An Inheritance
Zayl
Veteran
Well, this week my Grandfather passed away, due to heart complications.
He was a good man. One of the people who helped build my community, through sheer elbow grease and determination.
Anyway, when he passed, in his will he left me one of his most dear possessions. An item that was passed to him from his father, and his father before him. Due to this, I have inherited an actual, original Colt single action army, aka a "Peacemaker"
My Great Great Grandpappy lived in Arizona, back before that territory ever became a state. He was just a simple rancher, someone who raise cattle and other livestock to sell to butchers or to sell their dairy products. However, due to the times and the considerable "wildness" of the area during that time, he carried a firearm. The one which I have inherited.
I have gone to the range and have gone through 3-4 cylinders worth of ammunition. It performs perfectly, as if it were still new. I keep it in my gun safe now, and will only remove it from there in order to clean and oil the thing. According to the stories, my great great grandpappy killed eight men with the thing. One of which was in one of those often romanticized but truly deplorable duels. He used it to defend his growing family from the bandits of that era, as law enforcement was either non existent or otherwise unavailable/impossible to contact in that time.
And so, I have inherited an item that has ended the lives of other men. Granted, the men in question would have murdered and raped indiscriminately had they not been stopped. Despite this, I can never bring myself to get rid of the revolver. Despite the fact that in its current, well maintained and nearly like new condition, it is worth enough money to allow my family to live comfortably for quite some time. I'm just wondering if that is such a bad thing. To hold onto a family heirloom, especially one that has directly ended human lives. Although I will say, something about it makes me firmly believe it does not want to be a "safe queen" aka a valuable item that you keep in a safe indefinitely, out of fear of using it.
I live out in the wilderness myself, and often carry a firearm in the event that a wild animal or other such danger presents itself. As more often than not, I have no cellphone signal, and even if I were to get a call out to the local sheriff, the response time is well above 45 minutes. A lot of bad things can happen in that amount of time. I am seriously considering the antiquated firearm in question, as my new, daily carry. Something tells me that my forefathers would rather see it in use, then merely collecting dust. All the same, I do feel strange, holding onto an object that I know has killed other people. Even if it was used strictly in defense (A rancher back in those days had enough issues, without picking fights) and has, more or less, directly allowed my family to survive, and for me to be born in the first place. It almost feels as if there is a sense of destiny around the handgun, even though I feel repulsed at the fact that it has ended lives. I mean, no matter how I try to justify it to myself, it doesn't make me feel any better.
So, I mean, what do you think? how would you feel if you inherited such an important item? even if it has directly ended other human lives? I will say I feel compelled to drink whiskey whenever I clean it but, that's entirely unrelated, haha.
Comments
I think if the majority of artefacts in our Natural History Museum, or the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, were to be disposed of due to some shady history, there would be a fraction of exhibits remaining. We cannot alter the history of an object. If it is something with a negative past, our role would be to not repeat it.
@Zayl. If I inherited such an important part of my family heritage I would cherish it and it's history.
I agree with Federica. History is history. There is no curse on the gun...do you think? So treasure it as an historical family heirloom. Doesn't mean you have to use it in the same manner.
Does a lake recognise the water flowing through it?
If it's legal and you are ok with it - put it away for some offsprings offspring to inherit!
Yeah, y'all are right, especially @federica. All the same, it just feels so, so strange to look down its sights.
I reconsidered and don't think I'll ever carry it with me. Instead I'll carefully maintain it, and when the day comes, pass it down to my son and tell him to hang onto it, just like I have. If you're wondering why it skipped from my Grandfather to me, it's because my father is, how you say, super anti-gun, and he would have gotten rid of it for cash, like he has two previous firearms (though none as valuable sentimentally and cash-y as this)
I have absolutely no idea how it feels to own a fire-arm as a UK citizen...
I can imagine it might feel rather cool, or sexy our something depending on your outlook, but really, does possessing something that's sole intention is to kill, sit well? does it?
Nee'er mind, I'll just live in neverland!
All guns are designed to kill, I doubt there is bad juju on this particular gun. I definitely agree with the decision not to use it as it is valuable and carrying it around would no doubt damage it. If you don't want to keep it hidden away perhaps you could put in a display case somewhere.
One of my rifles was passed through my grandfather line as well. Since my father had no sons, I got it. I adore having it, along with a carving set I inherited and other things. Guns don't carry karma, so I don't think there is any worry there. I mean no offense to you or your family, your ancestor lived in an era we can no longer relate to. But your great great grandfather is the one who pulled the trigger. The gun could not have killed people without his intention and action. So don't give the gun more power than it really has. You can cherish it and enjoy it for what it is without worry about what it was used for in the past. My rifle was used to kill many animals. I just enjoy holding it and feeling the intricate carvings on it, and teaching my kids their gun safety and target shooting with it. I enjoy holding it when I know my father and my grandfather also held it. It's just a nice connection.
Condolences on your grandfathers death.
Do some good with it.
Maybe you have a local sangha who can look after it. Sell it. Throw it in a lake or keep it for more dangerous times . . .
Personally I find guns offensive. You do not, it is a historical/family heirloom. Job done. :wave: .
