Guns, Germs and Canadians.

I had a really interesting discussion in the lab today about the issue of gun ownership.

Some backstory first. I've mentioned on this blog before that my supervisor, Dr. Add'emUp is a mathematician who started his own lab quite recently, as of this summer, in fact. But what I didn't mention is that Dr. Add'emUp shares lab space with another faculty member, SmallContradictions. SmallContradictions. She is doing really really cool research. She has a single PhD student and a lab technician, SouthernBelle. SouthernBelle is a petite blonde woman who has this cute little expression she uses all the time in place of swearing, "son of a biscuit."

Today SouthernBelle and I started off having a conversation about fishing. I told her that I had never been fishing. My BigCity parents' idea of a vacation meant staying in five-star hotels (international level, of course) and camping well, that was for 'the poor folk.' This is a reflection of their immigrant mentality, where you knew you "had arrived" if you owned a own monster home with a monster garage. And even though you had a monster garage both cars were on the driveway - one of which was a Cadillac or Mercedes.

I learned about camping and canoeing from my first husband (ugh, using that phrase "my first husband" feels Liz Tayloresque), who took me to some marvellous places, and where I fell in love with the outdoors. Now, I can't wait for the weather to warm up so HippieHusband and I can go backcountry camping, hiking, and canoeing around here. Unfortunately, in all the years of camping, I never went fishing.

SouthernBelle inumerated the joys of fishing and then somehow we came to the issue of guns.

"You know I've never held a gun before." I said to SouthernBelle.
To which she replied, "You've NEVER held gun a before. I can't believe that! "
"You have, then?" I asked.
"Of course, I grew up around guns."
"So, so you have a gun in your house?"

She then proceeded to list off six different varieties of guns, described by their numbers. Six guns! She has six guns. One of them is always loaded - kept in her gun safe of course. And her 11-year old has his own gun. SouthernBelle is a strong believer in liberty and gun ownership is one expression of that liberty. So gun registries and regulations are just an affront to her liberty. Germs that need to be eradicated. Her rationale is that she must be able to defend herself because what if the government tries to take her freedom?

(Do Americans really believe there is that possiblity?)

Herein lies the difference between the Canadian and the American. Gun ownership is simply an extension of the American mistrust of the government. Unlike Canadians, the Americans I have encountered don't actually believe that they as individuals can affect change in the government (though this might be changing under Obama). They also strongly believe that only no.1 has their best interest at heart and is fully capable of taking care of their affairs meaning "the State has no place in the bedroom of the nation."

America has a split personality. On the one hand there is a group that are strongly libertarian - their money is theirs and they have a right to spend it where they want, and consequently they're averse to spending any money on social safety net. Nonetheless, these same people believe in the huge war on drugs, social welfare for big banks, and a foreign policy that gets them up to their eyeballs in mud because they've spent too much time in other nations bedrooms. While the other personality of America may reflect a morality similar to Canada, there is still a strong undercurent of these libertarian views that restricts how many social safety nets they are willing to support.

I think that Canadians, before Stephen Harper, did really trust the government and I for one, do still believe that we can as individuals have an impact on political policy. For example, we right letters to our political representatives. When I mentioned this to Mr.Enthusiasm - he and his wife laughed at the idea and said, "how quaint that you believe in your political power."

Yes, yes I do.

I'm pretty sure most people in Canada feel that society universal access to health care, social security, welfare, subsidized public transport, and strong labour laws are important to support because they prevent some degree of poverty. While we grumble about our high taxes, ultimately we know that our money is going to go to support one of these services. And I for one am happy if my hard earned money helps keep someone off the street or provides a single mom with support services.

But there is a small part of me that wants to know what that feels like to hold a gun. So, I'll remember those Canadian ideals, when I'm at the shooting range.