Discussion on the idea that some "Inherited society "rights" are counterproductive!"
To those who are flummoxed as to why civilians should have some inalienable right to bear arms, (not a right to take the furry arms off bears
), read the legal and historical background
here, as to gun owners, it's part of the essence of remaining a free society. Essentially, folk feel that owning a gun allows the individual to stand and defend against tyrant of an outside power or of violent criminals. To advocates, this need for guns is self-evident.
Such seemingly "innate beliefs" handed down from parents to children are collections of dogma and values we are built to follow religiously. At one time it has survival value.
Now, since the majority of deaths are by suicide, the whole concept is out of whack with reality.
However, should some massive increase in home invasion robberies occur, with doubling of the risk of murder of innocents, then once again, owning guns might be justified as a way of preventing such loss.
So it comes down I guess to the pride and aura of holding a gun and the ability to be a super hero or a hunter that remain as honest benefits.
So perhaps as one who is against hunting and does not get seduced by superheroes, I am already so distracted by flowers, trees, the sky and women, that I am left mourning the suicides that could be prevented
But let's face it, the great weakness of man is his devotion to magical thinking, fairy tales, heroes, wise men and other ideas inherited from parents. Now, it seems, critical thinking is dismissed outright as a threat to these treasured "rights". Critical thinking and confrontational debate has been in decline since their successes that buttressed the French Revolution and the upheavals sparked by Marx. Today, orators who garnish our mass respect are mostly movie stars, pop singers, and, (sadly, degrading our climb to our flourishing civil societies, self imposed dystopias), and fanatical religious preachers and hate-mongerers in many of our diverse societies.
Social scientists are viewed as impractical dreamers!
The 21st Century protects inherited "rights" - a sacred 35 hour workweek in France, the God-given right to bear arms in the USA or that obviousness Cows are holy in Hindu India. These are sacrosanct self-evident and even noble parts of our cultures!
If we could deal with such Teflon coated beliefs, likely as not, we'd have a far better world and a lot more to leave to future generations!
Asher