Friday, April 20, 2007

The Right to Not Bear Arms

Everyone knows by now my unwavering commitment to the absolute right of anyone and everyone to own any type and number of guns they want. There is another side to that coin that I haven't discussed.

There have been places in the past such as Kennesaw, Georgia which have passed laws requiring households to keep firearms for defense. While this would reduce crime (and actually has), it is as evil a counterfeit "law" as any gun ban dreamed up in Washington DC. Government has zero authority to make "laws" concerning guns. Neither for nor against.

While I believe strongly that each and every person is responsible for their own defense and the defense of their family and to some extent, their community, if you do not wish to own, carry, or use a gun or any other defensive tool, that is strictly your business. I will defend your right to be wrong.

If your house is burning down and you refuse to use a fire extinguisher, I may think you are mad, but I will respect your right to sit and watch your home burn. Unless there is someone trapped inside. Then you had better stay out of the way. Your right to allow your home to burn because of your distaste for the tools of fire-defense just ran counter to my responsibility to help an innocent victim.

It is the same with guns. You have an inalienable right to NOT bear arms if that is your wish. Just remember that you have no right to try to disarm any other peaceable human on this or any other planet, not through force or "law". Shirk your responsibility if you must, but stay out of the way of those of us who accept our responsibilities. Don't be proud that your actions (or lack of them) add to the body count in places like malls, schools, and office buildings where criminal empowerment policies attempt to keep the reasonable people helpless and disarmed.