Better Off Dead

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Fri, 27 Sep 2002 12:00:00 GMT

From kaba:

"The purpose of the Bill of Rights being to limit government, I suggest that it be given teeth. The Eleventh Amendment to the Bill of Rights should provide for the preservation of the Bill of Rights by imposing a non-commutable death sentence upon any politician, at any level, who votes for legislation that would limit or infringe upon the practice of the first ten Amendments." -- Tom Kozan, Greeley, Colorado, LP News, June, 1998

and:

As I have stood in the crosshairs of those who target Second Amendment freedoms, I've realized that firearms are not the only issue. No, it's much, much bigger than that. I've come to understand that a cultural war is raging across our land, in which, with Orwellian fervor, certain acceptable thoughts and speech are mandated. -- Charlton Heston

From Chuck Muth's News & Views:

"I'm convinced that the newly proposed Department of Homeland Security will do nothing to make us more secure - but will make us all a lot poorer and less free. If the trend continues, the Department of Homeland Security may well be the vehicle used by some future administration for a much more ruthless control of the people than any of us dreams." -- Ron Paul

FlashBunny - Better off Dead - another great RKBA animation. [kaba]

And they call gun owners extremists?

Donald W. Miller, Jr. at LewRockwell.com - Arm-to-Arm Against Bioterrorism - From an article I linked to earlier, I think Dr. Miller overstates the smallpox threat, but he has a good idea for innocculating yourself should someone you live with contract the disease: put a needle into one of their postules and work it into your arm. Not rocket science. [lew]

Walter E. Williams at World Net Daily - Rights vs. wishes - rights do not confer obligations on others except to leave you alone. Well said. [kaba]

As human beings, we all have certain unalienable rights. Of the rights we possess, we have a right to delegate to government. For example, we all have a right to defend ourselves against predators. Since we possess that right, we can delegate it to government. In other words, we can say to government, "We have the right to defend ourselves, but for a more orderly society, we give you the authority to defend us."

By contrast, I don't possess the right to take your earnings for any reason. Since I have no such right, I cannot delegate it to government. If I did take your earnings for housing and medical services, it would rightfully be described as an act of theft. When government does it, it's still theft -- the only difference is that it's legalized theft sanctioned by a majority vote.

Declan McCullagh at CNet News - University bans controversial links - The University of California at San Diego has demanded that students remove a link on their web site to a terrorist group, saying that the link violates the USA PATRIOT act. Slashdot discussion here. [/.]

Libertarian Party Press Releases - Bush blasts corporate fraud, but what about government fraud? - the pot called the kettle black; only the LP noticed.

President Bush's speech in Washington, DC, today on "corrupt corporate accounting" overlooked a far more serious problem, Libertarians say: corrupt government accounting.

"When it comes to cooking the books, Uncle Sam is a master chef," said Libertarian Party Communications Director George Getz. "That's what makes the government's criticism of Wall Street's ethics so hard to swallow."

The Colorado Freedom Report - Denver Spy Files Target Libertarian Party - The Denver Police have classified the Libertarian Party as "Militia type organization, pro gun rights." Hehe. [zem]

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership - "Innocents Betrayed" Goes Into Production! - They hope to release it early in 2003. They still need donations.

Next week, thanks to the contributions of liberty lovers, JPFO's one-hour video documentary, "Innocents Betrayed," goes into production. "Innocents" will show (in graphic, visceral terms that the TV generation can't miss) that genocide and "gun control" go together around the world.

...

Everyone who cares about freedom owes a big thank you to $1,000 donors like Paladin Press, Michigan Brass Roots, Rich Lucibella of SWAT Magazine, Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition, Robert B. Varn of the Varn Investments Counsel, John Pfeiffer, and the thousands of individual donors who've helped make "Innocents" possible. If you haven't already donated, we hope you'll join their ranks.

John deLaubenfels at Strike the Root - Rumsfeld Is Pissed - Bush is Hitler. He just hasn't killed as many innocents, yet. [market]

So, what's going to happen next? I predict that the Germans will eat a little crow. Unfortunately. We won't hear any Shrub-Hitler comparisons out of them any time soon, I'm guessing.

So, someone needs to fill the gap left behind! Bush, you are Hitler.

