Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Canary of Liberty and Rights

This morning I've read David Codrea's Gun Rights Examiner(1) and David Hardy's Of Arms and the Law(2). I also read the stories they linked to at Black Star News and Pittsburgh Live. I read the statist newspeak in those stories, and I have read many more over the years.

I believe that the right to keep and bear arms is the canary of individual rights. If you don't understand why I call it the canary look up the history of canaries and mining. If the air in a mine was bad, the caged canary the miners carried would be the first to die.

Consider this quote from Pittsburgh City Council President Doug Shields, "The NRA's tactics are intimidation and fear," Shields said. "My purpose is not to take your guns away. My purpose is to mitigate gun violence." Then go look up the video's of the New Orleans gun confiscations. Mr. Shields has police officers that can act under the color of law to violate your individual rights. The NRA does not. So who is really using intimidation and fear?

Consider this quote from the Black Star News: As Bob Herbert wrote in a New York Times column today, "We’re confiscating shampoo from carry-on luggage at airports while at the same time handing out high-powered weaponry to criminals and psychotics at gun shows."

Both sides of that statement are ridiculas. Many of TSA's actions have been described as "Security Theater". Confiscating shampoo is just part of that. And if anyone is handing out guns at gun shows, to anybody!, I want to know where I need to be going! Legal guns are expensive. If acting psychotic gets me a gun, will acting paranoid AND psychotic get me one in camo or all black?

Consider also a video that David C linked to the other day (3). Now I will be the first to say that the young man does not sound like he entirely understands the parameters of a "Terry Stop". On the other hand, I do not know what the state laws are concerning border patrol agents in that state. Can they issue traffic tickets? But to me, the canary in that mine is the statement "That in a Border Patrol Checkpoint a person's rights don't matter." That may be true south of the border. But it better be false on this side. Unfortuately we know that it is not. I've got to go cut my grass or I'd look it up, but there has already been a court decision that you and your papers are not secure against unreasonable search and seizure by the US Border Patrol. They can confiscate your laptop to examine it. With no practical time deadline to return it. In a similar practice, the Wisconsin man who was planting a tree when he was harrassed by cops for open carrying on his own property had to sue to get the return of his arms. The agents of the state will not voluntarily give up what they are able to take from you. Not time, not money, not guns.

And especially not rights.

(1)http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner
(2)http://armsandthelaw.com/
(3)http://blogofbile.com/2009/02/10/abusive-border-patrol-agents-w-nun-chucks-at-nm-checkpoint/

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You covered a few different topics in your blog entry, and my comment here is restricted to the activities of the Border Patrol.
I am a liberal and a "card-carrying" member of the ACLU, (although I'm a member that supports all of the Bill of Rights, including the 2nd Amendment, - the Right to Bear Arms).
The Border Patrol is way out of Control as they have declared a 100 mile Constitution free Zone from any international border ,(oceans included), where they feel free to set up permanent checkpoints where they pull over every car and grill the occupants on both their citizenship as well as where they are coming from and where they are coming and what is in the trunk. I know as I was pulled over at one of these stops in San Diego and had my car searched and ransacked over my Objections. They found nothing in my car and let me go after about 30 minutes but the whole experience left me shaken and feeling as though our America is being transformed into a Police State under the guise of fighting terrorism and stopping illegal immigration.
The Border patrol has had their ranks tripled in size over the last few years and their budget has grown tremendously. Unfortunately, they have now become a clear and present danger to the American public.
The Border Patrol's checkpoints are reminiscent of old "B" rated Nazi movies where they pull over law abiding Americans and shout out "Papers Please".
Both Conservatives and Liberals need to unite in a call for the Border Patrol to limit it's activities to the actual Border.

MichaelG said...

Thx Pipard. Totalitarism is something that all Americans should be alert to and fight against. Socialism and facism are both forms of totalitarism. They both remove freedom of choice from the individual. The ACLU has done some great work, such a the video that shows how to handle a traffic stop. And as soon as they recognize the NRA as a Civil Rights Org I'll be more supportive of the ACLU. I don't want the government in either my bedroom or my gun cabinet.

You focused on the Border Patrol. But they can act that way because they believe that people do not have an effective defense against them. We do and we must be willing to use our defenses. We must be willing to put the Servant back in Civil Servant.

That starts with education - at the grade school level. What our constitution and Bill of Rights are and what they mean. That also means teaching English - grammer, and history.

And teaching each future citizen what their rights and responsibilities are going to be. Which I believe include resisting unconstitutional orders from civil servants.