[lit-ideas] Re: Feeling Safe isn't safe

Guns are one of our rights for a _well armed militia_.  Are you encouraging 
citizens to join a militia?   Are you in a militia?  It's curious that for 
years you argued that anyone who opposed the government was a traitor.  Now 
you're advocating anti-government gun carrying to presumably blow away members 
of the government.  How are the dots connected, Lawrence?  Otherwise, if 
nutcases, felons and those who don't know how to use a gun are eliminated, what 
possible reason would an ordinary citizen *need* a gun?  The Founding Fathers 
didn't trust the government, but they also didn't trust the people, or else 
they wouldn't have created the Electoral College.  
   
  I think the Founding Fathers would be in despair to see what's been made of 
their call for a well armed militia, a far cry from what you are advocating, 
namely, that all citizens carry guns just to carry them.  We have a well armed 
militia in any case.  It's called the Department of Defense.  In your scenario, 
you need a gun for the next time a police officer or the sheriff or mayor or 
alderman of your town come to your door, so you can blow them away.  It's your 
right, allegedly bestowed on you by the Founding Fathers.  Just curious, if you 
were stopped by a police officer for a tail light that was out, would you blow 
the cop away?  He is a representative of the government after all, and you 
claim it's your right to oppose him with your gun.  
   
  

Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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        Because this is the orientation of our nation from its founding.    Our 
nation was based upon the primacy of the ordinary citizen, not the primacy of 
government.  We the people decided what government shall do and not the 
reverse.   Mike?s scenario has a benign government deciding that no one shall 
have handguns and then somehow enforcing that decision ? benignly so that the 
police are our friends.    In my scenario all shall have handguns if they 
qualify for handling them, because that is one of our rights.   We the people 
have determined that certain people may not be trusted with guns such as 
criminals and nutcases.  As to the inept, those people are either the lazy 
(those who don?t wish to learn about gun handling and safety) or the witless 
(those whose intelligence doesn?t enable them to handle guns
 safely and responsibly).     I am essentially agreeing with the thrust of 
Michael Barone?s article.  He like so many assumed that the ordinary citizen 
was not to be trusted.    But our nation was founded upon the idea that 
government wasn?t to be trusted.  Mike?s fantasy would put more power in hands 
of the government ? an idea I am uncomfortable with.   
   
  Lawrence
   
   


       
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