Recently a story has been going around about a man planning an armed march into Washington D.C. For those of you who don't know about this story, I'll briefly explain. Adam Kokesh, a talk radio show host created an event on his Facebook page called Open Carry March on Washington.” On July 4th, 2013, Kokesh and whoever joins him will march into Washington D.C. with loaded rifles slung across their backs.
As I mentioned in the title, I am against this protest; I think this is a really bad idea, for several reasons.
1. Right now, pro-gunners/2nd amendment advocates are winning the debate on guns. Thus far, every single piece of anti-gun legislation proposed in Washington D.C. has been defeated, and politicians in states that passed legislation infringing on 2nd amendment rights (New York, Colorado) are facing significant backlash. This protest would change all of that for the worse, if #2 happened.
2. This protest could very easily go horribly wrong; all it would take is one shot being fired off (from either an accidental discharge, a hot-headed protestor, or perhaps an agent provocateur,) to ignite a shootout between the police and protesters. If that happened there would be a lot of dead people on both sides, and it would, at bare minimum, give ammunition to the anti-gunners to ban, and possibly even confiscate, semi-automatic rifles and handguns. It would mean the end of the 2nd amendment.
3. But there are bigger consequences that could happen as a result of the protest going wrong. If the protest ended badly, it could trigger a violent backlash against conservatives, most of which had nothing to do at all with the protest. It could very easily spark a civil war, and needless to say, it wouldn't end well for anyone. This protest is a match close to a powder keg; one wrong move and it will explode.
4. The biggest problem with this protest is that they don't understand just how serious an armed march is. They don't understand that you don't just glibly strap on a gun. (I'm not talking about recreational shooting or hunting, I'm strictly talking about defense, from either criminals or tyrants.)
Ultimately, what must be understood is that the gun is a last resort. It is meant to be used to stop bad people from doing bad things, when all other methods of persuasion fail. Now, I have defended gun rights in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. But I'm not an action movie hero; I would be very happy if I only ever used guns for recreation. I do not want to be put in a situation where I'd have to use a gun in self-defense.
That being said, if criminals broke into my home (once I actually own guns, as I don't now,) I will protect myself and the people that I care about; that does not, however, mean that I would enjoy it. (I am not alone in thinking this way; most gun owners who own guns for the purpose of defense feel this way too.) Using a gun defensively is a last resort, and should only be done when no other options are available.
The same logic of the gun being a last resort must be applied when dealing with a tyrannical, or potentially tyrannical, government. Only when all other options have failed, when government has totally failed to recognize the freedom of its citizens, would armed resistance be permissible. This idea is found in the Declaration of Independence:
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
What I'm trying to say here is that we are not at that point yet. Yes, the Obama Administration has done some very bad things, from the Benghazi cover-up, to the IRS targeting the Tea Party, to the Department of Justice keeping records on the Associated Press. But the government is not yet tyrannical (although is draws closer to tyranny every day,) and all other options, such as impeachment, peaceful protests, and contacting our representatives, remains available. We do not need to resort to armed marches in the Capitol, especially given the gravity of arming up.
Because of all the reasons that I've outlined here, I urge everyone who reads this to not go to this armed protest. Let cool heads prevail, and let's strive to remain peaceful until there is simply no other choice; hopefully, that day will never come.
Scott Howard Phillips is studying Professional Writing at Taylor University. His passion is writing fiction, but he also enjoys writing book reviews and fighting for freedom through the mightiest of all weapons: the pen. He can be reached through his website, Facebook, and Twitter.
