Some of my friends and family view my “liberal,” some say “socialist” political leanings, as something other than what they really are. There is some obvious confusion about what “liberals” like and what they “dislike,” what they would like government to do and what they would prefer government not to do. I am often surprised to learn that people have assigned to me attitudes and beliefs that don’t match my thinking at all. A couple of days ago Margaret and I sat at lunch on a cruise ship with a couple who have recently moved from San Diego to Willits, California, because San Diego is becoming too liberal and living in a city is much too dangerous these days. He said he much preferred living in a small town where he and his wife could easily get permits to carry their guns in public. Of course, I couldn’t resist. By the time he bragged to the entire table that he and his wife always carry their guns in Willits, I was itching for an argument.

I assured him that I routinely ride my bicycle all over San Diego and that I have never been threatened and have never felt myself to be at risk anywhere in his old home city. I asked him if in his years in San Diego he had ever been threatened. He hurried to tell me that he too is a real man who isn’t afraid, but that he feels it is important to assert and protect his Second Amendment rights. I asked him to tell about the Second Amendment, and he couldn’t do it. I told him about the provision for “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” I asked him if Willits has a militia, and if it did I wanted to know if he is a member of it. He said he wasn’t on the police force if that was what I was getting at. He said the constitution guaranteed him the right to own and carry weapons even if isn’t a cop. He didn’t seem to know what a militia is, so I hinted that military and militia come from the same root word. I asked him about First and Third Amendments; he didn’t have a clue about them. I asked if he knew how many amendments had been made to the Constitution. Because I had mentioned the First and Third, he guessed three. He seemed truly surprised that there are twenty-seven. I asked if he knew about the Bill of Rights. He said that of course he knew about the Bill of Rights, but he obviously didn’t know that the first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.

You can guess correctly that he considers Sarah Palin a great political leader. He seemed as unaware of her having quit her governorship midterm as he had been of the language of the Second Amendment.

In spite of Margaret’s tugging at my arm, I went on telling him some of the reasons I am one of his hated liberals. He was hemmed in, and all the places at other tables had been taken.

I told him that my experience with people who speak of the Second Amendment in idolatrous terms has been much the same as my very short experience with him. I often find that their ideas, like Sarah Palin’s, are based in ignorance of the Constitution and ignorance of American history. He hurried to tell me that the real problem is that government is too big and taxes are too high; and he said the reason he likes Sarah Palin is that she hates taxes and government. He wanted to know if I was happy to pay taxes. I told him that I was happy to live in a country where I can afford to be relaxing on a ship knowing that the San Diego Fire Department and the San Diego Police Department are in place to protect my neighbors and my property while I am away. I assured him that I was glad to pay for a government that had set up procedures which prevented him and his wife from bringing their weapons on board the ship. I said I am very proud to be an American. That seemed to surprise him more than anything else.

At this point, my sense of satisfaction at uncovering his ignorance was turning to dismay. Here was a reminder that we really are in trouble in our country.