LogFAQs > #977207082

ItsNotA2Mer posted...

In your attempt to be sarcastic, you made my point for me. Thank you.
People absolutely need to understand the ramifications of owning a gun for self defense, and many don't. They generalize the need for it, when they need to specifically personalize it, and internalize it.
It's easy to say something like "I'll get a gun because the GOP is on a mission to erase trans individuals". It's generalized, and owning a firearm won't stop the GOP from being the GOP. It's more specific and accurate to say, "As a trans individual, I feel so unsafe that I am going to carry a firearm, and am fully prepared to take a life if I'm forced to". That's how it needs to be viewed.
Same thing with people who say "I'll get a gun to feel safe". That's so generalized. It's harder to say, "I'm going to carry a firearm, and get the appropriate training/practice to make sure I can actually protect myself/others if the situation dictates. I'm fully prepared to take a life if I have no choice".
If someone said to me, "I'm going to purchase some firearms for the next election cycle, because I'm worried the clowns from last time around are acting squirrely again", I would wonder how much thought they had given to it beyond just in a more general sense. Would owning a firearm stop those people from doing something like that again in 2024? Or do you believe that you could actually find yourself in a specific situation where you will have to take lives to save lives?
Do you see the distinction? Generalizing the reasons to obtain firearms isn't a good idea. Internalization is important, it makes you really have to stop and think about what you truly are/are not prepared to do to be a safe, responsible, and effective firearm owner.

You study enough genocides you'll find a pattern, the compliance of the general population is required. Not necessarily the active participation, but at least their willingness to stand by and watch it happen.

There are a few things that prevent the escalation from rhetoric to carrying out, or work to end the carrying out part, and that is consequences. Social economic, or physical.

If a people can make it socially unacceptable to participate in such things, ie doxxing chuds and getting them fired and essentially excommunicated from their own families, then people are less likely to participate, but can still look the other way. Economics works the same. Boycotts against businesses supporting the regime doing the genocide, or genocidal rhetoric are also effective. These people are usually fiscally driven, most business class chuds are grifters, not idealogues, hurt their money they'll back off.

Which leads us to the physical. Once a Government has decided to carry out a genocide, or through rhetoric convinced it's citizens to do it (stochastic terrorism) the only things that can stop them is fear. That fear is fear of violence. Fear of real tangible physical consequences is often enough to stop an individual.

If every chud on the street looking to attack a member of the LGBTQ community was afraid they'd catch a bullet, or even a bat to the dome, most of them would back off. Fascist cowardice in the face of physical resistance is well known, just ask the crowd that fled the moment Ashley Babbitt caught her well deserved consequences.

Watch how they reach when they go toba bar hosting a drag event and are met with a group of armed defenders, their balls shrivel and they back off, usually bitching about how unfair it is.

If you are a member of a group likely to face fascist violence in the coming years my advice is always the same. Buy a weapon, learn to use it, organize with your community and it's allies for mutual aid and defence. There are plenty of groups out there looking for members.