History, text, and tradition is something we've been talking about a lot within the context of gun rights ever since the Supreme Court handed down the decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen a couple of years ago.
That means we look at history and tradition to determine if a gun control law of today fits within the framework of what the Founding Fathers would have likely supported. There needs to be an analog of some description.
But history and tradition have long been part of our nation as a whole.
Colonial Williamsburg brings history in the American colonies to life. Reenactments throughout the nation give people an idea of what happened at different times and in different places. The United States Army's 250th birthday parade featured troops wearing historic uniforms as a reminder of what all the Army has accomplished through the years.
Traditions are plentiful as well. From the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to fireworks on Independence Day, we've got plenty.
Earlier this week, though, Cam wrote a bit about history and technology, particularly in the gun world. He started with a story about a news report on Hershel House Woodbury School's rifle-making class. The report was favorable, presenting it as something very cool, which is fair because it is.
Then he wrote:
I think it's fantastic that House's legacy lives on, and I hope that the school will eventually host more than one class a year. This year's class runs for seven days and cost $1,200 to attend (plus the cost of a lock, barrel, and the piece of wood). That sounds pretty reasonable to me, and I might even use a week's worth of vacation to attend if there's space next year.. though I did find a similar class much closer to home (that's unfortunately for me also already full up with attendees).
There's definitely a place for traditional gunmaking, but the fact remains that technology has advanced to the point that we don't need to spend a week to craft a firearm. With the help of a 3D printer and a CNC machine, it's possible to make a gun in just a few hours.
So why is one process celebrated, while the other is demonized? No mainstream media outlet is going to run a report praising groups like Defense Distributed or the burgeoning DIY gunmaking crowd, though what they're doing is really just an update on the traditional arts that House spent a lifetime perfecting.
He does note that a 3D printer may not create a piece of art like a traditional gunsmith-made gun might be, but also that guns are more about function than form, which is true.
I don't actually disagree with Cam in any way.
What I wanted to do is provide a little different perspective that, ultimately, reaches the same conclusion.
See, I'm a woodworker. I'm not a knowledgeable one, as I'm still pretty much a beginner, but I tend to favor hand tools in most things. I'm a huge fan of traditional crafts as a whole. Part of that is that if society collapses, we're going to need those to survive. Plus, I don't like the idea of losing part of history. I'm still pissed about the Library of Alexandria, for crying out loud.
The schools that teach people how to make historic rifles. We need to remember that history because it's part of what made this country what it is today. The Kentucky rifles, like those that House built and that his school now teaches people to build, helped us become an independent nation.
But traditional crafts can only allow us to go so far.
With building furniture, there are some pieces I just can't build with traditional woodworking tools. Epoxy river tables with metal bases require skills beyond what was traditional. Sticking with tradition and insisting we should never move beyond that would limit us to what we can make. It prohibits us from moving beyond.
"Guns are different," someone will say. "They can be used to kill people."
Sure, but so can those reproduction flintlock and caplock guns. They can kill you just as dead, as the 24,000 to 25,000 British troops killed in the American Revolution can attest.
Yet as Cam notes in his piece, they're celebrated as so-called ghost guns are vilified.
Remembering the past and how they did things is important. It's vital we remember where we came from as we determine where we're going. However, where we're going is just as important.
There's nothing inherently better about using hand tools to build a table than using a commercial-grade shop with all the latest machinery. It's just a different way to build, and some prefer one manner over another.
In the same way, there's nothing inherently better about a flintlock rifle made by hand at a school teaching the craft and a gun that came out of the latest CNC machine. The guns are different, sure, but they all serve the same function, just as the table I mentioned does.
It's been said that he who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it, but a corollary should be that he who does not move on from history is also doomed to repeat it.
New and interesting ways for people to build guns shouldn't be disdained, especially by those who see no problem with the old ways of doing it.
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