THERE'S A LESSON in the Egyptian revolution for gun-rights activists in America.
We don't need guns to defend ourselves from a dictatorship.
Let's break that down:
- Egypt just overthrew a dictatorship, which itself had depended upon force, without violence.
- Because they did it that way, the movement is in a better position to put a real democracy in place.
- Because they did it that way, the casualties were kept at a minimum.
- It was the dictatorial government that tried to move the demonstrations toward violence—because that would have given them the excuse they needed for a more violent crackdown.
Even though there has never been—and isn't likely to ever be—an official attempt in America to get rid of all guns, the gun lobby continues to make the case that Americans would helpless against potential dictators if they didn't have guns.
In other words, they think we would be less brave, less resolute, less capable than the Egyptians.
I disagree.
If Americans were ever faced with a real dictatorship, we would be just as strong, just as smart, just as brave.
We wouldn't need guns either, and hopefully we, too, would be smart enough not to use them.
At least, that's what I think today.
