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There is lots of discussion about discrimination these days.
There is lots of discussion about gun control these days.

As I’ve said many times before, I’m not a fan of guns.
For me, they are too easy. Swords don’t go off by mistake anywhere near as often.

Despite my being a straight white middle aged guy, I am still against discrimination.
I’ve met many people in my life and never been able to tell good, bad, smart, stupid or anything else from the color of their skin, which religion they follow, their gender or their preferences.
I’ve known smart and stupid from all combinations of people.

There was a party my wife and I attended several decades ago where these two things came together, and it’s been on my mind lately.

The person who introduced my wife and I at one point used to throw very large, lavish parties. Dozens of guests, champagne for all (I was past the point of drinking and had something else), and costumes required.
The usual format for these parties were they were a murder mystery set in some historical time. To attend you needed to be in the appropriate costume for your character and time.

At the party was a person who was very obnoxious. He interrupted people’s conversations, insulted people, and was just generally rude to everyone.
Each time someone objected to his behavior his response was “you’re just saying that because I’m gay!” then accuse them of being a hater and move on.
Our friend hosting the party was gay, and I’d guess more than half the people there were as well, so this was a strange assumption for him to make.

At the end of the party everyone had to guess who had done the murder. As people took turns guessing, this obnoxious guy made fun of them for getting it wrong.

“You need to shut up,” one of the other guests said when the guy said something insulting about him.
“You can’t make me!”
“I have a gun,” the man said.
This stopped the conversation in the room as many of the several dozen people wondered if shots were going to be fired.
“You’re picking on me because I’m gay!” the obnoxious one responded as always.
The other man reached into his pocked fiddled for a second and then held up a bullet.
“This is a real bullet,” he said. “I’m going to put it back in my gun now. If you don’t want me to use it, you need to shut up.”
The man’s two companions also affirmed they were armed and ready as well.

Our host took one person aside and his boyfriend the others.
The confrontation seemed to unwind, but my wife and I left soon after anyhow.

Watching the news these days reminds me of that night long ago.
People complaining they are being picked on for various reasons, when it is often that they are being obnoxious.
People thinking they should be respected because they own a gun.

To be clear, I am not in any way trying to suggest discrimination does not go on. I’ve seen far too many examples of it to ever think that.

I’m saying that I see people who don’t want to admit they’re being obnoxious and use that as something to hide behind, even as other people really are being discriminated against.

The other thing is that I’ve never understood the folks who think owning a gun should get them extra respect.
Yes, they own a gun and their ability to hurt people has increased.
But, as has been proven far too often lately, a car or truck can do the same.

I don’t like pain. I don’t want anyone to shoot me.
But, going to the store and buying something that can hurt others isn’t the sort of thing that earns my respect either.

There certainly seem to be people who think it should.
The whole “respect us we have nukes and missiles” vs “respect us, we have more nukes and missiles” is that same effect.
I am not inclined to respect either.

I respect people, or not, based on what they do, not what they own.
And, that includes guns.