"For all the legitimate reasons fueling progressive gun ownership, this trend also points to a perilous trajectory for the country. When citizens on both sides of the spectrum feel compelled to take up arms, it suggests that America is sliding toward a form of “militant democracy,” one in which political conflicts are increasingly defined by shows of force and the looming threat of violence. The more that Americans come to see guns as essential tools of political expression or self-preservation, the more our civic life becomes a powder keg, where every culture-shaking event may be met with talk of outright civil war. In such an environment, we risk our democratic norms giving way to fear, intimidation, and the ever-present possibility of confrontation.
History offers a warning. Societies where opposing factions armed themselves — Weimar Germany in the 1930s, for example — often saw democracy deteriorate into street clashes and authoritarian crackdowns. Even in modern stable democracies abroad, it’s virtually unheard of for mainstream political groups to organize armed wings for “self-defense” in peacetime. The United States is entering an uncomfortable new territory: Rather than relying solely on institutions to resolve political disputes, people are preparing to defend their worldview with weapons in hand. It’s a dynamic that might deter some aggressors in the short term, but it also raises the stakes of every conflict and increases the risk that a spark could ignite something far worse."
https://theintercept.com/2025/11/01/left-gun-ownership/
#USA #Militarism #SecondAmendment #GunOwnership #Polarization