Arming with Guns Feels Vulnerable Why Not Disarm with Love?

I met at random a man who had been both a British soldier and a policeman here in Australia. I noticed his hair had no grey hairs and smiled, he said it was natural and he was in his 60’s. We had a discussion and he kindly shared his background with me.

He told me when he was a young man he was travelling up the Suez canal in a ship and he was with some British lads. They noticed Arabs on horseback following the boat. They threw bottles at them. The Arabs returned gun fire and shot holes in the boat. I asked him how he felt about the returned gunfire he said it was exciting. I looked at him and smiled thinking about the mentality here of young boys, not thinking that they had threatened the Arabs. There action was not based on wisdom it was ignorance and would not have left a good impression. It also mirrors the history of tension between the British and Egyptians over the Suez canal and occupation of Egypt. He indicated this trip was around 1967.

He told me as a British soldier he was trained in fight or flight and pushed to fight. He said his training was to teach aggression. He said in the military most men do not naturally shoot to kill, they mostly don’t want to kill. He said after the military he joined the police here in Australia. He realised they had differences and they promoted the protection of civilians. He said even if his life was in danger he was not to shoot to kill, yet that had been his training. He had fought and had sorted people out because he only knew how to fight. He did not know conflict resolution. We spoke about reintegration of soldiers back into society. He said there was no transition and the training kicked in. He agreed that they needed to learn how to resolve conflict nonviolently in order to live in a nonviolent society.

He said his training had implications for his 3 marriages. He said he had an attitude that he was right and would not listen. It took him 3 marriages to realise that he had to learn how to resolve differences.

We spoke about Bobby’s (old British style police) in the United Kingdom and how they used to be unarmed. He said they were safer and he said when he had a gun as a policeman he felt more vulnerable. I found that a very interesting disclosure. The prevailing logic is that guns protect people, what he clearly revealed is that they create a feeling of vulnerability. I could see that it will escalate in the public as they fear the police. I thought of the program Cops and how they are seen as fighting with the public and they are roughly putting criminals down on the ground and there are scuffles around apprehending them. The voice over is quite simplistic seeing bad guys and good guys without any exploration of the psychology, social problems and education of these people who are apprehended and indeed the police themselves and their attitude to the ‘bad guys’. I think the point of the program is to deter would be offenders that the law will handle them roughly. Yet I believe from some research I heard about that children are feeling more fear of the police, so they may find that it reverses what they believe deterrence will do. If the public are fearful of the police they may arm themselves in case of wrongful arrest or simply fear. We see the police arm themselves as elements in the public become fearful and feel to ensure they are not shot first. They believe the gun gives them protection. To hear a policeman explain it makes him feel more vulnerable is an insight worth exploring.

I personally feel no fear and would never carry a weapon. My only protection will be love. I cannot hurt someone who decides to hurt me. My hope is that I could face an actual situation without fear, that is where I see my true protection as a woman. If I am harmed I will utilise the experience to promote peace, that is all I can do really. Is teach peace by my example. I was attacked once and I ended up walking the guy home. He gave me a kiss and thanked me for the counselling. I have to laugh today as instead of feeling like a victim I actually helped this guy. We are all humans with all sorts of ideas going through our heads of what we feel we need or believe, perhaps through kindness there is a way to breakthrough or at the very least not escalate the conflict through violence. I will never arm myself.

Arms I see as a statement of fear and the use of them can be accidental or deliberate. It doesn’t solve the problem ultimately it just reinforces the media version of the world, that it is not safe. So arming with guns makes people feel vulnerability I venture, that feeling may be hidden but utlimately the gun makes you feel safe just like an armed alarm system, yet what if you could cultivate bravery and a trust in life that life is unfolding as it should and you will know what to do if a problem arises. Imagine if you chose to live a life in trust of people, you will feel a freedom that liberates you rather than a prison of fear that keeps you indoors. I used to test myself walking the streets of London, I refused to scurry around scared of people, so if I saw a dark skinned person I deliberately walked passed them and as I did, said hi. I chose not to insult the guy and walk across the road. In reality it is a person walking and I am a person walking we pass. What makes us scared is our imagined thoughts. If I get a gut feeling, I’ve had that a few times I quickly move out of eye shot or across the road. I follow my instincts.

Travelling around the world alone as a female I found to be safe, I had a positive attitude and I was blown away with how kind both men and women were to me. As a clown in the public in foreign countries (and my own country) I see nothing that is unacceptable to me nor do I feel vulnerable, I feel in a complete space of peace. That feeling of protection comes from my inner feeling of love. I’ve definitely noted that as a clown. It is like a shield around you and you can feel the ripple affects. I’ve even seen some rough looking mowhawk guys break into smiles when they saw me. I’ve had bikies wave, it is so funny to see those masks drop.

Imagine if we lived in a world where everyone looked through the eyes of the clown with humour and goodwill towards others, rather than seeing a stranger the attitude would be to meet another friend. That is my reality today and it seems to work for me.

My philosophy is that fear attracts fear and fear is false evidence appearing real. I see love as the real protection. Gandhi spoke about nonviolence as the greatest power on earth, it is because there is no desire to inflict harm on another and you are willing to accept blows. You desire not to hate the other but help them see the mirror of their own anger. That is what love does, love sees beyond the conflict into the heart of every human and sees itself. How can you hurt yourself. Interesting thought hey!!

I really enjoyed meeting this ex-policeman and he really shared with me a profound insight. He had his issues with force and was changing in his ideas about life and it seems he is choosing to be happy not right. That is the step towards peace and wisdom.

Sending love and peace to you.