10:35 White_Mask i just wrote my final paper in ten minutes
10:35 White_Mask i think i'll post it on the boards in bullshit
In the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the character named Randall Patrick McMurphy is unintentionally representative of gun control. He is unruly, symbolizing the unpredictable nature of guns and the perception many opposers of gun rights have of those who fight for gun rights. He is against authority, a precept of gun ownership’s inclusion as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Finally, McMurphy’s death ultimately symbolizes what proactive gun-ownership lobbyists proclaim is the ultimate fate of any who allow their guns to be taken away.
Guns are unpredictable and dangerous. So too are cars, meteorites, snow storms and Tasmanian devils. Just because a thing is dangerous is no reason to lock it away or disallow its use in areas it might be beneficial. When McMurphy is first incarcerated it is for improper behavior toward a minor, but his attitude and general behavior is suited for someone leading a revolution: When the other patients are flaccid, content and unwilling to shake things up, McMurphy rallies the troops. He brings home the bacon. McMurphy shouldn’t be allowed to have sex with young girls, but he should absolutely be used to lead a revolution or perhaps fight a war. It would be inappropriate to give a gun to a chimpanzee, but in the hands of a trained killer it becomes a vital tool for survival.
Authority is often subconsciously taken as inherently good regardless of its actions. “That’s the way my father did things,’ is not a valid argument for continuing to do things in an archaic or inefficient manner. I’m reminded of when my father told my grandfather to invest in nailguns around 30 years ago. My granfather’s crew suddenly became 25% more efficient, meaning they made more money faster than before. Similarly, authority can wear out its usefulness. There was a time in our history when we were unequipped to help heal or even permanently incarcerate a severely disturbed and violent person. Instead, we killed them. Today, psychologists and the scientific method exist and could have been used to mitigate the trauma our society’s forced segregation has on these individuals, yet because of archaic methodology we continue to abuse and mistreat the ‘insane.’ Guns represent the great rebalancing act our people can take against any authority that has outlived its welcome. McMurphy is a gun. He arms the patients against the authority of the ward by helping them see the flaws and ask the tough questions. They felt empowered by their ability to question the established authority by his presence. Many say this sense of empowerment also comes when purchasing a gun.
In the story, McMurphy is ultimately lobotomized for acting on his emotions and attacking Nurse Rachet. Her actions have lead a ward of the state to suicide, and McMurphy stands before his enemy weaponless and powerless because he has had his basic human right of freedom removed. Granted, this is where the metaphor breaks down: McMurphy did commit a crime and deserves incarceration, but if we forgo this premise we see that even when a person is justly being reprimanded by an authority in an unjust manner, they rarely have the ability to fight back against said injustice. The problem with authority is that power corrupts, but anyone can fight back, lead a revolt and save the day. Anyone, that is, except a person who has given up the right to bear arms (or the right to due process by pleading insanity).
In conclusion, McMurphy in the film represents a person who has given up their right to bear arms to an authority that quickly loses its gratefulness. He is willing and ready to fight but lacks the tools he needs to win the day against a foe he has already capitulated to egregiously. By feigning mental instability (giving up his right to bear arms) he loses the power he would have had against an institution that is both established and necessarily evil. His death is his own fault, just as it will be our faults when the government finally takes our guns and locks us all in padded cells.
