There’s one line you don’t ever cross.

People say we’re crazy fetishists. That we’re compensating for our small plumbing. That we’ve got Rambo fantasies. That we’re living in a world of paranoid delusions.

People say they don’t understand why the guns are so important.

I say we’re living in the real world, and in the real world there’s a line you don’t cross if you want to live.

Let’s say you’re a woman, and there’s this guy who’s really creeping you out. Maybe you compromise with him a bit, to keep the peace. Maybe you have a drink with him. Maybe you listen to him talk about his troubles. You do that because you’re hoping at some point he’ll go away. You don’t want violence, because he’s bigger and stronger than you are. But anybody will tell you there’s one line you don’t ever cross with him: You don’t ever let him get you isolated and helpless. Do that, and history is not on your side. Kick, claw, hit, scream, do anything you have to do to get away from that bastard. Maybe he’ll still hurt you, but if you stay quiet and go along it’s pretty much certain.

Nobody who’s got your best interest at heart would ever demand that you be helpless.

When it comes to gun control, government is that creepy guy. He’s big and strong, and he’s making a whole bunch of unreasonable demands. Maybe he’s not being explicit about it yet, but it’s pretty clear he wants something from you that you don’t want to put out. Resisting him seems like a pretty good way to get hurt, but he’s got a history too. History says that going along to the point of being helpless before him pretty much guarantees you’re going to be hurt.

The only rational answer to that is “oh, HELL no.” I don’t promise that answer will work out well for you. But history damn well guarantees that, in the long run, the alternative will not be better.

Rednecks aren’t always right, but they’re not always wrong, either…