Guns vs. Porn

There's a gun shop I drive past sometimes that notably hangs a flag outside its window displaying the national colors (red, white, and blue). And it got me to thinking, how come members of the gun culture are so proactive in stating their patriotism and constitutional right to engage in their lifestyle, when porn shops and their customers, on the other hand, are so filled with shame and secrecy, despite coming under just as much fire? Guns are not any more legitimate than pornography, which is no less protected by the Constitution (in theory, if not practice); although the two have been treated quite differently throughout history. But if pushed, I'd have to point out the fact that the former is a weapon designed to kill, while the latter revolves around the process by which life is created. Just saying, you know?

I've always been more concerned with the First Amendment than the second one. I know the second one is important - it's literally a life-or-death matter. But I'm a lover, not a fighter. What's more relevant to my life is my freedom to express myself. I've never understood the divide between liberals and conservatives, and this is an issue on which they agree, if for different reasons. (See the collusion between feminists and religious fundamentalists: conservatives want to take away your nudie mags because they're immoral; liberals want to take them away because they're "degrading" - what's the difference?). Tell me, do either of these sides actually support free speech? Liberals want to police the way we talk, so that we avoid offending anyone. File this under "good intentions" and hand it to the construction crew paving the highway to hell. Conservatives may be more likely to defend your right to be a bigoted asshole, but that's not really what interests me. I'm more concerned with my freedom to read all those gratuitously violent and sexually explicit books that keep getting thrown into the fire. Authenticity in human interaction is of utmost importance to me. I'm not interested in filtering human nature (one way or another) to suit an agenda. I don't want someone else deciding for me what I can be exposed to, even if what I am exposed to ends up "corrupting" or "offending" me. That's my choice, and my responsibility. Don't take that away from me.