Queer Country Wisdom No. 2: Liberals with Guns
Let's talk across the aisle about guns.
Dear Queer Country Wisdom,
I’m a politically liberal gun owner in Vermont, recently transplanted here from the Pacific Northwest (where the politics of guns is…different). In Vermont, being a politically liberal gun owner is like driving a Subaru - if you don’t have one yet, you probably will eventually. But when talking to friends and family back home, I sometimes feel like my views on gun ownership are misunderstood by both conservatives and liberals. How do you navigate conversations about gun safety and ownership with people who don’t share your perspective?"
Sincerely,
Miss. Ing Targets
Dear Miss Targets,
Hahaaaa, I see what you did there! Style points awarded.
Now, to the point. As a liberal gun owner myself, I’ve found that Vermont occupies a unique space where left-wing politics and gun ownership can easily coexist…in ways that don’t always make sense to folks from outside of Vermont (unless you’re my gun-loving Buddhist ex-father-in-law…but that’s a story for another time). The key to navigating those conversations, I think, is rooted in finding common ground, and acknowledging the great responsibility inherent to gun ownership.
For me, gun ownership isn’t just a right - it’s also a responsibility, as it should be. Are you familiar with Spider-Man - specifically, the Uncle Ben character? Stick with me here, I swear it’s relevant. At one point, in one of the Spider-Man movies, Uncle Ben says to Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Well, here’s the thing: great power combined with great responsibility is a recipe for would-be heroes…but great power without the great responsibility is a recipe for a villain.
In Vermont, I believe there are few villains in this sense. We have a long tradition of hunting and other forms of self-reliance, and with that often comes the use of guns - and the understanding that they aren’t toys (and shouldn’t be political symbols). Here, we know that guns are tools that require respect, training, and common-sense regulation. We have to acknowledge their power - and respond with equivalent responsibility.
Personally, when I talk to folks who either fear guns or glorify them without acknowledging the responsibility that comes with them, I try to frame the conversation around related touchpoints. Depending on who I’m speaking with, those touchpoints could be personal safety, self-reliance, environmental conservation…the list goes on. I don’t ever shy away from my belief that we need stronger gun laws - but responsible gun ownership isn’t on the chopping block in that conversation, and I can always find ways to connect responsible gun ownership to something the other person cares about. It’s totally possible to ensure that the traditions of hunting and responsible gun ownership can continue without putting innocent lives at risk. It’s a conversation that can be hard to have, but if we approach it with a shared respect for life, safety, and community, we can find more common ground than we might expect.
Good luck, Miss. Aim true!
Warmly,
Jack