"It"

We all have our Boogeymen. 

(With apologies to Stephen King)

What is "It"?

"It" is a constitutional right, upheld by the Supreme Court - subject to a "balancing test" of competing interests.

"It" is a personal right, and one's exercise of "It" is no one else's business.

"It" results in thousands of innocent deaths every year in the United States.

"It" is seen by its most extreme opponents as unnecessary violence, reckless, even "murder" which should be banned.

"It" protects the individual's most private and fundamental rights from infringement by others. Hence, "It" should not be subject to ANY restrictions, according to its most ardent supporters.

"Its" supporters worry that popular "reasonable" regulations and restrictions are a slippery slope, eventually leading to a complete ban.

"It" is not seen as a serious concern in other developed countries. It is in the United States.

"It," or one's support of "It", is seen as a litmus test in one of the two major U.S. political parties.

"It" inspires protests, marches, boycotts, prayer, and other collective action by both supporters and opponents. Supporters and opponents do not trust or believe in the good faith of the other side.

"Its" leading organization for supporters has been promoting "It" for over 100 years. This organization rates candidates and spends millions of dollars every election cycle to promote "It."

"Its" providers are harassed, demonized and threatened at times.

"It" is seen as sometimes necessary, even essential in some tragic cases, by most Americans. But most wish "It" were not such a "necessary evil." Most Americans are moderate in their opinions of "It."

"It" is a right most Americans never exercise.

"It" is periodically thrust into the national consciousness by cases of horrific abuse.

"It" disproportionately affects those in poverty and minorities. Yet they are the most frequent users of "It."

"It" is sometimes used by those who feel they have no other choice and who's life or health is under imminent threat.... however....

.... "It" is more commonly used for less serious - some would say frivolous - reasons.

"It" has been the subject of numerous attempts by individual states to limit or restrict "It." Most of these limits have been struck down in court.

"It" is the right to.....?

Abortion?.... Yes.
Bear arms?.... Yes.

Each of the above statements is true of both those issues (and possibly others).

We all have issues that we feel strongly about. We all defend our view of rights, liberty, and personal privacy. Though we have (sometimes sharply) different ideas about right and wrong, fundamental liberty, and the role of government in enforcing or protecting our "rights" -- if we are passionate -- we often think about and categorize the issues similarly.

Hopefully, before we demonize those on the other side, we can stand back and understand how they see the issue.