Freedom

Gun Rights Week @ JMU

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

Just read about Gun Rights Week at James Madison University.

I attended JMU for my undergrad. If it’s anything now like it was back then this probably won’t go over well with the general student populace. But that’s to be expected with a bunch of 18-21 year olds at a liberal arts college in the United States, likely on their own for the first time in their lives, experiencing freedom (i.e. no mom & dad looming over them) like never before. Given how I thought at the time, if this had happened when I was there I too probably would have wondered what the point was and thought concealed carry on a college campus was more dangerous and inviting bloodshed in the classroom if there was a minor disagreements over how to interpret some poem in English class, shootouts on The Quad over hackey sacks, or poor food choices in D-Hall.

But as I’ve documented here, I’ve since changed. I’ve improved my education on and understanding of the matter. And the stark reality is creating “gun free zones” in reality creates a “victim-full zones”. Virginia Tech is just a short drive from JMU. If creating a “gun free zone”, like a school or university, also erected a magical force-field that kept the bad guys and the crazies out and allowed a blissful sheep-like existence within, I’d be all for it. But alas, such things don’t exist, and the wolves roam without regard for artificial boundaries. All “gun free zones” do is keep out the sheepdogs, and the sheep keep grazing on The Quad.

Ignorance is only bliss until your rose-colored glasses are violently shattered (VaTech, various other school-based shooting tragedies). There’s movement within Texas for this year’s state legislative session to improve things in this very manner, and I support those efforts and will do what I can to help them succeed. I’m all for removing barriers that abridge sheepdogs.

Stimulated Pork

/ hsoi

So looky what was slipped into the “stimulus” package.

So we take one more step towards socialized medicine. One step away from you being able to control your own health and well-being.

Y’know it’s odd. So many of these same people that scream for socialized medicine are the same people that scream about keeping abortion legal. They demand how it’s their body and they should be allowed to do what they want with it. Well, I agree with that. So tell me how government-controlled medicine is going to let you do what you want with your body, or perhaps more important, to give your body what it needs. Go on, I’m waiting. I’m really curious to know how increased regulations and control by an external party over my life and my body equates to greater freedom.

I also liked this part of the article:

Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.

Tom Daschle is 61 years old. I hope he’s been accepting of the conditions that are coming with his advancing age, and not treating them. No no, not even Advil as that’s a treatment. I’d like to think Daschle would be one to lead by example, but if we followed his example there’d be no tax revenue to fund this boondoggle.

 

Updated: Anthony G. Martin chimes in with his take on the matter.

Preach on Uncle Ted

/ hsoi

Uncle Ted on why gun sales are up.

FTFA:

Our founding fathers supported an individual’s right to own guns. Unlike Obama and Holder, those vanguards of freedom understood that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can not be achieved without being able to protect yourself and your loved ones from human scum who would deny you your fundamental God-given rights.

What our new president and his attorney general obviously want is control. Studying other gun-grabbing regimes of the past, they know the first thing that needs to be done to turn us from citizens to subjects is to disarm us. 

Legislative Alert from TSRA

/ hsoi

I received an alert from TSRA last night and was going to write this up myself, but JR over at A Keyboard and a .45 beat me to it. 

I’m happy that Senator Jeff Wentworth is my State Senator. 🙂

I still hope they can change

/ hsoi

Reading blogs this morning and I see that Breda is no longer willing to take “liberals” to the gun range. I can’t say I blame her.

She’s right:

The Second Amendment is only one part of that freedom. It is freedom’s last resort, its guarantee.

Former Texas State Representative Suzanna Gratia-Hupp said:

How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual… as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of.

I find it fascinating that people scream left and right about needs to protect our 1A freedoms, especially freedom of speech. But when it comes to 2A, many of those same people would prefer to see that one cast away. Do they not realize that it is 2A that preserves 1A? If you don’t understand that, look back at civilizations throughout time or even countries today. Look at those with strong 1A-like behaviors and see where their 2A-like behaviors are. Look at those with problematic 1A areas and see where their 2A are. 

Which would I rather use to defend my rights? Well, I’d rather use my 1A rights (one reason why I started this blog). Long ago I was of the ilk that didn’t quite get it when it came to 2A. But after emotional experiences I came to rational and reasoned understanding — I changed. And I’d like to hope that others can change too. Isn’t that what it’s all about these days? Hope and Change?

So yes, we all need to get and stay active. I didn’t obtain my NRA Instructor Certification for the snazzy patch, I did it to help others learn. I still hope they can change.

Their rights were violated???

/ hsoi

From this morning’s Washington Times, 16 illegals sue an Arizona rancher.

So we have 16 people, crossing illegally into the United States. We have a man that’s sick of his property being used as a “highway” for illegal border crossings, which results in things like massive amounts of trash all over his property, drug smuggling, damage to his property, death of his cattle, and risk to he and his family (and anyone rightfully on the property) because often those illegally on his land are armed. And this man is the one that gets sued?

Something’s rather bass-ackwards here folks.

Now, the Libertarian in me does struggle with this. On the one hand, you want open borders and to allow people to freely travel. But on the other, we’ve got individual property rights to maintain. This article by Per Bylund sums up the issue rather well. But while we work out the philosophical issues, for now the law is what it is. What has Roger Barnett done that was illegal? What have those 16 people done that was illegal? Let’s see… hurt feelings vs. breaking the law. The civil rights of these 16 were violated? Hell, they’re not even citizens of this country! Is there no consideration for the civil rights of Mr. Barnett being violated? The property rights of Mr. Barnett being violated? The law of the United States being violated?

I need a new tag, “flabbergasted”.

The Best Formula

/ hsoi

From Ron Paul:

I do not challenge the dedication and sincerity of those who disagree with the freedom philosophy and confidently promote government solutions for all our ills. I am just absolutely convinced that the best formula for giving us peace and preserving the American way of life is freedom, limited government, and minding our own business overseas.

Just Give Them What They Want

/ hsoi

I was reading an article at the Austin Gun Rights Examiner about how concealed carry saved lives again. Some may jump to say the individual was a law enforcement official. While true, that person was not on duty, had no legal or professional obligation to carry or do what they did. For all intents and purposes, it was just another Joe Citizen that opted to live the life of a sheepdog and protect the sheep from the wolves.

But what moved me about the article was this:

At a 2006 National Violent Crime Summit, attended by police chiefs and mayors from around the U.S., the Cincinnati, Ohio police chief stated: “There’s almost a different code on the street, that it’s not a robbery unless you shoot somebody.” This is due, in part, to the fact that “robbers, especially juveniles, are more likely than ever to shoot victims, even when they do not resist” and that young gangsters shoot people to gain “respect.”

Indeed, a sad commentary on society. But what’s even more sad is the advice given on how to deal with this behavior. Hecate apparently lives in Omaha and has a justifiably flabbergasted reaction to the advice. So, go ask the wolves how they like their sheep to behave. Then we should wonder why the sheep keep getting picked off and the wolves grow numerous and fat?

*sigh*

 

Update: Xavier tells a story of an old friend.