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    Chekhov's Gun

    By Michael Maiello on Thu, 06/12/2014 - 2:03pm | Politics

    Anton Chekhov probably never actually said that "If a gun is on the mantel in act one it must go off by act three," but there is something in that little aphorism that tells us how to write drama and also warns us about how to live life.

    In America we have a lot of guns on mantels.  Also, guns in trucks, guns in homes, guns in waistbands and guns slung over the shoulder.  We have guns in restaurants, guns in parking lots, guns in Wal-Mart and guns in movie theaters.

    With apologies to not-Chekhov, not all of these guns are going to go off. But some will. We talk a lot about responsible gun owners, background checks, psychological stability and the like but the more I think about it, the more I think none of this can really solve the problems of a lot of guns out there, waiting to go off.

    Because I give people way too much benefit of the doubt, I do not think any of the open carry protesters had any intention of shooting anyone or anything inside a Chili's or Chipotle or outside the Little League game.

    The thing is, all of us have surprised ourselves with our own actions, from time to time. Some of us do this a lot.  The things that come out of my mouth, man, it's a wonder I carry that around in public.  Sometimes I even say things that I believe are out of character for myself. Some of those things I wind up regretting. But when words go off, they only kill in Chekhov.

    For those who would carry a loaded gun in public and who feel safe doing so because they are confident in their own character, restraint and wisdom, I must ask some questions:

    Do you ever drink in public or partake of any recreational drugs?

    Ever get headaches or body aches that could put you in ill temper?

    Ever just get up on the wrong side of the bed?

    Ever taken prescribed or over the counter medicine, properly, that could have the side effect of impairing your judgment or causing fatigue?

    Ever get stressed out at work or on your commute?

    Ever lose your temper?

    Ever feel like the world is unfair?

    Do you have any fears or phobias?

    Do you have any prejudices?

    Do you realize that an entire lifetime of responsibility and restraint could be wiped our in an instant?

    Ever dropped anything?

    Ever left the house and realized an hour later you left the oven on?

    Have you ever surprised yourself with your own actions or reactions?

    There are all sorts of things, some within our control and some not, that can set a person off and it's mostly fine if people aren't carry deadly weapons around.  That's the recurring theme of this discussion that Emily Bazelon held with the loved ones of gun violence victims -- take away the guns and almost all of the violent video games, alienated personalities, rage moments and flat out comedic-errors turned tragic are reparable. Some of them become such minor incidents of life that they barely register as incidents at all.

    Take the gun off the mantel and put a book there.  Let that go off.

     

    Topics: 
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    Even when otherwise I am in a good mood, it doesn't take long while driving in my car before the "road rage"* happens.  I have remarked to others in half-jest more than once after returning from a particularly stressful jaunt on the road "it's damn good thing I don't carry a gun in my car."

     

    *My road rage is of the variety of one of those who does the speed limit, follows the rules of the road (like no right turn on red light signs) and become especially enflamed by people doing such things as going 15 or more miles per hour and then tailgate people such as myself who are actually following the rules of the road, or pull risky maneuvers to weave in and out of the cars that are impeding their lust for speed and get where they need to get to one or two minutes quicker.   


    by Elusive Trope on Thu, 06/12/2014 - 2:54pm

    This is an important message for all of us.

    Add to the fact that small children figure out a way to get to the Mantel and tragedy ensues.

    With the Bundy debacle and the offshoot Miller acts of terrorism, I am beginning to be really afraid of open insurrection in this country.

    Hell, Salon gives up a story about some radio pundit in Vegas actually defending the Millers' right to just shoot police officers.

    http://www.salon.com/2014/06/12/libertarian_pundit_adam_kokesh_defends_las_vegas_shooters_for_not_necessarily_unjustified_violence/?source=newsletter

    But the real threat is the same threat we have seen against our citizenry is suicide by gun, accidental shootings, gang shootings and shootings by children playing with guns.

    33,000 deaths a year.

    But with 74 mass shootings at schools since Newtown, my fears of mass insurrection and sheer terrorism is growing.

     


    by Richard Day on Thu, 06/12/2014 - 3:33pm

    I don't think they needed regular guns on The Enterprise and I'm pretty sure Chek(h)ov never would have had one!

