Delftsman

2nd Amendment - When do we Defend it?

While going through my daily rounds in the Blogosphere, I found a link at Kim du Toits that discusses something that doesn't get the attention it merits.

I often post my feelings about the Second Amendment and it's purpose as envisioned by the founding fathers,namely that it was intended as a last defense against tyranny from our own government. But I have always left out what just may be the most important part: Just WHEN is it time to invoke that defense and let the bullets start to fly? this essay addresses that issue in the most thoughtful manner I've seen.

We've all seen the bumper stickers that say "They can have my gun when they pry it from my cold dead fingers", and while it evokes a certain sense of bravado and spirit, I don't think that anyone can regard an individual incident in that vein as an effective way of defending the 2nd Amendment; the public merely sees it as "oh, another gun nut/fanatic/insert meme here pulled off an idiotic stunt and got arrested/shot by the police, good for them".

Go get a cup of coffee, get a note pad to make notes and jot down questions, settle in and really READ and absorb the wisdom contained in the words there.

I am not a religious man as Ron S. is, but I do agree with him that the wisdom contained in the Bible dealing with the secular and intrapersonal relationships within a society were one of the twin pillars in the founding of this country. You don't have to suscribe to a particular tenant to see where he's coming from, if you translate the meanings of the religious wisdom into the secular terms of "how do we form a society that truly works to the betterment of all".

I find myself in complete agreement with Ron on his premise/conclusions/strategy. Go there, read it, ponder it, and put your own two cents in. Start to really think about it, and begin planning Your course of action when TSHTF. It will, inevitably, sooner or later, and Ron has a thoughtful
outline of a good course of action. Remember that it is your DUTY as a citizen of a free Republic to become informed, and to defend the freedoms that Republic affords you, for if not you, who? "The tree of Liberty requires refreshment with the blood of patriots" are not idle words, they are a fact borne out time and again in history. As Ron also notes, our forfathers expected tyrany from government:

The founding fathers of our country had no such illusions of trust: they understood the depravity of human nature. They understood that absolute power corrupts absolutely. They understood that government must be restrained with the chains of the Constitution. They did not incorporate the system of checks and balances because they had faith in the government. Having faith in the government is a complete reversal of the founders' original theory of eternal distrust and vigilance.

Why is this discussion so important? I think that Ron said it best:

All this discussion of armed resistance may beg the question: What's the big deal about gun control? Why should we hazard our lives to stop it? And, where is this tyranny? To answer briefly: the Second Amendment is the guarantor of the rest of the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Therefore, an attack on the Second Amendment is an attack on the entire Constitution. Without the Second Amendment, we have no means to physically retain our other rights; they become dusty words on an old piece of paper that can be ignored. If we lose the Second Amendment, we lose all the other rights at the same time.

First, our rights came into existence because of the principles in the Second Amendment--arms and militias. They had no rights, no Constitution, no liberty, and would never have had any without the Second Amendment.

This point can be easily demonstrated by examining the justifications given for the American revolution in 1776 in the Declaration of Independence: "In every stage of these Suppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury." The colonists exhausted every available means of appeal over a long period of time, but the oppressive conditions only worsened, and they had no peaceful means left to use. The only recourse is elegantly stated by Patrick Henry: "An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!". All our rights were literally born from the Second Amendment, and, I might add, God is equally a part of Patrick Henry's equation.

Where will you stand when the bullets start to fly? You'd be wise to ponder the question before the need to make a decision arises. If your on the side of patriots, you need to become prepared, if not, prepare for living as a subject, not a citizen.

Posted by Delftsman3 at June 14, 2005 03:15 PM