Second Amendment Remedies

I've heard a lot over the last week about the shootings in Arizona. Fox claims the shooter was a leftist, MSNBC that he was a brainwashed right-winger. Some say that we need to use this as an opportunity to tone our political rhetoric down, some to say that free speech is more important in the aftermath of this shooting than ever.

The thing that really pisses me off, though, is when I hear someone say that political rhetoric on BOTH sides is EQUALLY responsible for extremist behavior like this.

I'm sorry (not really) but that is utter bullshit.

Last year, the media made such a huge deal out of a comment by a politician in a neighboring state to Arizona, and now we seem to have forgotten it utterly. And the connection between this person's comments and the recent shootings is DIRECT. And yes, this politician was not only a republican, but a person that I consider a right-wing extremist.

Last year, during her run against Harry Reid, Sharron Angle said "You know, our founding fathers, they put that second amendment in there for a good reason and that was for the people to protect themselves against a tyrannical government." Then she talked about Jefferson's comment about having a revolution every twenty years, and said "… if this Congress keeps going the way that it is, people are really looking forward to those second amendment remedies…"

Let's be utterly clear here.

First off, the second amendment, the right of Americans to keep and bear arms, was put into place for SEVERAL reasons. Yes, one was to protect themselves against government incursion into their lives. Another was because the founders didn't want us to have a standing army, for fear that an army would RESULT in government tyranny. Instead, they wanted every adult male to stand in a state militia, and have their own guns to defend their state and their home. So why aren't nut jobs like Angle arguing that we need to dismantle the army and go back to state militias in order to prevent governmental tyranny? Also, we have to remember that when the right to bear arms was ratified in 1791, we had to protect ourselves not only from a theoretical tyrannical government, but from very real marauders, Indians and bears. There were also no easily accessible grocery stores. If you wanted meat, you had to kill it.

Secondly, armed insurrection is NEVER the answer. What results is worse tyranny than that which the insurrectionists are trying to overthrow. It is the strong bullying the weak at gun point.

Peace.

Rev. Randal