December 22, 2004
Talk About Guns, but take care When you do
Riverdog has an interesting post on gun blogging and the possible ramifications thereof.
I have less than half the experience in Law Enforcement than he has, but I have to say from my own experience that he clearly points out the reality of the dangers that any blogger must face up to if they want to express their opinions vis a vis the Second Amendment and the private ownership of weapons, and he gives some sage advice to follow to prevent unnecessary harrassment from the government and it's enforcement agencies. As Riverdog stated: "It (list of gun contacts/expressions)does exist in field contact reports as they are coded and maintained by local police. I know, because I used to write these reports myself." I did also, so I know he is correct.
It is a fine line that you must walk, or in the doublespeak world of government law enforcement, you ARE guilty of heinious crimes against an oprderly society, just by expressing your opinion.
I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if I was on "the list" in some obscure government agency for my outspoken opinions on the Second Amendment.
And I have to admit that in my more paranoid moments that thought frightens me.
I do not believe in armed insurrection against the government as it stands, but I believe that the Second Amendment was put into place in case of a tyranical turn of that government, and the responsibility of the citizens of this country to be prepared for that eventuality by keeping arms and by using those arms if the situation warranted it.
I do believe we should be "A Nation of Riflemen" as Kim du Toit terms it. A just and honest government has nothing to fear from that concept.
But it seems that anyone of that mindset has to fear that those ideas may put him at odds with a government that has become more authoritarian the farther the ideas espoused by the Left has pemeated it. The more that Groupthink government control comes into vogue, the greater the danger to independant and self-reliant people; who must therefor guard their own public expressions of belief, lest they become victims of that groupthink mentality.
Acidman and McGehee have their own two cents to add too, and worth the read.