{"id":1701,"date":"2026-02-19T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T08:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=1701"},"modified":"2026-02-10T06:31:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T06:31:06","slug":"born-in-the-dsa-gun-nuts-have-proven-irresponsible-and-treacherous-ban-the-fg-things-already","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/02\/19\/born-in-the-dsa-gun-nuts-have-proven-irresponsible-and-treacherous-ban-the-fg-things-already\/","title":{"rendered":"Born in the DSA*: Gun Nuts Have Proven Irresponsible and Treacherous. Ban the F@#%&*g Things Already."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The image of the current version of this country around the world is that of a gun-happy, murderous, fascist state in which every weapon is available to everyone who wants to shoot up a crowd. If that perception is correct, why don\u2019t we just get rid of the guns?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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*DSA stands for the Divided States of America (aka \u201cOne Nation, Divisible\u201d). Periodically, I\u2019ll be writing more specific takes on issues that are clearly wrong for the DSA, using the arts as context. If there are issues you\u2019d like to take up (or that you\u2019d like me to take up), let me know. As always, sorry, Boss.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Protection. Security. Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murder. Suicide. The Second Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hand wringing. Thoughts and prayers. Words, words, words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damn shame about the shooting that happened last week, yesterday, an hour ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve heard it all. Endlessly. And still, over 40,000 people were murdered by gun violence in this country last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hey Chucky: now that your hands are cold and dead, can we please stop giving guns to anyone with a pulse?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference in the discussion about guns between those who believe they should be banned and those who don\u2019t is that the latter group doesn\u2019t believe there is a gun problem<\/em> \u2014 just a few isolated incidents. In a country where over 40,000 people die by gun violence each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, the folks who have the sense to believe that guns are<\/em> the problem are too timid to make arguments against people who have guns. There\u2019s a reason for that. All of those arguments use words. A well-aimed SIG Sauer P365 is mightier than every argument that uses words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve stopped being a civil society when it comes to guns. Blinded by some false notion about what the Second Amendment meant (because they\u2019ve never read the one entire sentence that comprises the amendment, only the clause that kills), these Trump-sized, teeny-weeny penis strokers bellow for their right to protect themselves in any way possible, even if it kills them in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can\u2019t they just buy a Porsche like every other mushroom cap does?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not about words. It\u2019s not about statistics. It\u2019s not about valid arguments. It\u2019s not about the truth. It\u2019s about fear-mongering, intimidation to the point of murder, and a one-party gun lobby. To be fair, there are some members of the Democratic Party that are members of the NRA, but they are few and far-pandering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it were<\/em> about words, the Second Amendment would make more sense in context. The Revolutionary War was won, in part, by citizen-militias located in each of the colonies. Every man between the ages of 16\u201360 was a member of their official militia and, as such, were required to have their own firearm to be used in battle. In 1787, the phrase \u201cbear arms\u201d would have never have been used to represent \u201chunting rifles.\u201d That term was solely a wartime phrase, intended to mean \u201cmuskets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are too many commas and the sentence structure is weird, to say the least, but the idea here was that it was okay for the 13 state militias\u2019 members to have weapons of war, just as today\u2019s state National Guards members do. Thoughts of free-range gun ownership were shot down (pun not intended) time after time by the Supreme Court. When that hard line began to crumble under the weight of the threats posed by the National Rifle Association and the millions upon millions of dollars raised by its ultra-wealthy proponents, even the conservative Chief Justice Warren Burger called it \u201ca fraud on the American Public.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, according to Michael Waldman at the Brennan Center for Justice<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many are startled to learn that the U.S. Supreme Court didn\u2019t rule that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual\u2019s right to own a gun until 2008, when District of Columbia v. Heller struck down the capital\u2019s law effectively banning handguns in the home. In fact, every other time the court had ruled previously, it had ruled otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s amazing how you\u2019ll vote on things when there\u2019s a gun aimed at your head.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how the argument system has failed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s say that a hypothetical shooting happens at an elementary school. Dozens die. Some are children under 7. The killer used a legal assault rifle, an AR-15.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argument 1<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cBan assault rifles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cWhy do you hate America?\u201d (said while shooting A in the face)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argument 2<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cBan assault rifles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cBecause if the teachers had the same rifles, then those kids would still be alive.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cThat\u2019s not true at all. In fact, more people would be dead.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cHow do you know? Arm the teachers with assault rifles and this will all stop.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cThat\u2019s ridiculous.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cWhy do you hate America?\u201d (said while shooting A in the face)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argument 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cBan all guns except specific hunting rifles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cMy AR-15 is a hunting rifle.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: \u201cNo, it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B: \u201cWhy do you hate America?\u201d (said while shooting A in the face)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sandy Hook Elementary, December 2012 – Why do these kids hate America?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, the answer is not going to come from words from the people. In America, we keep getting shot for saying words. We keep getting shot for peaceful protests. We keep getting shot for just sitting in a car nearby. We keep getting shot because we\u2019re Black. Or Jewish. Or Trans. Or even supportive of Blacks, Jews, Trans, or anyone, frankly, that seems \u201cother\u201d to those who think guns are the answer. So they shoot us. Over and over. And the beating goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An answer may lie in secession and establishment of Pacifica<\/a>. But even in Pacifica, there will be fearful gun-toters who think they\u2019re Clint Eastwood in a spaghetti western. The disease of gun ownership has been in the system for a long time and I have no faith that anyone will actually do anything about it. As a country, the DSA is among the worst when it comes to gun murders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But you already knew that. Everyone already knows that.<\/em><\/strong> The statistics are devastating, but still, after the next shooting, there will be a wringing of hands and thoughts and prayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I expect that if certain people were to read this column, I\u2019d be shot tomorrow. That\u2019ll show me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a member of the arts community, my question is: how can we use the arts as a tool to get rid of the guns? Or at the very least, to end gun violence? Or are thoughts and prayers all we\u2019re going to ever get?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you check snopes.com<\/a> for the accuracy of the following YouTube video, you\u2019ll see that they\u2019ve proven it to be true (if you\u2019re having trouble watching it, click here: https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/guns-teddy-bears-consumer-safety\/<\/a>)…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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