Guns absolutely have a use beyond ego stroking.
It’s not the only means of protecting though. I know you get that by your response. It seems that some readers, mostly guys, are thinking the author is anti-gun.
Personally, I didn’t get that at all. She was just saying there’s more to protecting than being a warrior, and there’s too much emphasis on that at the exclusion of more common dangers and needs. And that the rise of warrior mentality is crippling.
To use your example… you’re driving a car so you wear a seatbelt in case you have an accident. That’s great. You should. You should also use your blinkers. You should be aware of the other cars behind you when you change lanes. You should use your wind shield wipers when it rains. You should keep your tires at an even, appropriate air pressure. You should use headlights when dark, but also when foggy and during twilight. You should get your oil changed. You should keep an eye on the road and your broader surroundings. You should be mindful of construction areas. You should make sure you have enough gas to get you where you’re going. And so forth and so on.
You have to do all those things to protect your passengers during the trip.
If all you ever did was wear a seatbelt, you’re likely to have all sorts of problems, maybe even get killed or get someone else killed.
Don’t get too hung up on the gun analogy, because there happens to be rising anti-gun sentiment due to mass shooter events. The author chose that because of a warping of culture around guns but that’s not the broader point.
The point is if you want to define yourself as a protector and that’s your identity as a man, then be a protector but realize it’s a much broader gig and filled with a daily grind of unglamorous, thankless tasks than just being ready for a riot or a home invasion.
Like laundry, hand washing, bandaids, cooking, cleaning, teaching, vaccinations, doctor’s visits, dentist visits, etc.
The ones who tend to these things are the real protectors, because 99.9% of things that can go wrong and harm your family reside in that arena, not things that can be solved by a gun.
