By Peter R. Quinones

“And it’s OK to call anyone talking about taking them away your enemy.”

I believe this is one of the most important messages going forward to draw gun owners to the ideas of liberty. I used the plural “ideas” there purposefully. Many people read Rothbard and others and quickly adopt exactly what they’ve written as an ideal that is inflexible. Many attempt to draw people to liberty but only if they’re willing to agree not only politically, but culturally as well. That is a mistake, a big one. This is the building of the “social club for autists” which I frequently invoke.

I chose guns as the subject of this as gun ownership covers both political and cultural issues. Someone like myself who grew up in the inner city did not believe I should own a gun because it was my right to defend myself should the government turn tyrannical. I wanted to own guns to protect myself from the criminals in my neighborhood. Now I live in the South and am surrounded by people who were brought up in a different way. Many were taught that the right to keep and bear arms was to prevent tyranny. Others just like to hunt. These two tend to crossover a great deal. Both are different cultures than the one in which I was raised.

READ MORE