Peace, Love, and Firearms: Confessions of a Gun-Loving Hippie

When people picture a “gun lover,” they imagine a camo-clad tough guy with a pickup full of ammo. Every liberal I see online depicts "gun violence" in juxtaposition with some redneck, as if only hellraising sons of the soil can be members of the NRA.

Not me. I’m a peace-loving, non-violent hippie. I wear out-of-style crap from the thrift stores, drink herbal tea, listen to folk music, and think war is one of humanity’s greatest failures. I don’t believe in violence as a way of solving problems. That's precisely why I'm a libertarian. I literally don't believe in using force unless it's absolutely necessary, not even to build a library, and I fucking love books. 

And despite my hippie ways—I love guns.

I don’t love them because I want to hurt anyone. I don’t even love them because of hunting (sorry, vegans, I’m on your side). I love guns as much as I love psychedelic drugs and flying reindeer. I love them for the same reason a guitarist loves a vintage Fender, or a photographer loves a Leica. Guns are precision tools, steeped in history, art, craftsmanship, and yes—freedom.

Rejecting Violence While Embracing Tools

Here’s the thing: rejecting violence does not mean rejecting the tools of defense. A guitar doesn’t make you a rock star, and a gun doesn’t make you a killer. Guns are morally neutral. They’re not good or bad. They’re metal, wood, polymers, and springs. The morality comes from the hands that hold them.

That’s why I can advocate for peace, compassion, and love for my fellow humans—and still defend the right to bear arms. If anything, my rejection of violence makes my love of guns more meaningful. I don’t love them for bloodshed. I love them for freedom, protection, and the artistry of a tool that has shaped history.

Guns Are Not the Enemy—Ignorance Is

People think “loving guns” is synonymous with “loving violence.” That’s as absurd as saying you can’t love cars unless you love car accidents. Guns are not the enemy. Violence, ignorance, tyranny—those are the enemies. Guns are just the great equalizer.

For the frail, the small, the elderly, or the outnumbered, firearms level the playing field against bullies and predators. A gun in the hands of a peaceful person can be the one thing that keeps violence at bay.

Violence Is Heavy, Man

Now don’t get me wrong—I’m against violence. Totally harshes my mellow. War? Bad vibes. Beating people up? Not groovy. Think of the average person who complains about guns in America, the ones who hate guns but love violence when it's used against people they don't like...  I am way more peaceful than that person. 

But rejecting violence doesn’t mean rejecting cool tools. A guitar doesn’t make you Hendrix, and a gun doesn’t make you Rambo. To me, firearms are art—metal, wood, and springs tuned in harmony. They’re like sitars, but louder.

Here’s the kicker, man: guns are not about aggression, they’re about balance. You can have your healing crystals, but when the bad vibes roll into your commune at 2 a.m., that rose quartz ain’t gonna stop them. Peace signs don’t deter predators, but a peace-loving flower child with a 12-gauge? That’s balance, baby.

My Manifesto of Love and Lead

I don’t own guns because I want to hurt anyone. I own them because I want the freedom to keep living my groovy, non-violent life without some violent creep ruining the drum circle. A Colt is just my insurance policy that the good vibes keep flowing. 

So yes, I’m a hippie. I burn incense, I compost, I meditate. And I also love target practice. My chakras are aligned, my beard is scruffy, and my Glock is clean.

Call me contradictory if you like. I’ll be over here meditating, listening to Casey Neill Trio, burning some patchouli incense—and then heading to the range to test out my sweet new sidearm. Being non-violent doesn’t mean being defenseless.

Peace and love, man. Peace, love, and firearms.

Imagine a world with non-violence, and look good while fighting the good fight! 👇