The debate is over and we now have the right to carry a concealed weapon in all 50 states. But we are not discussing why some people feel that need so intensely. In order to understand, we need to look a little deeper.
Many Americans live in a mood of fear. And many of those people feel justified in wanting to carry a concealed weapon to protect themselves from that threat. No matter how many rational arguments to the contrary, these people can offer statistical evidence for believing that they need this additional protection.
Here's something to think about: "The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
Nazi, Hermann Goering, made this statement during the Nuremberg trials. In other words, create fear in the minds of the public. Once that fear is there, keep re-enforcing it with well-designed, easily remembered memes. All of which leads to framing the public narrative in ways to lead the interpretations of the discussions that ensue.
So all the gun lobby needs to do is keep reminding people that "they're coming to get your guns," and "the second amendment is at risk," "someday you may need to protect yourselves from our government," "gun registration is bad because the government knows where the guns are," "the best defense from a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" and finally "guns don't kill people, people kill people."
It all leads to creation of a public mood. Moods are different from emotions because they are 1) persistent and 2) very often not grounded in current reality. Let me explain. If you had an incident where you felt a need for a weapon, the emotion of fear would certainly be appropriate. But if that experience faded into your past and you continued to feel that fear, it could be considered a mood.
Another example is the events of 9/11. American's have developed a mood of fear of another attack on our homeland. The TSA has never caught a terrorist attempting to get onto a plane in the U.S. I'm not criticizing the practice. I'm providing an example of how the proper emotional reaction to a single event can create a mood that persists in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Moods are contagious. So it's much easier to lapse into a mood of fear when others around you are fearful. Just check out how difficult it is to get into a qualifying class to carry a concealed weapon in Illinois. The registrations are through the roof.
Think about people buying up all the ammunition they can get their hands on? That is more evidence of a mood of fear.
Unfortunately, certain special interests, politicians and pundits use fear to their advantage. The sad part is that too many people buy into these scare tactics because they experience life through their TV sets and discussions with other frightened people. And they become more and more vulnerable to the prevailing mood of fear. Remember, it's contagious.
A mood is a predisposition for action: Fear predisposes us to carry guns around concealed on our body somewhere. Fear predisposes us to lock the doors and gird our loins against an attack. Fear predisposes us to distrust other people. Fear predisposes us to take rights away from others who we don't trust. Fear is a cancer on our society. And it is being promulgated for the sake of power, position, and profits.
The real damage is being done by people who stand to profit from our mood of fear. I ask you, who is trafficking in a mood of fear in America? They are the real reason for our fear.
Robert DeFilippis
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