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One thing I think we're underplaying in the post-riot analysis: the degree to which Second Amendment ideology, the idea that the people should be constantly be prepared to use force to overthrow the state, created the conditions for this uprising
If you've been to a major conservative movement event, or even just spent time following right-leaning media, you see this idea is omnipresent.
This Jefferson quote is popular: "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
This Jefferson quote is popular: "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
This is explicitly linked to Democratic rule and policies, especially related to guns. I get at this a little in this piece, specifically in rhetoric from Sharron Angle and Don Young https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22217696/republicans-trump-capitol-hill-storming-mob-responsible
For a long time, the gun issue has been cast as a policy problem, centering on the need for things background checks. The culture war over guns is described as an impediment to good policy.
This frame is right, but incomplete.
This frame is right, but incomplete.
It turns out that the cultural struggle over gun ownership has given rise to a new cultural identity, in which the argument against gun control has become an argument *for* contemplating insurrectionary violence.
As we saw last week, that is a problem independent of gun policy.
As we saw last week, that is a problem independent of gun policy.
