New Polity

Written in response to “You Decide”

I recently met with 4 very interesting people from Texas at an art camp, and over the course of 2 weeks got to know them very well. As an icebreaker when we first met, I asked about the typical Texan/conservative stereotypes. To my surprise, one of them told me that he never traveled anywhere without his gun. I do not remember what kind of gun he had other than that it was a shotgun. So here was a 19 year old, with a gun, at a camp filled with 60 other teens and college students; a disaster just waiting to happen. Luckily, there was no reason for him to use his gun, but the thought of it is scary.

When I asked him why he brought his gun everywhere, he said that he needed to protect himself from the other people with guns. Did he expect there to be other teens with guns at the camp? I do not know, but he had his gun. Technically, it is not illegal, but where is the common sense in bringing a shotgun to camp?

The problem with ultra conservatives is that they think that they can do whatever they want because they know best. They only care about themselves and their personal happiness. They lack the foresight to see the future consequences of their actions. It might seem like a good idea to drill for oil now, but 5 years from now, that area might turn into a wasteland. It might seem like a good idea right now to carry a gun, until it accidentally fires. Where is the common sense? Where is the foresight?

Ultra conservatives do not have an accurate sense of their place in the community either. As an example, my Texan friend thought that he would need to protect himself from others with guns. Most teenagers do NOT own guns because they are dangerous and unnecessary, but he thought that he would need protection. There was a disconnect between him and the community outside of Texas. I mean who brings a gun to summer camp? –Someone who lives in his own world where only he matters.

I do not want to pick on this one guy from Texas, because he was actually a really nice person. The fact of the matter is that things like this happen all of the time; when conservatives lack common sense. My Texan friend told me that a law was written in the Lone Star state that allowed you to shoot any trespassers. All that you would have to do is post a sign on the border of your property that says “trespassers will be shot” and then if anyone comes towards you, you have the right to shoot to kill. Again, there is no common sense here. I cannot count the number of times that I have taken shortcuts across someone else’s property to get where I needed to go, but the thought of being shot for it is ridiculous. If someone is breaking into your house or threatening your family, that is one thing, but I highly doubt that someone walking along the outskirts of a ranch is a threat to the people living there. But ultra conservatives like to do their own thing. And they are “damned proud of it” (Harding).

Finally, the best of all is that in conservative areas you can walk into the local Walmart and buy guns and ammunition. Guns are so readily available that almost anyone can buy one at a very low price. Lets do a math equation. What do you get when you add trigger happy conservatives and cheap/easily accessible guns? A recipe for disaster. There is no foresight of the consequences and no common sense. So the next time a conservative tries to tell you that liberals lack common sense, think twice about his claim.