Friday, August 29, 2014

Whereas a despotic government no longer operates with the consent of the governed,


Whereas ....









Monday I ran across this letter to the editor in our local rag, The Capitol; which, now that it's been purchased by the Sun Papers, truly deserves that sobriquet.  The author, Mr Clement, hath I think eloquently captured, in form and substance, my own long held view that the citizenry must be allowed to arm themselves equally with such police (and I include the military) that can be used against them by a despotic government.

I don't know Mr. Clement, but I imagine he looks something like this

As a staunch supporter of the right of the people to keep and bear arms, even in this age of WMD, I think I have found a small foothold on the slippery slope of gun control where I might safely and permanently stand.  I offer a proposition.

   Whereas the purpose of the military is defense against foreign enemies, and
   Whereas the purpose of the police is enforcement of domestic law, and
   Whereas a  government is despotic which turns its military against its people, and
   Whereas a despotic government no longer operates with the consent of the governed,
Now, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall be limited only to the extent that these same limitations apply to all police forces having jurisdiction over the citizen.

Simply draw up a list of that subset of weaponry which the police may use,  and you  have a list of authorized weaponry for the common citizen. Some lament that such a proposal leaves the police "outgunned."  Our founders knew otherwise.

   "… all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, then to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations...".

   A public armed  as herein described poses no threat to the civil society but, rather, is the key check to that unbridled power which inevitably leads to a long train of abuses and usurpations.

William Clement, Arnold, MD
The Capital, August 25, 2014




7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The number of people that do not get that is scary.
Tim

Rodger the Real King of France said...

And they are by now considerable in number.

Wabano said...

Keep in mind that the "rapper" so-called "culture" is in thrall of ISIS and other radical islam goons, that they all dream of dying for jihad, that with Looie Looie Farkin and others, "they" are very well organized, that THEY are also calling against the "militarization of law enforcement"...and you may see a trend there...maybe the next "Black Swan" event to come...

Helly said...

a list of that subset of weaponry which the police may use, and you have a list of authorized weaponry for the common citizen.

A fine idea, but shamelessly taken without attribution from Glenn Reynolds. Who has been preaching this forever, explaining that police are nothing more than common citizens. Except, in terms of intelligence, emotional balance, physical fitness, and moral character, police rank well below the average American.

Anonymous said...

I have read that MOST of the cannon and other artillery used in the revolutionary war was privately owned, and also most of that used in the War of 1812 and the early Civil War also. Originally used for defense against the French and Indian Wars, and King Philip's War and Tecumseh's War.

Anonymous said...


the purpose of the military is to defend the US of all enemies, foriegn or domestic as stated in the OATH OF OFFICE.

Anonymous said...

Remember - Before 1934 anyone (including a young kid) could just order any gun, including a machine gun, by mail and have it delivered to his home by the US Postal Service - no questions asked.

And up until that time there were zero school shootings.

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