Reply #79: Yes and no. [View All]

[Atypical Liberal]

No, it does not have to be a contradiction, but unfortunately, it often is.

There is no reason why anyone from any background can not enjoy the right to keep and bear arms if they so choose.

But I think I understand the differences.

Conservatives, by nature, tend to believe very much in "self-reliance". Now they are often deluded in to how independent they really are from the rest of society, but nonetheless, the conservative ideology is very much an ideology of ultimately being responsible for yourself. We see this in arguments over health care. This includes the notion of defending oneself and one's family. So in an assault situation, a conservatives first response is "grab your gun".

Liberals, by nature, tend to believe in collective efforts to solve problems. Whether it is health care, or education, or security, they see it as the responsibility of the collective, not their own personal responsibility. So in an assault situation, a liberals first response is "call the police".

There is also the issue of trust of government. Conservatives as a rule seem to be highly distrustful of government, and seek to minimize its influence. Liberals as a rule seem to embrace government, and seek to maximize its influence for solving social problems. Since the right to keep and bear arms is primarily a built-in right of revolution against the government, it is not surprising that the people most distrustful of it would be most likely to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

The funny thing is, it shouldn't take much to push a conservative into being liberal. With their inherent distrust of government, you'd think they would be the first to recognize the overwhelming influence of corporations and money over the governing process.