Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000 23:06:34 -0700 From: wizard@VAN-KOPP.COM (Dave Kopp) Subject: Re: The real debate re: HB2095? To: AZRKBA@asu.edu
Hey Craig,
Craig wrote:
> Many of you are vet's in the struggle for the RKBA, so please excuse a
> possibly naive observation. As I've watched and participated to some
> extent in the battle re: HB2095 (firearms preemption), I have decided
> that this is really a back-door attempt to gut Arizona's concealed carry
> law. I understand from Mike Anthony that California municipalities
> enacted 474 separate ordinances in 1999. It is clear in discussion with
> anti-self defense activists and media in Arizona that they simply don't
> believe Lott's findings, or the logic of allowing honest citizens to
> defend themselves and their families.
> Perhaps it is obvious to most of you, and perhaps the anti-self defense
> types don't consciously articulate their arguments in this manner. But,
> considering the trend in California, and the attitudes of some in
> Arizona, isn't this just another way of making it impractical, if not
> impossible, to have a shall-issue concealed carry permit system? That
> is, if they can't win the battle of statistics and logic, and if they
> can't get rid of concealed carry directly, doesn't local control of
> firearms laws nearly accomplish the same thing? I doubt most of the
> anti-self defense gun bigots have thought it out this carefully, but it
> wouldn't surprise me if some of them have been more, shall we say,
> strategically inclined?
I think that's part of it, yes, but I think the overall goal is much broader. It's much easier to win when you all you have to do is sway a couple of local city council flunkies, as opposed to a whole state, with all the different constituencies. Most of these political types share the same elitist views of the peasantry as the gun nazis do, so it's not exactly a tough sell. As an added bonus, they make their enemies (i.e. us) fight a thousand little battles, whittling away our resources to deal with all these bullshit laws when we should be concentrating on the constitutional issues. They just love that part!
If you learn one thing from the HB2095 battle, though, it should be this. Never ... and I mean NEVER ... underestimate your opponent. Always assume that they are at least as intelligent and strategically oriented as you are. Otherwise when crunch time comes you're going to be surprised, and then you'll be screwed.
It's easy for folks like us to fall into the trap of assuming that our enemies are stupid. After all, logic and the facts are all on our side, and always have been. So anybody who doesn't think like us must be a little dense, right?
WRONG! Sure, the gun nazis have their share of useful idiots to do their dirty work for them. All movements do, it's just human nature for some to be leaders and others to be followers. But their leadership is just as intelligent, just as committed, and just as passionate as ours, and don't ever forget it.
And don't think for a minute that it's just about guns. It's really about who leads, who follows, and who runs for cover. They want to be the rulers, and they want us to be the ruled. And they know full well that it's damned difficult to rule people who shoot back.
If you don't believe it, look at all the other insidious encroachments on our liberties that are taking place on a daily basis these days. Our right to secure in our papers and homes is all but gone. Searches and seizures have long since passed the "unreasonable" stage. Some neighborhood punk gets busted in your yard with a joint, and the cops take your home. Sound "reasonable" to you? Or how about our property rights? Tried to target shoot on public land recently? Notice all those signs telling you about how you're not welcome on that so-called "public" land? What about the "free press"? When was the last time you saw a story in the mainstream media that wasn't straight from the lips of some government stooge? Freedom of religion? As long as you get your proper approvals from the IRS, and make sure you don't mention anything about God in a school, or a public place, etc. And better hide the guns real good, or the BATF might come knocking. Can't have "religious nuts with guns" running around off their leashes, now can we? Freedom of speech? Tell that to the bunch of lefties in Seattle who got themselves tear gassed for protesting the WTO. And please don't tell me that heavily armed riot squads can have free rein just because a couple of windows got busted. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.
No, my friend, it's not just about the guns. It's about whether we're going to be citizens or slaves. And at this point, your guess is as good as mine.
Read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. It's a quick read, but a long, hard study. If you don't get it now, you will. Talk2U ...
-- L8R.
Dave
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-- "Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." -- Noah Webster