Yesterday a friend suggested I change the topic, guns, I planned to discuss. She said everyone is discussing the impeachment trial. I agree: trump’s trial is important. One issue that needs to be discussed, especially in light of January 6, is private ownership of guns.

One reason people own a gun is self-defense: to defend against a burglar. However, statistics, compiled by Jacksonville State University, show only 27.6% of burglaries occur when someone’s home. If you are not there to use it, a gun does no good.

Burglaries occur most frequently between 10 am and 3 pm, when people are at work or school.
Some burglaries are perpetrated by household members or someone they know. In all of these instances a gun becomes an object to be stolen and sold.

If you want to deter burglars and not jeopardize your life and the lives of others in your home, get a security system, make sure your doors are solid with good locks, and use common sense in not leaving tell-tale signs that attract burglars.

That brings me to a tie-in with January 6. Another reason to own guns is to oppose tyranny. Of course this is a silly reason if one means “tyranny” as exercised by government. Even a small State has sufficient arms and people to render pseudo-assault rifles inadequate.

There are, of course, people who say The Second Amendment extends to nukes and surface-to-air missiles, an argument so absurd as not to warrant reply. On January 6 we saw the people who espouse the “oppose tyranny” reason to own guns.

“Tyranny” is “cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.” Oxford Languages. In Federalist 10, James Madison described a tyranny of the majority. He was concerned that a majority would exercise such control over everyone else.

On January 6 we saw a mob try to exert tyranny on behalf of their “fearless leader” (see: Rocky and Bullwinkle) and a minority that has, via voter suppression and gerrymandering, obtained control of a significant part of our country.

The “Second Amendment” is not there to protect these people from, but to allow them to exert tyranny over, others. Their arguments for assault-style rifles (I know, gun nots will say “Ain’t no such thing”; tell that to survivors of mass shootings) are bereft.

We need gun control. Until deer and antelope are armed with AK-47s, the only reason to own a weapon of that type is to kill human beings and kill them rapidly. And the human beings they kill are not “evil” agents of the Federal government. They kill little kids.

Today on Civil Discourse Now (4 pm): Guns! (To save space I’ll refer to “guns” instead “gun or guns.”) I shall continue to discuss this topic. I mean - take a break from the lead-up to The Super Bowl®. How many times do you need to see Mean Joe Green and Coca-Cola®?