    Wait wut?


    by tmccarthy0 on Thu, 06/12/2014 - 5:05pm

    Wow, shocking! I thought you were well read and knowledgeable on the important issues of the day but now, my confidence is shattered. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust your posts again. I admit I can't follow every story, like that boring war in the middle east, Iowa. Iowag? Iowraq? But I do keep up in the interesting important stories, like every episode of the original Star Trek tv show.

    Spectre of the Gun. At about 8 minutes in and throughout the story Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Chechov all with guns. There's a lesson to be learned here. The only thing that can stop bad guys with guns is a good vulcan with a mind meld technic.


    by ocean-kat on Thu, 06/12/2014 - 6:55pm

    LOL! I think you win the internets for the day! Iowag, Iowaq. I can't stop laughing. God damn those Trekkers and their gunz.

    Thanks kat! 


    by tmccarthy0 on Thu, 06/12/2014 - 7:29pm

    I'll bet those doubleknit polyester disco refugee uniforms went over great in Tombstone!


    by jollyroger on Sat, 06/14/2014 - 1:30am

    If the book is pulp fiction or Pulp Fiction, would it work equally as well? Just a rhetorical question. Coming from someone with brothers who loved playing army and watching war movies and other fictional killing as kids and grew up to be the opposite of gun nutz.

    The whole question intrigues me. Partly because:

    • I believe that more gun control would not lessen planned mass killer incidents much, which would proceed to happen apace using other weapons, like bombs or knives, but that it would greatly lessen death and mayhem from incidents involving passion, emotion, mistakes and negligence.
    •  
    • I also believe that violent fantasy in fiction (video games, movies, music, etc.) inspires some of the mentally ill or mentally unstable to commit violence. But for most people, I think it might do just the opposite....like my brothers...gets it out of their system, as mom would say...

    by artappraiser on Sat, 06/14/2014 - 3:35am

    P.S. Just got an interesting result from a keyword search on google:

    Chekhov’s loathing of violence and cant sprang from early and brutal exposure to both. As he once remarked (apropos Tolstoy’s idealization of the Russian peasantry), “I have peasant blood flowing in my veins, and I’m not the one to be impressed with peasant virtues.”

    from Aileen Kelly @ NYReview of Books.


    by artappraiser on Sat, 06/14/2014 - 3:39am

    I have emotional problems and I have seen my anger and frustration come close to the edge. I also had a friend who died due to gun violence - though I was in another state when it happened, I read the news stories and saw pictures of his distraught mother. It's why I am anti-gun.

    No matter what I hear to the contrary, I have a hard time seeing the other side of the story. I also shot large guns - designed for hunting - in a very controlled setting with a friend of mine and had trouble thinking of any rational reason to have something like this. Maybe if you are a farmer, like a serious, professional farmer or work in law enforcement or the military, which is normal in most countries but an average person? Or a person with a mental disorder? Or someone on mind altering drugs?

    I'm not sure what that friend thinks of the issue now - he did seem disturbed by all these shootings that have occurred.

    You could also ask if these "responsible gun owners" have ever had a tremor from arthritis or epilepsy or if they have been in an earthquake or if they have ever stumbled or tripped but - nah, Mike. Your average gun nut loves the idea of a firearm and so reality is just going to make them angry - angry enough to grab their gun.

    As for why all this is happening, American society is falling apart. Firearms were there in much of society for security, just like they are anywhere else. In a society that was sound, only people in positions of power felt like they needed the ultimate force to send a message of power to others. Society was stable enough that people could live their lives normally. With society falling apart, everyone needs something to both make them feel secure and, if they are warped enough, to brutally make their mark on a society that they see unraveling around them. When Rome fell, people torched the places, which was the worst weapon available for the average person at the time. Surely fire was around for a good long time, just like guns, but when Rome was flourishing, why would it make any sense to burn anything? Now, when America is falling apart, they shoot the places. It didn't make sense to shoot things as much when the country was doing well.

    It's worth also adding that this madness is holistic in our cratering society. I remember the WTO riots here in Seattle and how protesters talked about being shot with tear gas or rubber bullets. That was in a riot situation. Now there are stories of the same police department shooting and killing people buzzing on hard drugs. What the fuck? Yeah, something is very wrong - people are choosing to destroy lives around them and their own.


    by Orion on Sun, 06/15/2014 - 12:13pm