Guns: A Brief Reflection

I'm not a fan of guns. They're loud, expensive, and, in my inexperienced hands, potentially dangerous. I have no personal need for a gun, and I hope I never will. Despite all this, I support the right of individuals to bear arms.

Why? It's partly a knee-jerk reaction, not so different from the knee-jerk reactions of gun-control advocates.

In 1799, a prosperous Irish landowner named Andrew Murphy made a bold move. Although land is a cherished possession in Ireland, and giving it up is almost unheard of, Andrew did just that.

Years earlier, Andrew's parents had sent his younger brother to Spain to become a Catholic priest, despite the British ban on foreign education and on the practice Catholicism. After completing his studies, Andrew’s brother served as a parish priest.

In 1798, the people in his parish handed over their weapons to the British, following his advice. Shortly after, he witnessed British soldiers burning down an Irish home. This event triggered a call for organized revolt, and Father Murphy became a rebel leader.

The men of Wexford, armed only with pikes, achieved several victories. However, their leader was captured two months into the rebellion.

The British subjected him to torture, hanging, decapitation, and burning his body. According to historical accounts, they even forced an Irish family to open their doors and windows so that the smoke from the priest's burning body would fill their home.

In our family's oral history, we remember only that in the spring, his brother—my four-times-great grandfather—immigrated to the United States of America. Today, his descendants, including me, a relatively liberal Jew, oppose gun control.

I acknowledge the irony of this position. In today's world, armed citizens would likely be ineffective in preserving their freedom if a government were determined to oppress its people. Nevertheless, I cannot support gun control.

A dear friend of mine, who escaped Communist Romania many years ago, once told me that she would fight to the death rather than surrender her guns. It surprised me to learn that this gentle woman even owned a gun, but her conviction was clear. She had lived through the abdication of the Romanian king in 1947 in favor of the Communist Party and the rise and transformation of of her beloved former scout leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu, into a an oppressive bloody dictator. She knows firsthand what it's like to live under a totalitarian regime and never wants to experience it again.

Would I take an armed stand for freedom? Would I at least speak out and stand up for what I believe? I hope I would find courage in the story of Rabbi— oops. I mean Father Murphy.

Here's the Irish song that commemorates the Wexford Rebellion, the brave Irishmen who fought, and Andrew's brother, their leader. (The video begins with a recitation of a Seamus Heaney poem.)