Think it over: There is nothing -- NOTHING -- whose uses are 100% benevolent. Buddhism is not about sucking up to the good stuff and disparaging the bad ... it's about seeing into the nature of all things.
I hope you got some good ideas to make your choice. This doesn't sound like something to make a knee jerk choice about, unless of course a choice strongly impresses you. If not, in gathering everything up with which you'll make the choice, you will have done some serious reflection and clarification, which will be much more 'valuable' an inheritance whatever you do with the gun
.
At some point, you may even find that a good national museum would be grateful to you for the donation. My parents made a donation of an item to the Victoria and Albert Museum. They were astonishingly grateful, and wrote a wonderful letter to my parents thanking them for having donated such a lovely thing....Admittedly, it's not a weapon, but Museums are grateful for anything preserving the true imagery of history - that they don't have to buy!
Sorry to hear about your Grandfather. Hope you have many good memories of him.
The gun is just an object. Sell it, donate it to a museum, keep it to pass down to your family, whatever. Heck, take it to the shooting range and give it a try. Your Grandfather trusted you with something that must have meant a lot to him, so if it bothers you to own it, then find a good home for it.
I kept my old 20 gauge shotgun that my Uncle gave me as a teenager when I'd go hunting with him, even though my hunting days are long over. It sat in a locked case under the bed for decades, before I gave it to my teenage grandson who loves to hunt. I made sure he knew about the family history, and it's probably one of his most prized possessions and he'll one day pass it down to his children.
It's also a gun once again killing animals in the woods, and he says it's the best one he has and he uses it all the time. No, it doesn't bother me, knowing something I once used to hunt is being used again. If my grandson is going to go hunt, then he should use the most accurate and best weapon he can get his hands on. I also have about a half-dozen fishing rods my late wife loved to use, and those are being given to him, also.
I have clothing, food, a roof over my head and zafu to park my butt upon.
Nowhere in my present life is there a need for a gun. Perhaps tomorrow that will change that but...
While I have in the past been reasonably proficient with a number of weapons, as a statement about our adversarial relationship with existence, i have chosen to forgo the attitudes that goes hand in hand with the owning such objects.
I have the luxury of not needing a gun or placing the value of my life so high that my ability to kill another, warrants having one. I do have some survivalist tendencies which lead me to remain mindful of a wide range of options to think my way through dangerous situations but that involves more harm avoidance & management than harm's escalation.
I do notice that folks with guns relate much differently to their environment than folks without guns and have decided that if my time in the wilds does warrant carrying a gun then I will simply not continue going there.
Food collection of meat is another justification for keeping something solely designed to kill animals but since being a vegetarian still appears to cause less suffering than meat collection, I have adjusted my diet accordingly.
The only thing that attracts me to a gun is the inherent human condition's love of being able to control my surroundings with one little trigger finger, but attractions are as endless as the attachments which so poorly justify their indulgences.
No gun owner is going to will me their guns for they know that I will simply render them functionless. Perhaps in much of the world, the right to bare arms represents some right to defend ones values but currently I'll follow the Buddha's lead on how he personally chose to do this.
Nicely written, @how.
I think you mean ' right to BEAR arms....' I have bare arms right now, because it's hot.....
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Well.....@federica
I stand firm on defending the right to bare arms or maybe even more. I happen to live beside one of the largest clothing optional beaches in North America. Try googling Wreck beach off Vancouver for the lovely articles.
&
as a vegetarian, the right to a bear's arms seems a gross violation of another species rights..
&
Our native constabulary bears, who are defending their right to put up their own tent on wreck beach to shield their officers from the ungodly unclothed, recently arrested a beach goer for drunkenness and then had to resort to ordering a coast guard hovercraft to transport that man when they realized a diet of donuts had not prepared them for the 500 stairs back up through the wilds to their vehicles. All because they worried that his bareness was an affront to their bearness.
I find it all so confusing.
For these reasons Mrs Federica, unless you reconsider your spelling grade to my paper, you might find yourself subjected to another year of my excuses if I have to repeat your class again.
That would be worth it for the comedic content alone!!
My inheritance was rare books, Art Nouveau antiques, hand-sewn linen, about three massive crystal chandeliers and Louis XV or XVI furniture.
All back in Buenos Aires, for I don't even want to imagine the cost of bringing all these pieces to Switzerland.
Whenever I visit home and walk among these bequeathed treasures, I can feel the soul of dear ancestors long (and not so long) gone by. There's a story of love and a fond memory linked to every item. Mostly of happy moments reeling with laughter and joy.
I am not so sure objects don't have a karma.
A friend of mine is fond not only of guns but weapons of every kind. He keeps one handy in every room, more as if he hoped (rather than expected) a visitor to drop in uninvited and give him the excuse to put them to good use.
He can't sleep at night. I have slept soundly every single night of my life.
Since moving out here to Colorado, with the huge controversy about gun control, I've learned there are many people who are just as you have described above. They see bogey men everywhere, and in reality, most of those bogey men are in their own minds.
@vinlyn: this friend does see bogey men everywhere.
We live in the same neighbourhood but you would think we live in two totally different settings.
He sees danger everywhere. I see none.
Out here, MANY people see illegal (and for that matter, legal) aliens as those bogey men.
Must be the lack of oxygen at altitude, do you think?
That's putting it politely!