Mutual trust and respect

You don't show mutual trust and respect by both being unarmed, but by both being armed and non-aggressive.

I found that the original Lost in Space series is on a streaming service and have been watching it again. On one episode the Robinsons encounter some aliens who don't speak and after some tense moments-- and some laser blasts exchanged-- come to realize they aren't enemies. The alien dad tosses his weapon aside to show he means no harm. John Robinson picks up the weapon and hands it back in one of the most astute demonstrations of trust and respect I can remember seeing on any screen.

The political aliens that infest our human societies could learn a lot from this.

First of all, we are not shooting at them. Often not even when it's justified. Therefore there's no reason for us to toss our weapons down to show that we mean no harm-- if we meant harm we would be attacking them. It would be up to them to disarm if anyone should.

Second, the way they could show their respect and trust is by not insisting we be disarmed, but by acknowledging that humans stay armed.

Fictional TV characters, and the aliens they encounter, are far more human than the political aliens who want to run our lives and disarm us so they feel safe.

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