No, it isn't to allow us to hunt Bambi. No, it isn't to allow us to shoot burglars. We are armed so that should our government become a tyranny, we the citizens will have the means to revolt.
Remember the times in which the Constitution was written: we had just come out of a bloody revolutionary war against a tyrannical government - and we won because the average citizen was as well armed as the troops of the tyrannical government. It was the clear intent of our founding fathers that the citizenry have the means and be able to undertake such a revolt again, should it be required. That is why they wrote :". . . the right to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED."
Think about what that means to you, the citizen. And think about the threat such a concept means to those holding federal power - the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branch.
You, dear reader, are a threat to them. They, however, have the power to make you less of a threat. They can pass laws that make you a criminal. For example, let's suppose they pass a law that requires you, the citizen, to register your firearms. I can predict that there will be a 100,000,000 increase in the criminal population of this country overnight - because very few citizens will comply.
Which raises the next question: what can the Federal Government do to identify gun owners?
1. Track ammo sales, or restrict them to gun owners who can show proof of registration.
2. Search your home on 'probable cause' (maybe a neighbor reported they saw you with a gun.)
3. Restrict hunting licenses and access to shooting ranges to those with proof of gun registration.
Our government is quite innovative when it comes to legislating means to control the population.
Why not register, you ask? Because a registered firearm is one that can be confiscated. This is the sole purpose of such a registry. Do a check of the history of the 20th century and see if that is so. Start w/ Czechoslovakia before the Soviets invaded.
But, you point out, passing such laws would be an infringement . . . You're right. But many such laws already exist. And the Constitution is being trammeled daily, its laws ignored. Where, for example, does the Constitution give the Federal Government the authority to collect money from Jack, who has money, and give it to Joe, who doesn't? Isn't that robbery? Two thirds of your taxes are used for that purpose. I've talked about entitlement programs elsewhere in my blogs, so we'll drop that discussion for now. Just understand that the Constitution is no barrier to bad legislation. Even members of the supreme court cite 'international law' when ruling one way or another - yet they're supposed to be bound by the Constitution.
You have a responsibility to 'protect and defend' the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, just like any member of the military. You can do so by arming your household and teaching your children responsible firearm safety and how to shoot straight.
Think about our society today, compared to 50 years ago: today our every move is monitored (cell phones, tablets, traffic cams, mall cams, store cams, cars with OnStar or GPS, drones, etc.) and our every conversation is monitored (cell phones, tablets, emails, blog postings like this one, etc.) Our shopping habits are entered into databases - think about that little 'membership' card you use at your local food store. So are our library book check outs. Any interaction with commerce involving a sale ring-up and a debit or charge card. Our privacy is gone. What is this data used for? Profiling. Think about how your web browser, your cell phone, your tablet device knows what ads to show you. Now scale up that simple paradigm to the federal level and imagine how those in power who want to stay in power might use that capability. Imagine the laws they might try to pass. Think about the laws already in place.
So don't go thinking that we'll never have another revolution, because at some point it's either revolt or become slaves either of our own government or some invading country's forces. Today we have a chief executive in the White House whose personal thinking is that the private sector economy exists to fund the public (government) sector. Doesn't that make the private sector slaves of the public sector?
You and I may not see the next revolution. But it's inevitable.
One last thought: the price of living in a free and open society is that we are a target-rich environment for wackos. Freedom isn't free, and it isn't necessarily 100% safe. But, as Ben Franklin is often quoted as saying: "people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both."
Register your firearms if you're willing to be a slave in exchange for knowing only the police and the criminals will have firearms. If you're not willing to register, let your representatives know. Show this blog to others who think like you.
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