--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My wife has been killed by a machine…" description: "\"“My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2121630.jpg" --- # My wife has been killed by a machine which should never… ![“My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of all human wishes come true at once, at a distance: that something die. There is evil for you. We cannot get rid of mankind’s fleetingly wicked…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2121630.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2121630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2121630.jpg) > ““My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of all human wishes come true at once, at a distance: that something die. There is evil for you. We cannot get rid of mankind’s fleetingly wicked wishes. We can get rid of the machines that make them come true. I give you a holy word: DISARM.”” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that firearms enable humanity’s darkest impulses, suggesting that eliminating the weapons, not the wishes, can reduce violence. **In simple terms:** Weapons enable harmful human wishes; removing them could reduce harm. Key Takeaway Focus on disarmament to curb violence. Themes violence ethics technology human nature Mood urgent somber reflective Type political ethical activist When to use this quote - policy debate - community safety - personal protection - law enforcement - activism Key Concepts gun control morality social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can society address the root causes of violent wishes? - What are effective ways to reduce gun violence without infringing rights? A Different Perspective Disarming alone may not change underlying human desires or address black causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Firearm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-firearm-2463091/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Disarm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disarm/) [Firearm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firearm/) [Killed Machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killed-machine-2463092/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Wishes come true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishes-come-true/) [Word Disarm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-disarm-4330429/) ## Related quotes > [“My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-which-should-never-have-come-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“He dabbed at his tuxedo with a damp rag, and the fungi came away easily. "Hate to do this, Bill," he said of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-dabbed-at-his-tuxedo-with-a-damp-rag-and-the-fungi-came-away/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“there’s a certain lack of respect for physics and biology when you ignore the power of a firearm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/there-s-a-certain-lack-of-respect-for-physics-and-biology-when-you/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [Far too often we see attention paid to the firearm and not the criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-miller/far-too-often-we-see-attention-paid-to-the-firearm-and-not-the/) [Jeff Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-miller/) > [“Holding a legally owned gun may get you killed by the police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/holding-a-legally-owned-gun-may-get-you-killed-by-the-police/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [The presence of a firearm makes us all safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/the-presence-of-a-firearm-makes-us-all-safer/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [“When a police officer is pointing a gun at you, pulling your pants up is a proven way of getting you legally killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-a-police-officer-is-pointing-a-gun-at-you-pulling-your-pants-up/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I just want to repeat that there's nothing that we've proposed that would make it harder for you to purchase a firearm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-just-want-to-repeat-that-there-s-nothing-that-we-ve-proposed-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [... protection of life is NOT a legitimate use for a firearm in this country sir! 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That is expressly ruled out!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-rock/protection-of-life-is-not-a-legitimate-use-for-a-firearm-in-this/) [Allan Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-rock/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“The statement 'I thought he was reaching for a gun' is a police officers license to kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-statement-i-thought-he-was-reaching-for-a-gun-is-a-police/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Carrying a loaded firearm is the gateway crime to committing a murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-mccarthy/carrying-a-loaded-firearm-is-the-gateway-crime-to-committing-a-murder/) [Garry McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-mccarthy/) > [Hot lead can be almost as effective coming from a linotype as from a firearm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/hot-lead-can-be-almost-as-effective-coming-from-a-linotype-as-from-a/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [“T = Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. A = Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. B = Be certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-behr/t-treat-every-firearm-as-if-it-is-loaded-a-always-point-the-muzzle-in/) [Gary Behr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-behr/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. 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