No, sorry, that's not fair. To Hitler. Hitler was a dope, but he had SOME semblance of brains. Hell, he could even paint! Shrub can barely tie his own shoes. Without a TelePrompter, he can't form an actual sentence in any language. Next to Shrub, Hitler could win a Nobel prize in physics.

Nevertheless, the comparison is apt. In terms of naked power grab, cloaked in the guise of "democracy," Hitler and Bush are twins. What else? Mad ambition to dominate the world? Right. Whipping up ill-informed people with speeches filled with lies? Same. Extreme paranoia? Check. Brutal suppression of due process under the law? Uh-huh. Demonization of a largely unseen "enemy"? Yup. Surrounding oneself with a cadre of like-minded zealots who encourage each new insanity? Sure. Calling anyone who questions you a friend of evil? Ditto.

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Spontaneous Order
The Last Peaceful Demonstration
Can Bush Read?
America's Saddam
Autumnal Equinox, 2002
The Window War
More Reloading Follies
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We Were Free Once, Not Long Ago
The Ides of September, 2002

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Quotes

Government doesn't work. Never did. Never will. Can't. But there are lots of good people. Love them.

-- Bill St. Clair

The Atlanta Declaration

Every man, woman, and responsible child has an unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon -- rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- any time, any place, without asking anyone's permission.

-- L. Neil Smith

Reread that pesky first clause of the Second Amendment. It doesn't say what any of us thought it said. What it says is that infringing the right of the people to keep and bear arms is treason. What else do you call an act that endangers "the security of a free state"? And if it's treason, then it's punishable by death. I suggest due process, speedy trials, and public hangings.

-- L. Neil Smith

A Penalty Clause for the Bill of Rights

Any official, appointed or elected, at any level of government, who attempts, through legislative act or other means, to nullify, evade, or avoid the provisions of the first ten amendments to this Constitution, or of the Thirteenth Amendment, shall be summarily removed from office, and, upon conviction, deprived of all pay and benefits including pension, and sentenced to imprisonment for life.

-- L. Neil Smith

Based on 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, and some of its own empirical work, the panel couldn't identify a single gun control regulation that reduced violent crime, suicide or accidents.

-- John Lott, commenting on the National Academy of Sciences report on gun control laws.

Who is a libertarian?

Zero Aggression Principle ("Zap")

"A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim."

-- L. Neil Smith

(Formerly called the "Non-Aggression Principle", or "NAP")

Why Did It Have to be... Guns?

Make no mistake: all politicians -- even those ostensibly on the side of guns and gun ownership -- hate the issue and anyone, like me, who insists on bringing it up. They hate it because it's an X-ray machine. It's a Vulcan mind-meld. It's the ultimate test to which any politician -- or political philosophy -- can be put.

If a politician isn't perfectly comfortable with the idea of his average constituent, any man, woman, or responsible child, walking into a hardware store and paying cash -- for any rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything -- without producing ID or signing one scrap of paper, he isn't your friend no matter what he tells you.

If he isn't genuinely enthusiastic about his average constituent stuffing that weapon into a purse or pocket or tucking it under a coat and walking home without asking anybody's permission, he's a four-flusher, no matter what he claims.

What his attitude -- toward your ownership and use of weapons -- conveys is his real attitude about you. And if he doesn't trust you, then why in the name of John Moses Browning should you trust him?

-- L. Neil Smith

Concise

"Tell me," I was once asked, "What do you think about gun control? Give me the short answer." To which I replied, "If you try to take our firearms we will kill you."

-- Mike Vanderboegh

Also from The Atlanta Declaration:

... like going to the bathroom, breathing, eating, sleeping, or making love, it turns out that self-defense is a bodily function one cannot safely or effectively delegate to a second party.

-- L. Neil Smith

This does not mean that "Marijuana should be available by prescription." It means that morphine sulfate should be available in five pound bags at the supermarket for a couple of bucks, like sugar... but probably in a different aisle, to avoid confusion.

-- Vin Suprynowicz

If you refuse to pay unjust taxes, your property will be confiscated. If you attempt to defend your property, you will be arrested. If you resist arrest, you will be clubbed. If you defend yourself against clubbing, you will be shot dead. These procedures are known as the Rule of Law.

-- Edward Abbey

The state can only survive as long as a majority is programmed to believe that theft isn't wrong if it's called taxation or asset forfeiture or eminent domain, that assault and kidnapping isn't wrong if it's called arrest, that mass murder isn't wrong if it's called war.

-- Bill St. Clair