Despite Its Storytelling Flaws, ‘The Mandalorian’ Shares Pro-Gun Message
The Mandalorian has significant storytelling flaws and the most recent episode “The Spies” is not an exception. Despite, these flaws the episode does feature a prominent pro-gun message and warns of the dangers of populations disarming themselves.
About halfway through “The Spies” Bo-Katan’s surveillance squad encounters a group of Mandalorians who have been surviving on the surface of the planet Mandalore ever since Moff Gideon enacted the Purge of Mandalore, bombing the planet to smithereens.
During a discussion about how the Purge of Mandalore came about, one of these Mandalorians asserted that the Empire punished them and made an example of them because “they refused to surrender.”
However, Bo-Katan corrects this narrative saying, “That’s not true. I did surrender. After our forces were annihilated in the Night of a Thousand Tears and defeat was imminent, I met with Moff Gideon.”
She continued, “The ISB had reached out to me negotiate a cease-fire. In exchange for submitting to the Empire and disarming, all remaining cities and Mandalorian lives were to be spared. That is how Moff Gideon came to possess the Darksaber.”
“I didn’t trust him,” Bo-Katan added. “But it was the only chance I had to save our people. And then he betrayed me and we were helpless to resist the Purge of Mandalore.”
Noah Webster made it abundantly clear in An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution back in 1787 that in order to oppress a populace, a government must first disarm it. Clearly, this is something Moff Gideon knew very well and Bo-Katan did not.
Webster wrote, “Another source of power in government is a military force. But this, to be efficient, must be superior to any force that exists among the people, or which they can command: for otherwise this force would be annihilated, on the first exercise of acts of oppression.”
He added, “Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States.”
Patrick Henry also made clear that the liberty of the people should be protected with force.
In his speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention in 1778, Henry said, “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.”
It’s quite clear Bo-Katan should not have disarmed her people. While they might have continued to suffer military defeats, they would not lose their liberty. They would die as a free people rather than slaves to the Empire.
It’s also quite possible that their continued fight would have inspired other systems to join their cause and rebel against the Empire much earlier than they did.
What do you make of this warning The Mandalorian features about disarmament?
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