Joining the Bandwagon

Some Black Americans Buying Guns: 'I'd Rather Go To Trial Than Go To The Cemetery'

I don't believe in the supernatural. As far as I am concerned there are no deities, spirits, ghosts or devils in the world. While my discounting of gods worries some people, my lack of belief in demons concerns others. "Satan's greatest trick," they tell me, "Is convincing people that he doesn't exist." To which I've started replying, "His greatest trick would be convincing people that he's their next door neighbor." The person who believes that evil is all around him is much more of a concern than the person who doesn't believe in evil at all.

When I speak to Europeans, they'll sometimes express wonder that our streets aren't constantly awash in blood, because of the high number of firearms in private hands (which is different than the firearms ownership rate, a distinction lost on many people) and a general America propensity for violence. When they ask why Americans don't see that, I answer "Of course 'we' do... why do you think there are so many guns?"

The general lack of social trust in the United States becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as it can be difficult to appear trustworthy to those one does not trust. As people take steps to defend themselves, those steps are often seen as threatening. Likewise, as people turn inwards and seek to maintain what they have, the people who depended on them being more outward-looking are forced to do the same, and the spiral accelerates.

Pair this with a general despair of positive outcomes, and it's not that far to the quote at the top of this post. Attending one's own trial may be better than one's own funeral, but neither is an outcome to be hoped for. As other outcomes appear to be remote or closed off, defending oneself against assault or murder charges becomes a bright spot in comparison. That's usually en indicator that something isn't working the way we profess to want it to.

Of course, a lot of people don't believe that profession... which is one of the reasons for all the guns...