Tuesday - July 24, 2007

Civics Lesson Alarms Moonbats

The other day, a responsible citizen gave the city of Norfolk, Virginia a much needed civics lesson, and I think more Americans could stand to learn from it, thusly, I’ll share it with you:

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=128887&ran=175683

Essentially, reminding people of their Second Amendment Rights.  A non-violent confrontation with the police ensued, resulting in his inappropriate, and possibly illegal, arrest.  This gentleman, acting within his rights as an American to bear arms, eventually had charges dropped against him, as in this case the city was in the wrong.

Our Founding Fathers, for some reason, thought it very important that we, the people, should not be denied our right to keep, maintain, and carry a weapon.  To find out why, lets ask Patrick Henry, one of the greatest Americans.

“Are we at last brought to such an humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms under our own possesion and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?”

Or perhaps you have heard of this gentleman:

“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the people’s liberty teeth keystone… the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable… more than 99% of them by their silence indicate that they are in safe and sane hands. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. When firearms go, all goes, we need them every hour.” President George Washington (Address to 1st session of Congress)

The object of this post is not to convince you that it is your duty to possess a firearm and be trained in its use, lest the hands of government seize our liberty, though its been said that “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” (Thomas Jefferson Papers p. 334, 1950).  However, it is to make you, responsible reader, aware that our liberties are at stake every day.

Many things are going on today that worry me greatly.

Take for instance the current Supreme Court ruling on Eminent Domain.  Apparently, just because you own something doesn’t mean its really yours if someone else can make more money with it.  Or they want to put a road through.  Or, as happened just recently, a college wants to put up a new sports stadium ( http://www.cstv.com/genrel/072307aab.html )

Taking away your right to property, all in the name of progress.  Or the “Patriot” Act, eroding our right against unreasonable searches and seizures, in some cases, without a warrant.  Or the continuing debacle of the “Fairness Doctrine”, so against the 1st Amendment rights to freedom of expression it makes me ill to think on it.

I think our Founding Fathers would be shocked and alarmed at the state of our current Republic.

More insidious than a peace-protesting, red-faced, screaming Moonbat, Apathy poses a larger threat to our freedom as Americans than anything else in our history.  Many people do not see the government itself as a threat.

Whoah!  Should I just don my AFDB ( http://zapatopi.net/afdb/ ) now?  Am I being paranoid, or what?  Or am I?  Louis Brandeis, US Supreme Court Justice, once said “Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding.” (Olmstead v. United States, 1928)

If you do a little reading, you will see that this is a common thought throughout US history.  Until recently.  Somehow, distrust of government has become a “quaint” or “kooky” notion--more what you would expect from some nut-job typing out manifestos in a clapboard shack--instead of a pretty darned good idea.  And there they are, our legislators, slowly, eroding our freedom and telling us its for the common good.

What can you do about it?  Register to Vote.  Then Vote.  Every time.  Send a message to your legislators discussing their voting activity and your views--make sure they know they are being watched.  Get your wife/hubby out there voting too.  Are they claiming they know nothing about it?  Teach and inform.  If you are a property owner, and don’t vote, you are asking for whatever happens to you.  Discuss politics with your kids.  Make sure that when you are fostering a respect of authority in them, you also ensure they always question authority.  Take them out on their 18th Birthday and go with them as they register to vote.  Express your pride that they are taking part in America--make a big deal out of it.  It is after all, a big deal.  Remember:  The cliche that they are the future of America is no less true because they are the future of America.  Discuss politics with your friends and neighbors.  Foster discussion.  Even disagreement is better than apathy.  I would even go so far as to say that disagreement is the preferred path. 

One last thought to send you on your way:

“The spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest and ourselves united. From the conclusion of [their] war [for independence, a nation begins] going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of [that] war will remain on [them] long, will be made heavier and heavier, till [their] rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.” --Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. (*) ME 2:225

Posted by Drew458     on 07/24/2007 at 08:36 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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