With all the healthcare and climate change controversies in the news these days, you might ask why in the world a commentary on gun control? Simple, the key word is control.
Control is the common theme running through modern liberalism and the headline sums up the 30 + year argument about gun control. Our founders believed in the sovereign individual. They believed that all powers of government flow from the governed. Arms were felt to be THE key to the safety and continuation of the sovereign individual.
Here is George Washington on the armed citizen.
“Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.”
Our founders knew about government control. Make no mistake the issue here and now is control. An unarmed citizenry is easy to control by an armed government. This control theme is present in tax and fiscal policy. It is in healthcare mandates, envirommental protection, and lifestyle issues. Like to smoke, like fatty foods, like powerful pick up trucks? Too bad for you, government is coming to protect you from you. How do they do that? Control.
This is an aspect of modern liberalism that is glossed over in the high sounding rhetoric about safety; level playing fields; and equal outcomes (as distinguished from equal opportunity). Though they are the good guys on “24″ the concept of omnipresent CTU type government agents armed to the teeth and ready to rumble is just a wee bit disconcerting.
When you hear government is doing something to protect you or help you, be concerned, be very concerned.
