Guns and Cynicism: Two Strains of Anti-Americanism

Today’s most recent outrage involving guns reminds me of one of the greatest ironies in contemporary American life: gun owners claim to be the most patriotic citizens in our nation.

But nothing could be farther from the truth. Only loving one of the Bill of Rights does not make you a patriot, it makes you a cynic - and it makes you un-American.

Here’s why.

One, a functioning democracy is based on trust. Americans trust their fellow citizens to collectively pick our leaders and decision makers every two to four years.  But you have to trust you fellow Americans with that power and authority.

Two, America is an act of faith.  Faith in people’s better nature, faith in your fellow citizens’ ability to choose good leaders, faith that if you work hard you will get ahead no matter where you started.  More importantly, faith that the shared values enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and our laws – as opposed to an Old World shared blood, ethnicity or religion – and institutions will result in the kind of society where everyone’s rights are protected and you can enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

Owning a gun conflicts with both trust and faith (let alone life and happiness). 

Gun owners do not trust their fellow citizens with their own safety. They justify gun ownership, at least hand gun ownership, with the paranoia that they could be attacked by their fellow citizens AT ANY TIME. 

If you don’t trust someone with your day-to-day wellbeing and safety, why would you trust them with the vote or any profound decision making? 

On faith, gun owners have absolutely no faith in American society, ideals and institutions. In addition to needing a gun to protect themselves from their neighbors, gun owners argue that they need protection from the government or other large forces (usually the UN, not Exxon or Monsanto).  Do they really have so little faith in U.S. laws, courts, the press, citizens groups – let alone their elected officials – that their only recourse is to arm themselves?  Are they that cynical about our democratic institutions that they think our elected officials or decision makers are capricious dictators - or kings or despots - who will eventually attack or arrest them?

Institutions like the police or military have often stumbled in our republic’s history; ask any African or Native American.  But in 21^st century America our institutions and democracy are strong, and can be trusted. That’s why gun ownership should be limited to law enforcement and the military; that’s what a mature democracy would look like.

Obviously, especially now with Obama, many right-wing nuts who love guns more than Jesus – who was against violence in any form, by the way – or money no longer think that we have a democracy or rights. 

They have absolutely no faith or trust in America.  Their cynicism toward their country is both sickening and too often deadly.  And it is un-American. 

Last Arenas Post?

Another great piece in The Post this morning, this time by Dean Smith biographer Sally Jenkins, about Gilbert Arenas.  She points out, among other things, how Gilbert failed to step up and is even disconnected from his own limbs; Arenas' tattoo of 'Black Rushmore' features two black leaders killed by guns: Martin Luther King and Malcolm X (the other leaders depicted are Nelson Mandela and Obama).  


I don't think Arenas is a thug or bad, just incredibly incredibly stupid.  And like many athletes/celebrities/etc. stupefyingly out of touch with the real world. But Jenkins goes farther to posit that not only is he cut off from the real world, for instance ignorant of things like DC's (appropriately) strict gun laws and insensitive to the  gun violence rampant here, Arenas is out of touch with himself.


Either way, like David Stern said he is unworthy of playing in the NBA.  


I also commend the Wizards of fining four of their younger players - Nick Young, Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee and Randy Foye (who should have known better, the other three seem pretty immature compared to him) - for clowning around with Arenas when he pretended to shoot them during intros in Philadelphia the other night.  Young players - and young people - need to get the message about guns, especially in DC.


The suspension could lead to Washington and the NBA voiding Arenas' contract, so he may have played his last game as a member of the Wizards, probably for this year at least.  


The Wizards starting turning the page last night, removing all Arenas-related merchandise from the Phone Booth and taking down the banner with his name and the caption "Character, Commitment, Connection."


Lucky for the Wizards, they have one player who does epitomize those values, the under appreciated Antawn Jamison.  The Star Heel addressed the crowd prior to last night's game and vowed to 'make this one of the most respected organizations in the league.'  He then backed it up by leading the Wizards to a stirring, 
come-from-behind win over the Orlando Magic, and finished with 28 and 11.  


NBA-favorite player Brendan Haywood also stepped up, playing Dwight Howard to a draw with 18 points (6 for 6 from the line AND the field) and 15 points and a block.


Jamison is Carolina class all the way, and the kind of stand-up brother who could actually lead the Wizards out of the wilderness.  As they did two years ago, when Arenas was out for the season but Haywood was healthy, one can easily see the Wizards come together and make a run to the playoffs.  Their staring five is now Foye, Mike Miller, Caron Butler, Jamison and Haywood, with Earl Boykins, Blatche, Young and Fabricio Oberto coming off the bench.  That's not a bad line up, perhaps one not good enough to scare Cleveland or Boston but certainly one good enough to finish in the top 8 of the weak Eastern Conference (how weak? The Charlotte Bobcats are currently the 7th seed). 


So with Jamison leading the way the Zards could - could - end up turning a horrible and embarrassing season into something positive. 

Arenas, and ESPN looks back at the top players and coaches of the 2000s

I don't have much to add to the completely embarrassing news about Gilbert Arenas.  Tracee Hamilton sums it up pretty well in today's Post.


Talk about the "Curse of Les Boulez" - times two in this case.


One, how embarrassing for a team that used to be the Bullets, a name the late Abe Pollin changed over disgust with gun violence especially in DC but also over the assassination of Yitzak Rabin, to have guns waved in their locker room.  Guns apparently drawn in the locker room by two professional athletes.  Pretty pathetic.


Two, the lame Wizards are now stuck, really stuck, with Arenas.  There is no way they can trade Arenas in an attempt to jump start a team off to a 10-20 so they are on the hook for the remainder of his $110 million contract.  That contract was the original reason he was tough to trade, but who would want a guy who brings - and may wave them around - guns to the locker room.  


Finally, this instance obviously raises serious concerns about Arenas the person.  His professionalism, dedication, and maturity are all in question.  I guess I need to give him and Javaris Crittendon the benefit of the doubt; maybe guns weren't drawn. But either way, Arenas is damaged goods - and I'm not talking about his repaired left knee - and the Wizards are stuck with a player who is NOT the professional and leader they thought they had when Pollin signed him to that mega contract three years ago.


To paraphrase Chief Justice Earl Warren, after reading about man's defeats you can read about man's triumphs at the link below on the best of college basketball in the last decade: Looking back at the top players and coaches of the decade.