[lit-ideas] Re: Feeling Safe isn't safe
- From: Andy <min.erva@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:19:30 -0700 (PDT)
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:
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
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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