Just as I expected, the Left, led by Barack Obama, took full advantage of the tragedy in Oregon to push their political agenda. By now most Americans have grown used to this unseemly spectacle and brush it off, but I suspect we will see at least a small spike in gun sales anyway. At least the gun industry will benefit from their political opportunism.
Although their behavior is predictable, I have noticed a shift in the positions Liberals are taking on gun control. In the past, I could usually shut down all but the most leftist of gun control arguments by posing one simple question – do you want to repeal the Second Amendment or simply ignore it? This question was almost always met with denials and a stammering “we just need some common sense laws that won’t infringe on the Second Amendment”.
Lately, I have noticed, they are increasingly likely to advocate a complete repeal of the Second Amendment, followed by nationwide gun confiscation. Needless to say, this change in strategy naturally follows the increasingly extreme nature of the leftist ideology of the Democrat Party, as evidenced by the increase in number of Democrats who are now openly Socialist.
It is pointless to continue the usual arguments with these people.
They are obviously not really concerned about reducing gun violence since they have chosen to ignore the stats that demonstrate that gun control increases gun violence. They are clearly not concerned about saving lives because they are the same people who champion infanticide. They have no interest in the rule of law because they are more than happy to look the other way when people commit crimes that further the political goals of the Left. They certainly have no concern about what the Founders wanted because they dismiss these great men as dead white racist extremists. Logical arguments don’t work because they are quite willing to get their way at the point of at the very guns they claim to hate.
What I will do then, is point out some facts that they are likely to find unpleasant and choose to ignore, but if they do they cannot truthfully say they were not warned.
I will begin by pointing out something about our rights. These rights pre-date the Constitution, and, in fact, any form of man-made government. These rights exist independently of any government or set of laws, and therefore governments cannot pass laws that rescind rights they did not grant.
The Second Amendment did not grant me the right to keep and bear arms, repealing it will not take that right away.
The Declaration of Independence, which is the document that established this as an independent nation, makes this very clear:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Our Constitution was written in recognition of natural law, and established a government that exists solely for the purpose of protecting our freedom to exercise the rights we have by virtue of the fact that we are human beings. When the government becomes a threat to those rights, it loses its legitimate reason for existing and we, as free men, have not only the right but a responsibility to abolish that government. This, of course, is the reason the Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment.
As I previously noted, the Left is completely unconcerned by these documents or what they stand for, but here is something they should pay attention to. Millions of Americans have served in our nation’s military and have taken an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. There are also millions of Americans who own guns. Not all of these people are willing to stand up to a government that exceeds its authority by trying to disarm its citizens, but a lot of us are.
I cannot speak for anyone else, but I took that oath seriously, I have never been relieved of that obligation nor do I desire to be. When I served in the United States Navy aboard nuclear submarines during the Cold War, I was well aware that I was putting my life at risk for my country almost every day, and it was a risk I was willing to take. I would then, and I would now, lay down my life in defense of freedom. The fact that during that time I was a willing crew member aboard a submarine that was armed with nuclear weapons aimed at our enemies means I was willing to kill our enemies if necessary in that effort.
This has not changed.
Those who seek to take away my guns and my freedom may not understand this, but they need to ask themselves these important questions. Are they willing to commit gun violence or sanction others committing gun violence on their behalf in order to take our guns for the stated purpose of preventing gun violence? How many of us are they willing to kill in order to achieve their political goals, and are they willing themselves to die in that effort?
For my part, I am still willing to die to defend freedom, and I am willing to kill as many as necessary in that effort.
Perhaps that sounds harsh, or even extreme, but I am saying this as plainly and honestly I can because I want these people to have no doubt what they are up against, and as Barry Goldwater said, “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice”. I have no doubt the Left wants to destroy liberty in this country, the question is, how far are they willing to go to do so? I know how far I am willing to go to stop them.
The post Before You Come For My Guns, Ask Yourself These Questions appeared first on Dispatches From The Conservative Underground.