Random Thoughts on Liberty

If I wanted to be owned by a socialist government, I'd move to Europe or Canada.

Here in the USA, ultimate power remains in the hands of adult, non-felon citizens. May it ever be so. Convicted felons lose their privilege of voting, and it is also illegal for them to own guns. It makes perfect sense that these two important rights be taken away from an adult who chooses to prey upon society, even after a prison sentence is served. They may have paid for their crimes, but that is not a reason to trust them again with the levers of power.

Where a politician stands on the issue of gun control tells you just about everything you need to know about how they view the people they represent: Whether he or she views you as a capable free-born citizen, worthy of self government and able to make one's own choices about protecting and providing for one's family; or as part of an unruly mob of peasants that needs to be lorded over, nurtured, and controlled by the state.

The recent mall shooting in SLC, Utah took place in a posted "gun free zone." Now that rule was sure effective at keeping a maniac from bringing in guns now, wasn't it? Perhaps he thought that since he was entering a "gun free zone" his actions would be unopposed until police finally arrived. Thank goodness an armed CITIZEN was there to stop him before more damage was done. Too bad there weren't any armed teachers at Columbine, another "gun free zone." Israel has the sense to allow its teachers to be armed. Guess how many school shootings have taken place there, where numerous radicals would love to wander in and shoot up a schoolyard? NONE.

It has been shown time and again that laws that restrict the general citizen's ability to purchase and carry firearms have done nothing to prevent crime, because it is only the law-abiding that follow such laws. The criminal element is emboldened knowing that their vicitims are less likely to be armed, and crime predictably increases, as it has in Chicago, D.C., Britain and Australia following gun bans that were supposedly enacted "for the public safety."

Something more sinister is obviously behind each legislative attempt to deny citizen's access to guns, no matter what kind of "EEEvil assault rifle" rhetoric is used to confuse the masses. Theses socialists eventually want all guns banned, facilitating the creation of their totalitarian utopia. Supporters of such legislation might not all be potential dictators like Hitler and Stalin, who effectively used gun control to retain their power, but they are certainly useful idiots for those that would rule with an iron fist if given a chance.

Again, if I wanted to be owned by a socialist government, I'd move to Europe.

Words of Wisdom from a few Dead White Guys:

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."
-James Madison, The Federalist Papers #46 at 243-244

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves."
--William Pitt in the House of Commons November 18, 1783

"The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes."
--Thomas Paine

"The right of citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against the tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible."
–Vice President Hubert Humphrey

"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms."
– Thomas Jefferson

"What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don't expect freedom to survive very long."
– Thomas Sowell