People commonly quote Marx communicating that the possession of firearms must not be infringed, but I’d like more general principles and justifications than an appeal to Marx.
I’ve done some reading but when I cannot I just think about things on my own, maybe bounce ideas off a friend.
Word Vomit Contained inside
The view that I’ve come to currently is that violence (defined in this case as the obstruction or frustration of another’s plans and ambitions) is a core universal tool which all living things employ. Language and cooperation were evolutionary evolved as a complement to violence (communication and cooperation allowed group violence which greatly improved survival odds). However, in cases where communication/cooperation with an outgroup breaks down, violence in some form will be fallen back on.
What’s more, between two non-cooperative groups, if one group can obtain what they want through violence without losing more than they gain, they’ll quite often choose that option as it is enticing.
Because of this natural progression, force-on-force is almost inevitable. To prevent being trodden upon by others, it is wise for a community to arm itself and train, thus greatly raising the cost of confrontations, hopefully beyond what others are willing to pay.
I would like to hear more from folks though, maybe just wise words on operation, maybe some sources to check out in my free time. Anything to better build my understanding is welcome.
I think this is an apt summary, though I think it’s also good to talk about historical events which the right does NOT mention, such as the Battle of Blaire Mountain - where Miners used their arms to clash with local lawmen for their right to unionize -, or the bombing of the MOVE organization at Osage avenue - a movement who protested while armed to defend themselves against the Philadelphia police force.
Those events directly undermine the actual aims of US firearms propaganda, which is to pit the workers of society against all who would attempt to redefine the power structures within the US (of course, trump’s been made an exception to that aim).