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Gun Thoughts
cccooper
Member Posts: 4,044 ✭✭
"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks." - Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 19, 1785
"The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824
"On every occasion [of Constitutional interpretation] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying [to force] what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, [instead let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 12 June 1823
The 3 Quotes above should speak volumes to those well versed in History, Patriotism, and Americana. Man has risen to the Top of the Food chain for many reasons. First and foremost would be his ability to think, reason, problem-solve and organize. One must also agree that Man's ability to create tools to aid and assist would be right up there with those reasons. The ability to make a tool that multiplies force. A tool that makes a man's efforts seem effortless. Should we be proud of this accomplishment? I would say of course. Others may need more convincing.
Were History truly taught these days, American Citizens would know of the advances of man due to the inventions by man. The steel plow, the axe, the 2 man buck saw, cast iron implements and utensils. All have helped men tame a wilderness, open a Country, create homes for families. From the first explorers to modern day, a tool that was common place was the gun. It may have started with a rudimentry muzzle loader. This lead to more advanced tools made by Winchester and Browning and others. More reliable tools. More efficient tools. More task oriented and specialized tools. A Gun was the tool many chose to always have at hand.
"Some people prey upon other people. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the facts of life the peril of physical assault does exist, and it exists everywhere and at all times." Colonel Jeff Cooper.
This quote speaks from experience and common sense. Everyone is in agreement that EVIL does exist. Everyone is in agreement that EVIL does not call ahead or give advance notice of its intentions. Everyone is also in agreement that even with the best of intentions, the Police cannot be everywhere at once.
So, why is there so much disagreement about guns? Why are the people at odds as to RIGHTS as opposed to Privileges? Part of this is Political. Part of this is Societal. and Part of this is Education. When debating Gun Rights with Conservatives, the issue is pretty much cut and dry. The 2nd Amendment, being an Enumeration of the Right to Own and Carry a Gun, is in agreement with the positions of the Conservative folk in America. Rights are not to be licensesd. Rights are NOT Granted by Government. One does not need a permit to exercise a right. Now, we all know that this is not the case in America as a Nation nor in every State in the Union. There are some states that honor the RIGHT of Constitutional Carry. Constitutional Carry (The carrying of a weapon in any manner, whether open or concealed, that is in adherence to the intent and spirit of the 2nd Amendment and the Right to Life) should become the New Normal in America.
There are those that disagree. Not from a position of logic or reason, but one of emotion and an inability to accept truth. These people attempt to scare people with statistics on "Gun Violence". They attribute the violence to the Gun rather than the person wielding the TOOL that is the gun. It is nonsensical and goes against Common Sense in every way. "YEP! Blame that hammer for busting your thumb. Blame that car for driving all by itself and running over that kid. Blame that spoon for making you eat a gallon of ice cream. Blame that pencil for failing that biology test." People laugh at the analogy, but blaming a gun for violence when it is just an inanimate object until used for good or evil is ridiculous. So many glaringly obvious, common sense reasons NOT to blame the inanimate object, but Human nature being what it is, the knee jerk and pavlovian response is with the tool and NOT The wielder of the tool.
In 1791, the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution was Ratified. This was NOT the Granting of a Right. It was the Enumeration of the Right of Man to defend himself against a Tyrannical Government, Evil intent on doing harm. In 1871, the NRA was founded by Union Soldiers. Then, in 1934, The National Firearms Act was passed.
Brought about by the lawlessness and rise of gangster culture during prohibition, President Franklin D. Roosevelt hoped this act would eliminate automatic-fire weapons like machine guns from America's streets. Other firearms such as short-barreled shotguns and rifles, parts of guns like silencers, as well as other "gadget-type" firearms hidden in canes and such were also targeted. All gun sales and gun manufacturers were slapped with a $200 tax (no small amount for Americans mired in the Great Depression; that would be like a tax of $2,525 today) on each firearm, and all buyers were required to fill out paperwork subject to Treasury Dept. approval. This was the first major INFRINGEMENT of Record. Unlike today, information and news was not in the tap of a few keys on a smart phone. Many people were unaware that the law even affected them. But as is always the case, government over-reach rarely affects its target. Innocent law-abiding citizens were negatively impacted and criminals WHO, BY DEFINITION, DO NOT FOLLOW LAWS were not. Instead of enforcing laws on the books that had a VICTIM, the Government chose to infringe upon the Law-Abiding.
