MIL-DOT
member
This is the best thing on gun
control
that I have read in a long time. The writer is economist Walter E.
Williams.
> "WHENEVER THERE'S A TRAGEDY involving gun use, Bill Clinton, Al Gore,
the
> gun-control lobby and the news media seize it as another opportunity
to
> exploit the emotions of uninformed American people for political
gain.
>
> Unfortunately, most Americans don't have the foggiest notion of why
the
> Framers of the Constitution, through the Second Amendment, guaranteed
our
> right to keep and bear arms. Our leftist establishment would like us
to
> believe the Second Amendment was written to protect our duck- and
> deer-hunting rights. Don't take my word --- read what was actually
said
> during the constitutional debates.
>
> Thomas Jefferson said: "No man shall ever be debarred the use of
arms. The
> strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear
arms
> is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in
government."
>
> Tench Coxe, assistant secretary of the treasury (1789), said, "The
unlimited
> power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state
> governments, but, where I trust in G-d it will ever remain, in the
hands
of
> the people."
>
> Noah Webster said, "The supreme power in America cannot enforce
unjust
laws
> by the sword, because the whole body of the people are armed, and
constitute
> a force superior to any band of regular troops."
>
> In Federalist Paper No. 46, James Madison said the Constitution
"preserves
> the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people
of
> almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments,
to
> which the people are attached ... forms a barrier against the
enterprises
of
> ambition. ..."
>
> Numerous sentiments like these were expressed during the
constitutional
> debates. Here's my question to you: Which one of those statements
sounds
> like the Framers had deer- and duck-hunting in mind when they wrote
the
> Second Amendment? The Framers gave us the Second Amendment so we
could
have
> at least a last-ditch fighting chance against government encroachment
on
our
> liberties.
>
> Who are the people who desperately want to disarm law-abiding
Americans?
>
> The answer doesn't require rocket science to figure that one out. The
> strongest advocates of gun control are the very people who seek
greater
and
> greater control over our lives. They're the people who want to take
away
our
> rights to property, freedom of speech and religion, and other
liberties.
> They're cowards and want to feel safe doing so. They figure if we're
first
> disarmed they can trample over our liberties with impunity.
>
> If these people had guts and a modicum of respect for the
Constitution,
> they'd seek repeal of the Second Amendment. Instead, they pursue an
agenda
> to repeal it by stealth. The latest attempts are the suits against
arms
> manufacturers for crimes committed with guns.
>
> Last week, gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson caved in to this pressure
by
> signing a voluntary gun-control agreement with the Clinton-Gore
> administration. That "voluntary" agreement seeks to force arms
manufacturers
> to do what today's laws do not require and create an "oversight
commission"
> to ensure compliance..
>
> Arms manufacturers Glock Inc. and Browning refused to sign the
agreement.
In
> response, New York's Attorney General Eliot Spitzer told them, "If
you do
> not sign, your bankruptcy lawyers will be knocking at your door."
That
kind
> of official threat is an indication of just how bold and emboldened
> America's tyrants have become in the wake of our acquiescence --
threatening
> destruction of people who refuse to go along with "voluntary"
agreements.
>
> We Americans have set dangerous precedents. We can rest assured that
those
> pushing for gun control have no intention of stopping short of total
gun
> confiscation. At some point, we who cherish liberty must summon the
courage
> of our forefathers and tell America's tyrants, "Give me liberty, or
give
me
> death!" The longer we wait, the greater the ultimate bloodshed."
>This is Williams 3/29/00 column from www.jewishworldreview.com
control
that I have read in a long time. The writer is economist Walter E.
Williams.
> "WHENEVER THERE'S A TRAGEDY involving gun use, Bill Clinton, Al Gore,
the
> gun-control lobby and the news media seize it as another opportunity
to
> exploit the emotions of uninformed American people for political
gain.
>
> Unfortunately, most Americans don't have the foggiest notion of why
the
> Framers of the Constitution, through the Second Amendment, guaranteed
our
> right to keep and bear arms. Our leftist establishment would like us
to
> believe the Second Amendment was written to protect our duck- and
> deer-hunting rights. Don't take my word --- read what was actually
said
> during the constitutional debates.
>
> Thomas Jefferson said: "No man shall ever be debarred the use of
arms. The
> strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear
arms
> is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in
government."
>
> Tench Coxe, assistant secretary of the treasury (1789), said, "The
unlimited
> power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state
> governments, but, where I trust in G-d it will ever remain, in the
hands
of
> the people."
>
> Noah Webster said, "The supreme power in America cannot enforce
unjust
laws
> by the sword, because the whole body of the people are armed, and
constitute
> a force superior to any band of regular troops."
>
> In Federalist Paper No. 46, James Madison said the Constitution
"preserves
> the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people
of
> almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments,
to
> which the people are attached ... forms a barrier against the
enterprises
of
> ambition. ..."
>
> Numerous sentiments like these were expressed during the
constitutional
> debates. Here's my question to you: Which one of those statements
sounds
> like the Framers had deer- and duck-hunting in mind when they wrote
the
> Second Amendment? The Framers gave us the Second Amendment so we
could
have
> at least a last-ditch fighting chance against government encroachment
on
our
> liberties.
>
> Who are the people who desperately want to disarm law-abiding
Americans?
>
> The answer doesn't require rocket science to figure that one out. The
> strongest advocates of gun control are the very people who seek
greater
and
> greater control over our lives. They're the people who want to take
away
our
> rights to property, freedom of speech and religion, and other
liberties.
> They're cowards and want to feel safe doing so. They figure if we're
first
> disarmed they can trample over our liberties with impunity.
>
> If these people had guts and a modicum of respect for the
Constitution,
> they'd seek repeal of the Second Amendment. Instead, they pursue an
agenda
> to repeal it by stealth. The latest attempts are the suits against
arms
> manufacturers for crimes committed with guns.
>
> Last week, gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson caved in to this pressure
by
> signing a voluntary gun-control agreement with the Clinton-Gore
> administration. That "voluntary" agreement seeks to force arms
manufacturers
> to do what today's laws do not require and create an "oversight
commission"
> to ensure compliance..
>
> Arms manufacturers Glock Inc. and Browning refused to sign the
agreement.
In
> response, New York's Attorney General Eliot Spitzer told them, "If
you do
> not sign, your bankruptcy lawyers will be knocking at your door."
That
kind
> of official threat is an indication of just how bold and emboldened
> America's tyrants have become in the wake of our acquiescence --
threatening
> destruction of people who refuse to go along with "voluntary"
agreements.
>
> We Americans have set dangerous precedents. We can rest assured that
those
> pushing for gun control have no intention of stopping short of total
gun
> confiscation. At some point, we who cherish liberty must summon the
courage
> of our forefathers and tell America's tyrants, "Give me liberty, or
give
me
> death!" The longer we wait, the greater the ultimate bloodshed."
>This is Williams 3/29/00 column from www.jewishworldreview.com