One reason why we need to fight for unrestricted gun rights

We have been hearing a lot lately about how we "gun nuts" are under the impression that we're involved in some sort of Mad Max breakdown of society situation because we oppose gun control legislation. As a matter of fact, economist Paul Krugman said that just last weekend, arguing: But we're the United States!  That couldn't possibly happen here.

The truth is, despots are never expected.  My father in law, who just celebrated his 90th birthday, and my mother in-law are Holocaust survivors, and I can tell you that they certainly never expected anything like that to happen in Europe.  In the 1920's, Germany was one of the most educated, cosmopolitan countries in the world.  There was a thriving education system, from kindergarten to university, they led the world in scientific exploration, and yet by 1933 a tyrant was able to come to power, to start a world war, and to murder millions.  They thought they were living in an enlightened society, but were disarmed by their government and led off to concentration camps.  By the time they were liberated from Auschwitz, my mother in law was left with only her mother and sister still alive and my father in law had lost his entire extended family. 

Do you really think that government abuse of power couldn't happen here?  Tell that to my in-laws who certainly didn't think it could happen to them.  Tell that to Native American children taken from their families and forced into government run indoctrination boarding schools.  Tell that to the Japanese Americans imprisoned in government run internment camps during World War II, and tell that to all the African Americans who saw friends and family members lynched throughout the south because they did not have the same access to firearms with which to defend themselves as whites. 

Frankly, the move to a totalitarian government is not as large a step as you would hope.  For Germany, it was an economic depression and a huge social welfare obligation that led many to a sense of hopelessness and a desire to "blame someone".  What is it that totalitarian governments do to protect their positions? We need only look to history.  It starts with the passing of laws to restrict the ownership of firearms and the institution of universal registration all in the name of "safety", then comes disarming the citizenry, and finally extermination. That is why our founding fathers included an unrestricted right to bear arms so prominently in the Constitution, right after the right to freedom of speech, association, and religion.  The right to bear arms is a Constitutional right and should not require a license – just as you cannot require a license to practice religion or express freedom of speech.

Obama's Power Grab

Since his reelection, President Obama has been clearly showing the country what he intends his next term to look like.  All of his cabinet picks have been a slap in the face to most Americans and our ally Israeli, he has threatened unilateral action via Executive Orders to get around the lack of Congressional support for his proposals, and he has pointedly refused to negotiate with Congress on the budget.  Not worried about facing another election, he is ready to impose his rule as King Obama.  Are we really going to let this happen?

The election was a travesty.  How did Republicans manage to lose?  I still can't believe that the GOP was not even able to get as many people out to vote for Romney as for McCain!  Obama's first term was a complete mess and he country is in a worse state now than when he took office.  There are fewer people employed today than at the height of the recession and the national debt is well over $16 trillion.  What does it take to get people to sit up and take notice?

Republicans need to do two things: first, they need to take the gloves off and start fighting dirty.  There's no way to win this country back by playing nice when the Democrats have no trouble lying about their records and intentions; second, we all need to come together and press the Republicans in Congress to fight every move Obama makes.  It is much more important for this country that they do not give in.  We have to give up sparring within the party and present a unified front before we reach the point of no return.  The things that tend to divide us, like social issues and illegal immigration need to take a back seat to the far more pressing issues of wasteful spending, entitlement reform and protecting the Constitution.  Look at the Democrats. Obama is appointing a cabinet full of white men.  Do you see women's or minority groups saying a word about it?  Not a peep.  We need to show the same unity, but with a principled cause, and push our party leaders to work together to do the will of the people.

Protecting the Constitution

I would hate to think that anyone was secretly wishing for the horrific tragedy last week in Sandy Hook, but the immediate response by a faithful cadre on the left leaves me wondering.  The reaction from liberals from the moments we first heard the story, has been to gleefully shriek that we must turn to the position they have been hoping for for decades - seize all firearms from private citizens.  Immediately!  For the children, of course.  The 2nd amendment be damned.  Their arguments go like this: our founding fathers could not possibly have intended for Americans to have handguns or assault rifles, they lived in the age of muskets and surely would want us limited to that option; madmen and criminals are able to get their hands on guns, so private citizens should not have them to "get them off the streets".  Some even claim we need to take them from the police as well.  Not only should we move quickly for a ban on the mysterious "assault weapons", we should seize them from every registered gun owner.  It's really been a disgusting display!

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. - 2nd Amendment to the Constitution

The framers of the Bill of Rights saw the 2nd amendment as a basic right of a free citizenry and even as an obligation in order to defend against a oppressive government or external invasion.  The intent was not to just provide for people defending their homes against burglars   Remember. the Constitution was written for a newly free United States after a revolution against British rule.  An armed citizenry was responsible for the American Revolution.  That's what a militia is.  Would we be able to fight against a military insurrection or oppressive government using single-shot hunting rifles or shotguns?  Yes, but not very effectively given the state of today's military arsenals.  Citizens need to be able to have at least close-to-comparable firepower to that of the government.  That is the entire point of the 2nd amendment.  On the political talk shows we've heard the response, from conservatives even, that even with AR-15s we couldn't defend against the US military.  Really?  That's exactly what the British government thought about some farmers and merchants in the territories taking up arms against the renowned British army.  Every uprising against oppressive, tyrannical governments across the globe have been residents taking up arms against a much more powerful army.  


But what about the "public safety"?  Doesn't it trump our 2nd amendment rights?  Absolutely not!  The fact is that these incidents have been become less frequent, though with immediate, round-the-clock access to anything happening anywhere on earth it does not appear so.  While that does not in the least lessen the gravity of the act, we need to instead consider what contributed to the situation.  Why did the gunman's mother allow access to her legally obtained firearms by her mentally unstable son?  Why hadn't she received the support she needed to ensure he was properly treated?


Haven't we already given away too many of our rights in the name of "public safety"?  The government can tap our phones, indefinitely detain us, monitor our email, and assassinate us on foreign soil with no due process.  Presidents Obama has signed more "secret" Presidential Orders into effect than all other previous presidents combined, taking away more of our liberties with every stroke of the pen.  Haven't we given away enough without actually re-writing the Constitution?  As Benjamin Franklin so famously said,

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

I think we deserve both.