"The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824
"On every occasion [of Constitutional interpretation] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying [to force] what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, [instead let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 12 June 1823
The 3 Quotes above should speak volumes to those well versed in History, Patriotism, and Americana. Man has risen to the Top of the Food chain for many reasons. First and foremost would be his ability to think, reason, problem-solve and organize. One must also agree that Man's ability to create tools to aid and assist would be right up there with those reasons. The ability to make a tool that multiplies force. A tool that makes a man's efforts seem effortless. Should we be proud of this accomplishment? I would say of course. Others may need more convincing.
Were History truly taught these days, American Citizens would know of the advances of man due to the inventions by man. The steel plow, the axe, the 2 man buck saw, cast iron implements and utensils. All have helped men tame a wilderness, open a Country, create homes for families. From the first explorers to modern day, a tool that was common place was the gun. It may have started with a rudimentry muzzle loader. This lead to more advanced tools made by Winchester and Browning and others. More reliable tools. More efficient tools. More task oriented and specialized tools. A Gun was the tool many chose to always have at hand.
"Some people prey upon other people. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the facts of life the peril of physical assault does exist, and it exists everywhere and at all times." Colonel Jeff Cooper.
This quote speaks from experience and common sense. Everyone is in agreement that EVIL does exist. Everyone is in agreement that EVIL does not call ahead or give advance notice of its intentions. Everyone is also in agreement that even with the best of intentions, the Police cannot be everywhere at once.
So, why is there so much disagreement about guns? Why are the people at odds as to RIGHTS as opposed to Privileges? Part of this is Political. Part of this is Societal. and Part of this is Education. When debating Gun Rights with Conservatives, the issue is pretty much cut and dry. The 2nd Amendment, being an Enumeration of the Right to Own and Carry a Gun, is in agreement with the positions of the Conservative folk in America. Rights are not to be licensesd. Rights are NOT Granted by Government. One does not need a permit to exercise a right. Now, we all know that this is not the case in America as a Nation nor in every State in the Union. There are some states that honor the RIGHT of Constitutional Carry. Constitutional Carry (The carrying of a weapon in any manner, whether open or concealed, that is in adherence to the intent and spirit of the 2nd Amendment and the Right to Life) should become the New Normal in America.
There are those that disagree. Not from a position of logic or reason, but one of emotion and an inability to accept truth. These people attempt to scare people with statistics on "Gun Violence". They attribute the violence to the Gun rather than the person wielding the TOOL that is the gun. It is nonsensical and goes against Common Sense in every way. "YEP! Blame that hammer for busting your thumb. Blame that car for driving all by itself and running over that kid. Blame that spoon for making you eat a gallon of ice cream. Blame that pencil for failing that biology test." People laugh at the analogy, but blaming a gun for violence when it is just an inanimate object until used for good or evil is ridiculous. So many glaringly obvious, common sense reasons NOT to blame the inanimate object, but Human nature being what it is, the knee jerk and pavlovian response is with the tool and NOT The wielder of the tool.
In 1791, the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution was Ratified. This was NOT the Granting of a Right. It was the Enumeration of the Right of Man to defend himself against a Tyrannical Government, Evil intent on doing harm. In 1871, the NRA was founded by Union Soldiers. Then, in 1934, The National Firearms Act was passed.
Brought about by the lawlessness and rise of gangster culture during prohibition, President Franklin D. Roosevelt hoped this act would eliminate automatic-fire weapons like machine guns from America's streets. Other firearms such as short-barreled shotguns and rifles, parts of guns like silencers, as well as other "gadget-type" firearms hidden in canes and such were also targeted. All gun sales and gun manufacturers were slapped with a $200 tax (no small amount for Americans mired in the Great Depression; that would be like a tax of $2,525 today) on each firearm, and all buyers were required to fill out paperwork subject to Treasury Dept. approval. This was the first major INFRINGEMENT of Record. Unlike today, information and news was not in the tap of a few keys on a smart phone. Many people were unaware that the law even affected them. But as is always the case, government over-reach rarely affects its target. Innocent law-abiding citizens were negatively impacted and criminals WHO, BY DEFINITION, DO NOT FOLLOW LAWS were not. Instead of enforcing laws on the books that had a VICTIM, the Government chose to infringe upon the Law-Abiding.
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