Thank you so much for making gun owners look like a bunch of kooks. We have had enough trouble getting things like concealed carry passed here, and threatening to kill people would is sure to not make it any easier. And before you complain about “licensing a right,” I agree, we shouldn’t need a license to exercise our God-given and Constitutionally recognized right, but currently we could be arrested if we carry concealed, and having part of a right is better than none of it.
As to peaceful action through politics v. armed resistance, politics has been doing pretty well since, oh about the 70s. Have we lost some ground? Yes. Have we gained ground? A lot. Do we have more to go? Of course. But we have managed to go from no right to carry to at least being able to get license in most states. We have the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that has prevented gun makes from being sued out of existence, which might not seem that big, but if you can’t get arms, you can’t keep and bear them. We have Castle Doctrine gaining steam. The Supreme Court finally acknowledged an individual right to arms. And many more. What can armed resistance claim? And remember, every loss you can pin on politics is armed resistance’s loss as well. Neither group was able to prevent it.
As to this draw-a-line-in-the-sand attitude, it works a whole lot better when we aren’t advancing. What are we supposed to do, draw the line, and dare ourselves to cross it? Not such a great plan. We should have a line in our minds past which we won’t be driven, but right now we are winning
As to threatening to kill people, you can’t kill fast enough to keep you from getting killed or arrested, and without a lot of people behind you your death will not further your cause. In fact, in the case of gun control it will probably harm your cause, as the MSM and the government will do nothing but paint you as a nut. What good are any of your rights in prison or six feet under? Sometimes sacrifice for the greater good is in line, but without backing you will die for nothing. Part of the political process is that sometimes you lose. Start killing people at that point, and that will be the end of the process for you, because you will be removed from the process, by death or by prison, unless you have enough people behind you. And 6% of gun owners probably isn’t enough to do the job.
Regards,
Peter
July 23, 2008 at 6:57 pm |
It’s not just that we’ve lost ground (and by we I mean free people, not just gun owners), we’ve lost ground on Constitutionally protected fundamental human rights our government is forbidden to infringe upon. Not a small difference.
Mike wasn’t threatening to kill anyone. He was only warning those who would begin forcibly disarming citizens about the unintended consequences of their actions. As for who will stand with Mike? I’d imagine anyone who still understands what it is to be an American. I will.
July 23, 2008 at 9:59 pm |
1. I agree that losing “Constitutionally protected fundamental human rights” is quite serious, and do not mean to make light of that.
2. “There are some of us… who would kill anyone who tried to further restrict our God-given liberty.” is a threat to kill someone. (the ellipsis is “‘cold dead hands’ types, perhaps 3 percent of gun owners,” removed for clarity)
July 24, 2008 at 12:27 pm |
[...] on revolution There has been a lot of discussion over at Snowflakes in Hell (and a little here) about a letter written by Mike Vanderboegh, were, true to form, he is talking about civil wars, [...]
July 26, 2008 at 1:52 pm |
[...] Then we have Firearms & freedom blog. [...]
August 15, 2008 at 9:44 am |
Your “gains” are one Supreme Court justice away from being swept away, less than that in another September 11/Katrina national emergency, given the large barn door crafted in Heller by our black-robed “friends.” In any case, Heller is trumped by Olofson. If the ATF need not obey any law and are not held to account if they violate it, then laws and decisions don’t matter. The law of the jungle is the only law. Telling someone that he is about to step on a landmine is not a threat, it is good manners. — Vanderboegh.
August 25, 2008 at 3:36 pm |
[...] about how citizens standing their ground for their right to keep and bear made us all look like crazed loons. (The big thread was over at Snowflakes in Hell, but that site’s down at the moment. [...]