Try reading a little farther, T!

My lefty friend, Tannish, has expended much effort in the attempt to cleanse himself of long years of anger. He became a Buddhist some years back, with that in mind. Naturally, he wants very hard, as do we all, to find and make peace in this largely strife-filled world.

Sometimes, though, he does seem to be unable to avoid the temptation of placing a chip right there on his shoulder... after all, he reads my not-so-leftwing blog, and my not-so-leftwing column, and then comments on them. Personally, I find the scraps a lot of fun.

For example, this past week he posted a response to my most recent piece on the UN gun conference at his blog, Tannishblog: Wednesday’s Words: Compare and Contrast:

She packs a lot in here, playing to her audience of God-fearing gun-toters. She alludes to the Liberal indignation over banking record- and phone call-monitoring, to the tradition of openly criticizing America in hope of a better future (a distinctly Democratic process many believe should only be practiced when agreeing with the incumbent administration), and to the unstated belief of most Americans, right or left, that we hold the Golden Key of TRUTH, and that the world should listen only to us – especially the United Nations. Then she goes forth to enflame a Righty fear of firearm confiscation, as if what is happening outside the US can be measured by the yardstick of our cultural biases. Or can be fairly represented by a 300-word essay.* In this one powerful paragraph she fans the flames of derision, division, and fear.

Of course, he's depending upon his own readers responding sufficiently viscerally to this that they will instantly view me as one of those "God-fearing gun-toters" who are, he says, my audience. No mention of the fact that I openly admit I do not like guns and would prefer never to have one in my house. No mention of the fact that he very well knows I openly question the existence (and lack thereof, also) of God. No mention of the basic premise of the article, which is that, where good, decent people are not allowed to defend themselves, they are, more often than not, ultimately victims of savagery brought about by the laws ostensibly designed to protect them from savages.

Whose is the paragraph which "fans the flames of derision, division, and fear"?

And, not only does he read less into my argument against the UN on gun control and God, he reads far more into it as it comes to the US with the UN, vis "the unstated belief of most Americans, right or left, that we hold the Golden Key of TRUTH, and that the world should listen only to us – especially the United Nations."

I have not demanded that the world listen only to us. I have, in fact, asked that those who endorse strict gun bans view the evidence. Kenya. Uganda. Pre-war Germany. And, yes, that last one evinces a strong gut-reaction. With good reason.

Tannish continues,

I see no sign of “Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others”;

Is defending another's right to defend himself not a useful role?

No nod to “Faith enough to make real the things of God”;

One needs to actually do in order to "make real". And, I have complete faith that we'll discuss that "faith" thing, later

although I assume much of her readership considers themselves devout Christians;

He assumes much more than I do. From the feedback I get, it's a pretty lively mix, including atheists and a few other Buddhists besides himself

no allusion to “Hope enough to remove all anxious fears of the future”.

One does. Simply hoping accomplishes nothing. With hope must come some self-governing action. I learned this in 8th grade, when I refused to do my homework and still hoped for passing grades in math. It's amazing what a little schooling does for one's understanding of the universe.

Her stereotypical conservative view does very little to better the world, and much to fracture it.

Gosh, I haven't been labeled "stereotypical" in... I can't remember how long! lookit me blushing!


This difference of opinion does not make either Tannish or me a bad person. Neither does it make either of us entirely wrong. I would like for us to live in a world where guns are not necessary. Unfortunately, we do not. I would like for us to live in a world where everybody we met had that simple desire to live and let live. Unfortunately we do not. And wishing something does not make it so.

And, sometimes, as the saying goes, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Contemplating one's navel falls into that "do nothing" category, most days (except if it's my navel, in which case, it's too scary to contemplate).

*just over 700, actually