30 Round Mags...

I have been asked my opinion on the necessity of keeping 30 rounds magazines for guns.  To quote some comments: “The only reason for 30 round mag is to kill people – why should the government allow those?”  “What possible sporting use is a 30 round mag?”  And so it goes that it would appear to the average person that there is really no necessity for these large capacity mags, except to kill people.

So it is time to get down to the cold hard unpleasant facts that no one really wants to think about or consider.  The true purpose of the Second Amendment is not to preserve sporting purposes, or to make a better target shooter, or to hunt much of anything in the wild kingdom.  The true purpose is as check on, as last resort against, a government that has gone completely outside its boundaries. 

Commentary on Moore/Shepard v. Madigan/Illinois

A few months ago the US Court of Appeals for the 7^th Circuit reviewed two cases that were similar in their merits.  One was a case by a party named Moore and the other by a party named Shepard.  In essence the argument was concerning the complete ban by the State of Illinois with regard to the carrying of ready-to-use firearms for self defense by the average citizen.  Frequently people have thought it was about concealed carry however the issues were far deeper than manner or method of carry.

This decision really has nothing to do with concealed carry.  It has everything to do with removing a complete ban of the right to “bear” arms "ready-to-use" in the public way by the private citizen for defensive or other lawful purposes.  Presently in Illinois there is a complete ban on a fundamental right to bear arms that are loaded and ready-to-use in the public way.  The complete ban has been struck down and left to the legislature to decide in what “reasonable” manner they will “allow” the “bearing” or carrying of firearms ready-to-use.  There may also be some restriction allowed for so called “sensitive” places such as schools.  I repeat the decision made NO DISTINCTION as to whether the form of carry was open or concealed that I could see.

The Might of the State Does Not Make Right

In a truly free country, such as ours has been, the government gains its power from the consent of the governed.  The governed is We the People.  When the People have made it clear that there are laws that get no respect from the People and further they are unconstitutional then it is time for the law to go.  In the case of Illinois we have a number of those laws, especially the gun laws. 

Now there are several ways to make these laws go away, or at least have their effect neutralized.  Let’s take a look at some of the ways.  They can be repealed by the legislature.  That isn’t going to happen anytime soon because the Chicago Machine rules with no consideration for the Constitution.  Another way is for State’s Attorneys and law enforcement officials to refuse to enforce unconstitutional law.  A third way is for sitting juries to refuse to convict when in their opinion they feel the law is not good.

Reflection on the Election

I have reflected on the recent election almost constantly for the last few days.  What does this mean for the future?  Where do we go from here?  How do we right the ship, not of state, but rather the thought processes of an electorate who votes for dependency on a grand scale? 

I am reminded of the story that is told about the school teacher who was going to teach her young class about elections by having an election for class president.  A little boy candidate gets up and talks about how he would like to set a committee to help the classroom by improving the gerbil area and maybe another to set up a book loan system of favorite books for the classroom.  He was followed by a little girl candidate who stood up and simply stated I am going to have ice cream.  Needless to say she was cheered and eventually won the election.  She didn’t say how she was going to pay for the ice cream, she only painted a picture of the short term benefit.

In the same way the electorate who turned out voted for ice cream.  The ice cream takes the form of free health care, free food stamps, 99 weeks, nearly two years, of unemployment, free cell phones (absolute necessity), I don’t have the room to list all the “free” stuff.  The big question is how is all the free stuff going to be paid for?  The proposal is the taxes will be raised on the rich of course; that always sells good.  The truth is there aren’t enough rich people to pay for all the free stuff.   

Consequently the burden will fall on the millions of middle income earners just like it always has.  Other ways to raise revenue is to borrow from our children and grandchildren; borrow from China and others and let the kids pay it back and we will spend it today.  Also you can inflate the money supply.  This lets the government print and spend the money at today’s value.  By the time it filters to the People it has lost value and this is called inflation tax. 

Inflation tax is a silent but deadly form of tax that stinks to high heaven.  It affects all the people equally.  There are no deductions even for the poor, since the poor can only spend what they get on necessities it hurts them the most.  People my age (6 decades) will recall past inflation in the late 70s and early 80s.  Government will respond like it always does with wage and price controls and rent controls but it will NOT lower spending by government. 

As to Obamacare, a truly deadly decision for Liberty, it will never live up to its promises over the long haul.  You can base this on every other country that has tried it around the world.  The unadvertised truth is that it will create a dependent public who will worship at the feet of “free” health care.  The good book states the borrower is the servant to the lender.  The point is that a person who is dependent on another will always serve the one upon whom they depend, in this case that will be the government.

This deadly program will start for real in 2014.  By 2016 there will be no one who can possibly get elected that threatens repeal of this deadly program.  Therefore in my opinion you can kiss our republic, which was built on Liberty, independence, self-reliance, and Biblical principles goodbye.  The takers now outnumber the producers. 

By the way you better stock pile guns and ammo because the Supreme Court will end up being stacked against the citizen and with the government and gun control.  Government traditionally hates an armed populace.  Never turn them in.  We are about to follow classic historical patterns.

Judges are human too...

Judges are human too, subject to prejudice, mistakes and flaws of the human condition.  Well taking it a step further, have you ever wondered if the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) could get it wrong?  Well wonder no more.  The case known as the Dred Scott decision has been studied for years by both the law school types and by those of us who have a nonprofessional vested interest in preserving Liberty.  It is called the learning process.  You fall down, you get back up.  You make a mistake, you fix it.

SCOTUS issued a ruling in 1857 that forever changed the course of human history.  The Court ruled that states that outlawed slavery could not forbid slaveowners from bringing slaves into their states, the so called Free States, and holding them as slaves there. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote that blacks were,

“beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.”

One has to wonder at what point the Feds feel that, in their so called superior wisdom (more like educated idiots), they can rule over the People and expect to win long term.  Their hope obviously, would appear to be that they can keep their legislative agenda alive long enough the People will get hooked and fully dependent on “Free Health Care.” 

I received a comment the other day online from someone who stated, “All I know is “it” (Obamatax) will benefit me.  My comment was, “the Signers (of the Declaration of Independence) pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred Honor, to help us escape the tyranny of King George.  Can we do less?  Or will we go for short term benefit of a “free” trip to the doctor.

Our men and women who serve aren’t out there to preserve your “free” trip to the doctor; they are out there to preserve your ability to choose.  I have stated previously that a free man has choices; a slave has no choice but to do that which the “massa” bids.  Will the military become the tool to enforce the “massa’s” bidding?  The very essence of Liberty must include the ability to make a choice, even if it is a destructive choice to you personally.  It has very little to do with safety and security.  If you want to sample safety and security at its finest and most intense, try jail.

I resort once again to the eloquence of one of the Founder’s, Patrick Henry, when he said, “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.”

If you would like to correspond with me on this contact me at:  editorial@pike912.org or leave a message at 217-285-2134, or follow my blog at: pike912.blogspot.com.