The Difference Between A Hammer And A Gun

This is my hammer; I use it for a wide variety of things.  I hammer nails with it.  I use it to put up picture hangers.  I've pried nails out of surfaces with it.  I've used it to securely close paint cans.  It feels good in my hand.  My Dad taught me how to wield a hammer correctly.  You get the most out of it when grasped securely at the end of the shaft, not close to the head.  Dad said, "Don't choke the hammer, move down to the end of the wood."  It helps to get more momentum out of the arch when you know how to use the tool.  I enjoyed these lessons.  And, I'm good at it.  I've had this particular tool for a long time.

In an effort of full disclosure, I've also smashed a few fingers and put a few dents in walls when missing my intended mark.  I've left half moon impressions in wood when not hitting the intended target.  I could even mash a major hole in dry wall, but so far, I've been lucky.

This is my gun; I do not use it for a wide variety of things.  It is a Kahr 9mm.  It was made in the USA.  It is located very close to my bed.  It is loaded. Because I could continue to pull the trigger without stopping, it is considered a semi-automatic weapon. It feels good in my hand; I tried a variety of guns before I decided on this one.  My Lion taught me how to wield a gun correctly.  I've enjoyed these lessons at the range target shooting and at home.  You get the most out of it as a tool when grasped securely and with knowledge.  I was background checked before I could purchase it.  And, I have a carry permit, but it stays close by my bed.

When Michael travels and I am home alone, I have certain measures that I take to make sure I am safe.  I do not rely on those outside of myself for my safety.  I partner with them,  but I am my first line of defense.  To that end, at night I lock the doors, especially the door to the basement.  I also lock the door to my bedroom.  I put the phone in the bed ready to dial 911.

The reason I lock these interior doors is not with the illusion that it would stop an intruder; I do it to give me a precious few seconds to get myself aware and ready.  Should someone break into my home, trust me, I am ready with my tool to stop the threat.  First I dial 911 to let them know the situation and then my gun comes out.

Also trust when I state that, even as a truly spiritual and caring Human Being, make no mistake, I will use this tool if it means the difference between living or dying.  I do not view my willingness to continue living, against taking the life of one who threatens me and mine, as anything less than right, just, and correct.

This is my hammer and my gun.  They are both tools with which I am familiar and comfortable.  And, it strikes me that, with all the of the heated discussion of semi-automatic gun bans and the emotionally charged topic of guns in America, that we're missing the point.  Perhaps many points.  So I put them side by side to see if one seems more evil than another; they are the same.  They are equally inanimate objects.

As a law abiding citizen of these United States, I am blessed with a Constitution and Bill of Rights to have certain benefits.  Not the least among them is the right to be armed.  It is my right to legally own this 9mm.  I'm grateful for that right.  It means also, that should we need to ready a militia in the United States, I could be possibly called into action with my 9mm.  It's part of my responsibility as a citizen who owns a gun.  I hope I would be considered ready and able should the occasion arise.

With one of these tools I don't have to be licensed to carry or purchase it.  I could walk into any hardware store and purchase 100 of them at a time if I wanted.  If you saw 100 of them in my home, you might wonder about it, but it wouldn't set off alarm bells in your head.  If you saw my hammer laying out on a counter, it wouldn't make you nervous.  But I bet you would be a tad nervous if my gun was laying out in plain sight.

So, what exactly is the difference between a hammer and a gun?

My hand, and most particularly, my intention.  Because believe me, if I decided to pick up my hammer and bash your head in with it, you'd be no less dead than if I pick up my gun, aim center of mass, and pull the trigger.  The outcome, while perhaps different in method, would still be the same.

The other difference is how comfortable and familiar you are with these two tools.  As Humans, we are only comfortable with things with which we are familiar.  And, if you don't live around guns, they make you nervous.  So we have a tendency to want to push them as far as we can away from us to stay in our comfort zone.

A tool is simply a tool.  It's the hand, along with the head and heart, of the Human who uses it that makes the difference.  It can be used with reverence and correct intent or it can be used to cause destruction and death.

It's time to look at the hands, not the tools.  It's time for us to wonder why so many Human Beings are so willing to use tools, any sort of tools, as a means to cause death and destruction.  We all need to be part of that conversation.  Let's stop making it about the tool which, by itself, can do nothing.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka She Who Owns a Gun (and a hammer)