Saturday, November 18, 2017

Can This Country Remain Together?

I have noticed with growing concern the many people on both sides of the aisle who are endorsing the current version of further infringements to our right to bear arms. Let me note that the current push to put more information on more people into the National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS) is a further infringement of the right to bear arms.  The NICS itself is an infringement because it is a prior restraint on a right.  It is the same as if before I could publish this blog post it had to be approved by  someone from the government, who would demand that I prove to his satisfaction that the blog post contained nothing false.  "But a blog post can't kill anyone," you say.  If the ideas in that blog post become popular enough, they can start a revolution, which could kill many.  So, yes, the First Amendment protections carry the same weight as the Second Amendment protections.

Of course, prior restraints on First Amendment rights would never by tolerated, or would they?  As I write this, the Supreme Court is considering two cases involving our First Amendment rights to freedom of religious expression. But make no mistake that the constant drum beat for political correctness is also an attempt to get you to self censor yourself to conform to the dictates of the Left. So, it was with some sense of despair that I read John Hawkins post of November 18, 2017 a Townhall.com entitled Do Conservatives and Liberals Have Enough in Common To Keep a Country Together Anymore? After some explanation of his position, Hawkins comes to the heart of the matter:
Recently, a Republican group in North Carolina asked me to come out and speak. After my speech, there was a Q&A session and someone there asked me, “Is it time for people who love their country to get their guns, head to D.C. and do something about what’s happening in our country?”
Just to be clear, he wasn’t advocating a terrorist attack or a random shooting; he was asking if it is time for patriots who love this country to attempt to overthrow the government to help bring our nation back to Constitutional governance.
What DIDN’T happen is worth noting. Nobody laughed. Nobody shouted, “Oh, come on!” Nobody said, “Oh, that’s just crazy, Dave. You’ll have to excuse him and his wild questions.” Instead, people sat quietly and listened for my response.
This should unsettle you if you are a patriot, and if you are a Leftist, it should be frightening. The fact that people instead of feeling bullied, believe that their patience is being tested beyond the breaking point should be disturbing to the Left. I agree with Hawkins that the ground work has not been done. We need a formal documentation of our grievances, but no doubt many will feel that the blocking of Trump agenda and the attempt to impeach a duly elected President would be enough.
The longer version of what I told him is that he’s right to be concerned about the country and that, yes, it is entirely possible we won’t hold together long term. What happens when we – almost inevitably at this point – have a debt-driven economic crash which causes Social Security and Medicare to be gutted? Other than wanting to get those checks, what do we have holding us together anymore? Eating lunch at McDonald’s? Watching The Walking Dead? NFL games….oh wait, sorry. We don’t even have that anymore.
We have broken bonds as a nation before: first, with the British, then during the Civil War. Regrettably, we may be headed toward another break down the road. That’s not something anyone should welcome, but when large percentages of the population are forced to live under grating rules they disagree with in the strongest of terms, paid for with increasingly large amounts of tax money they didn’t want to give up and implemented by people they don’t like, respect or feel bound to as a people, no wise person should assume that will continue indefinitely.
I can not help but mourn the loss of a great if flawed nation. I urge everyone to pray for our nation, and ask for guidance to do the right thing.

2 comments:

  1. Just for the sake of argument, there are
    legitimate reasons for criminal background checks: military recruitment,
    teachers and others are required to have them done. My wife, who volunteers at the local elementary school had to have one (and pay for it). When I received a top secret military clearance, I had one.
    I understand why gun owners are concerned and perhaps one who failed a background check (like the good ol boy
    down at the Texas church) simply buys the
    necessary parts on line. No one is going to take guns away-they are ubiquitous. But, we surmise, why should
    a gun purchaser be immune to that which is commonly done daily to millions of us?
    Is 'an infringement on the right to bear
    arms' more important than the right to serve the country, teach school or be imployed? Not sure if you go to gun shows and swap meets, but I am familiar
    with stolen weapons being sold cheap, as well as ammo, even tracers; legitimate
    sellers and buyers get hurt by catering to the few who thus desecrate the 2nd Amendment. Just thinking out loud, here,
    PK...and welcome to the grumpy old man club..we earned it, right?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you BB=Idaho for your service, and thank your wife for teaching our children. And thank you for commenting on this post.

    You ask if an infringement on the right to bear arms is more important that other supposed rights, and therefore should the right to bear arms be protected. Interestingly, I am going to say "yes." 2nd Amendment rights are one of the rights enumerated in the in the Constitution. These rights pre-exist the founding of the government, and according to our founding documents come from our Creator. In other words, they can not be legitimately infringed by man. You have other rights that are not enumerated. However, serving your country is a privilege, not a right. Employment is a necessity and there are many jobs that do not require a criminal background check. Incidentally, both Mrs. Polykahr and I have volunteered at our grand son's school and have never had a background check by the school. However, I did when I worked for the Navy.

    A general principle is that the exercise of your rights may not be restricted by a prior restraint. So, for example, you can indeed yell "fire" in a crowded theater. If you are wrong, and there is no fire, you will suffer consequences. On the other hand, if you yell "fire" in a crowded theater and you are right, you will be hailed as a hero who saved many lives. There is also the general principle that one is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Yet the NICS turns the principle on its head by forcing you to "prove" you have not committed a crime before you can exercise a right. And, of course, you can never prove a negative.

    Finally, you mention that you have been to gun shows and you know that guns have been traded illegally. You should notify the police immediately if that is true. I have never seen anything illegal happening at the gun shows I attend. Also please look up the rules for buying online. They are the same as for buying at a brick and mortar. As for the desire to take away guns, please look up Nelson "Pete Shields, founder of Handgun Control Inc., later called the Brady Campaign. He advocated exactly that, and it remains the ultimate goal. As for means? You guessed it, "by any means necessary."

    Thanks again for the comments,
    Wade

    ReplyDelete