Essay: Why The Gun is Civilization

I came across a well reasoned argument for gun ownership and how it negates the use of force:

An excerpt:

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force. The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gangbanger, and a single gay guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

This article is often attributed to a “Major L.Caudill, USMC (Ret.)”, which is incorrect. You can read the entire article at the original writer’s website here: Why the Gun is Civilization.