From a peace worker who has worked for years to help end violence in the war-torn country of Sri Lanka. Back home, he lives in the country and owns several guns.
Do I find any inconsistency between working for peace and being a gun owner? Sometimes. But being pro-peace and anti-violence does not mean being either pacifist or anti-gun. In my view, it means being pro-human.
P.S. He lives in Utah
Yesterday, I walked into a store here in Southern Utah carrying a .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, and no one looked at me twice. Having lived for 25 years in Los Angeles, just carrying a gun into a store seems somehow wrong. Here, it’s commonplace. The Utah Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, and it is legal to go anywhere in the state with a sidearm strapped to your hip.
His real point though is the small town atmosphere is more conducive to people knowing and respecting each other.
I’m sure my city friends are shaking their heads as they read this, wondering which is stranger: walking into a store with a pistol and nobody noticing, or someone chasing you down to make sure you’ve got a product you’ll be happy with.
I grew up in a small town. After all my years in the city, I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to live in a place where both guns and people are respected.
You don’t don’t have to be a peace freak to be against war.