IM-1776: Guns Out
“Are you expecting a war party?” Call asked the judge. “You seem to be thoroughly armed.”
“I expect perdition, always have,” the judge replied.
—Larry McMurtry
The Gun Run
Last year I attended the Gun Run with my friend and fellow author, Philip Voödoo, and we wrote about the experience for IM—1776.
An excerpt:
Guns have been a part of the American story from the very first European settlements along the Atlantic coast to the great constellation of US camps and bases dotting the globe today. The gun is foundational to American culture and identity, and without it, Americans would cease to be Americans. What is the minuteman without a musket, the buckskin without his long rifle, or the cowboy without his Colt? They become just another man, unable to stand upright before human cruelty and the vast indifference of the universe.
Rule of law, religious zeal, hard work, and enterprise, even the grand principles undergirding the American constitutional order — none of these things can speak for the gun, for the gun has always had the final say. When Americans purchased their Independence with blood, the gun was there. When mountain men and pathfinders journeyed west, and pioneers set off to tame a wilderness, the gun was with them. When the nation nearly buckled under the weight of uprisings, Indian wars, and rebellions, the gun settled it once and for all. No other characteristic, idea, object, or emblem is more American than the gun, and for more than 400 years it has symbolized freedom, independence and individual courage in the face of the unknown. For in America, the gun always has the final say.
This was a fun piece to write, and I was impressed with the Gun Run and its organizers. If you want to compete in an upcoming event, I recommend that you sign up as soon as possible; there are limited slots available, and they go quick.
I hope you enjoy this, and if you have any questions or comments, please share below.
Always,
Lee