful.
1. Guns allow poor people to supplement a meager income by hunting, which can bring in some extra food.
2. Guns give poor people some security. Since poor people cannot afford to live in gated communities and are likely to live in crime-infested neighborhoods, or else in rural areas where police presence is minimal, guns allow poor people to protect themselves.
3. In rural areas, the deer population is a problem. They can be kept in check either by hunting them or by accidentally running into them with one’s car. The latter, if it happens to a poor person, means a great deal of bother and expense, while the former means extra food. (See number 1.)
4. The poor are much more likely than rich people to end up in the military, where having some prior experience with guns can be helpful.
Amen. I think your #2 is especially relevant.
Posted by: Michael Valle | 07/06/2010 at 05:07 PM