Arms for the Poor

Arms for the Poor

Elliott J. Gorn: Arms for the Poor

The right to keep and bear arms isn?t worth much without guns, as the motto of the National Rifle Association makes clear:

No Gear: Fear.
Get a Glock: You Rock.

Alright, I made that up, but the point is that the Second Amendment is worthless without hardware. Free speech? Open your mouth and hold forth. Freedom of the press? Turn on the TV. Freedom of religion? Just drive to the nearest house of worship.

But the right to keep and bear arms is different. We?ve got to have guns to make it work, lots of them. Without a piece and a full ammo clip in every hand, the second amendment isn?t worth the parchment it?s written on. On the other hand, if bad guys knew that no one goes to a movie without packing heat, if they feared the derringer under every Sikh?s turban, then recent history might be much different.

So keeping and bearing arms isn?t just an abstract right; it is an obligation of citizenship. Guns are a deterrent; more guns, more deterrence.

And that is the problem. A good piece costs hundreds of dollars, no small investment. Add ammo, several hours at a target range, and you?re in for half a grand, minimum, two thousand dollars for a family of four. Many of us can?t afford that.

But I would argue that as a country, we can?t afford not to be fully armed.

We certainly don?t need more socialism here. I?m not arguing for another government handout for welfare chiselers. No. This is where the spirit of American generosity, of free enterprise, of innovation kicks in.

Start with private charity. The next time you see a homeless person muttering down the street, just distract him for a moment??hey, is that an unattended bottle of Jim Beam???and when he looks away, slip a Smith & Wesson into his shopping cart. Be discreet; we don?t want to embarrass anyone.

But there is much more to be done. Why not an NRA sponsored ?Arms for the Poor? campaign? I?ll contribute, and I?d wager that millions of other freedom-loving Americans would dig deep for this one too. Donate cash or a good serviceable piece and you get a nice big tax deduction. Americans will do this because it is right, not because some government bureaucrat makes them do it. And they?ll do it because it is in the interest of all free-enterprise loving citizens.

And free enterprise is the point. This modest proposal is sure to have an enormous economic impact. Properly arming every man, woman, and child is a multi-billion dollar proposition.

Here?s a no-brainer: ?Arms for the Poor? will pay for only American manufactured guns, sold only at American stores and gun shows. Imagine the number of good jobs this will create!

And imagine the other benefits: School bullies will think twice about stealing other kids? lunch money, young thugs will steer clear of homeless people sporting conspicuous bulges under their left armpits, the police will rest assured as they cruise America?s mean streets that their fellow citizens have got their backs.

In a matter of months, we will revive our economy, make our streets safe, and reassert our rights as free-born Americans, all of it done in our good old capitalist ?can-do? spirit. Now that, as Sarah Palin would say, is the real America.