It’s Getting Even Tougher To Be Conservative

Leave it to Michael Yon to pull a “Steve Earle” on me.  Just when I thought I had one, solid, conservative stand on an issue Yon scrambles my brain with a little realism.  Man, I hate it when that happens.  Keep reading as I take myself on in a little self-debate about gun control.

First, read this.  It is short, so you’ll be right back here in just a minute.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/mccaffrey-on-mexico-23-march-2009.htm

I remember sometime around 1992 or so when I bought my first Steve Earle album.  It was called “Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator”  I like live albums, and I always liked the song, “Copperhead Road” so I picked it up.  There is a song on it called “Billy Austin.”  In it, “Billy” tells the story about how he robs a gas station and decides to kill the attendant and then picks up the phone and calls the police himself.  Pretty cut and dry death penalty case, and Earle makes no attempt to deny it.  At the end of the song, Billy admits that he deserves to die, but asks the question, “Could you pull that switch yourself, sir, with a sure and steady hand?  Could you still tell yourself, sir, that you’re better than I am?”

Now, many of us have asked ourself that question, and probably had a quick answer ready depending on our worldview.  You might have a caveat or two depending on who got killed, or how bad the killer is.  I had the ready answer in the affirmative.  After all, the Bible allows it under certain circumstances. And I’m a good card carrying conservative, not one to rock the boat.  I can even draw the distinction between abortion and the death penalty.  Got to be careful there, or you’ll tie yourself in knots.

Anyway, after I heard that song, I was a little irritated.  You see, I have this thing about not supporting artists who use their talent and success to further agendas that I don’t agree with, or feel are damaging to the causes I believe in.  But that damn Steve Earle is a real talented guy.  He has a way of compelling you to at least consider what he has to say, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it.

That’s a good definition for art, by the way.

Well, he got me thinking about the death penalty.  Later on, I read an interview with him where he said that his biggest problem he had with the death penalty was that he had a problem with his country killing its citizens.  Earle got me thinking about the whole issue, and while I am definitely not against the death penalty completely, no prosecuter persuing it in a trial would want me on the jury.  He would have an amazing burden of proof to accomplish.  More than most people would expect.  All because of a very well written song.

Okay, on to Michael Yon and guns in Mexico.  Yon says essentially that it is ludricous to say that guns don’t kill people, just as it is equally as idiotic to say that ieds don’t kill people, or nuke rounds don’t.  That’s where I got “Steve Earle’d”.  What I mean is that gun ownership and bearing, like all rights protected by the Constitution are limited.  Man that was painful to say.  I wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t for Yon’s little dispatch.  At least not about the second amendment.

I don’t know what to do about stopping the flow of gun into Mexico.  If you have read any of my earlier posts here, you know that I don’t believe we are going to be able to truly secure our southern border short of posting troops, tanks, and landmines down there.  I’m REALLY not comfortable with that idea, especiall when my team isn’t running the country.  I’m also not for government meddling in my right to purchase, own, bear and sell a fire arm.  I’m against registration, even though I do it.  Thumbprint and all.  But if we can’t secure the border, how are we to stop all these guns from making their way down there?

By the way, much of the “secure the border” stuff we hear addresses the need to secure it one way: south to north.  I have particular issues to ponder when we start talking about my government transitioning from “keeping them out” to “keeping me in.”  That is a bit too much like Stalinist Iron Curtain talk for me.  I’m not saying it isn’t worth considering.  I’m just saying we need to think real hard about establishing that precedent.

Now, I’m still pro-gun.  And don’t mess with my 2nd amendment, thank you.  But Yon is right: guns are pouring into Mexico form the US, and it is hypocritical for me to advocate punishing Syria or Iran for guns that are pouring into Iraq if I’m not willing to consider our complacency about guns pouring into Mexico.  Now, to be honest, I didn’t know there was a problem until recently, and I also wonder if there isn’t some darker agenda in the works that caused this bit of info to be brought into the light.  I wonder if the left is trying to sneak one in on me, trying to make me feel guilty so they can tighten up my right to keep and bear arms.  I like conspiracy theories even if I don’t believe them, so if I get any more wind of this, I’ll keep you posted.

In the mean time, I guess I won’t be saying, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”  Not because it isn’t true necessarily, but rather because Michael is right.  Guns DO kill people.  And a guy who is at least uncomfortable with the death penalty, ought to consider that fact when he makes a stand on the 2nd amendment.

Man, that was painful.