Recently one commenter (Karl from Oklahoma) threatened DG, dared her to "try to take his guns", offered to "throw lead her way" and ominously threatened her directly by saying, "I know where you live."
That kind of conduct is not the conduct of a decent, responsible person. It is not the conduct of someone looking to have a discussion with whom they disagree with about a political point, with whom they disagree simply about a proposed law. It is instead the conduct, like too many of my friends on the right reflect, of someone interested in expressing their anger, in expressing they are "ready to fight" and more importantly, ready to engage in violence to get their way in social policy when they lose at the ballot box. They are not standing up for democracy, they are standing up for totalitarian tactics. Threats, intimidation, and violence. That's shameful, that's wrong, it's dispicable at best, it's unAmerican at it's core. Those who do so aren't patriots, they aren't defending any liberty outside of guns and they are attacking many others.
However, instead of spending more time blasting them, I want to ask a different question. I want to engage in a different dialog.
I want to ask three basic questions:
1. Which of our founding liberties do you feel are most important? Please don't just say "liberty", but please be a bit specific.
2. What limit on those liberties exist? For example, should there be any limit on voting? Should there be any limit on speech, on gun ownership? If one, why not the other? This is the fundamental question which separates the two camps, one feels there are reasonable limits the other does not. Do you accept, as Antonin Scalia has said, that states can in fact institute limits?
3. Lastly, and probably most importantly, what conversation are you willing to have? Any? Do you want to engage with your fellow citizens, your neighbors, in a discussion in which you present the reasonable side of yourself? People want to know, what harm do you see in these laws? Do you think you are less safe? If so, why? Do you think you need them to oppose a tyrannical government? What tyranny do you see? Are you willing to discuss it?
Or are you willing only to engage in threats? Have you a voice, or have you lost it because you feel you've otherwise lost the argument and so prefer to resort to intimidation? I'm offering you the chance to speak your mind and promise you I'll listen, so speak if you have the courage.
