Senate Bill 40- a shabby patch for a bad 'law'

Senate Bill 40- a shabby patch for a bad 'law'

I have written before about the fact that the political "solution" for bad "laws" is not new "laws" but the repeal of the bad "laws". No one is listening to me.

Senate Bill 40 is a "new" proposed "law" that seeks to undo some damage caused by older bad "laws". What it would do is "allow" people with concealed weapon permits to carry their weapon into a restaurant that serves alcohol. How "nice" of the Law Givers to let people beg for "legal" permission to do something that is already a basic human right, not subject to limitation, licensing, or other forms of infringement. Whether this is "a good idea" or not and whether such a right might be abused, isn't even part of the equation. If you think it is, you are demonstrating that you don't understand the nature of rights at all.

So, listen up, Albuquerque. I'll let you in on a little secret: people are already carrying concealed weapons in those restaurants regardless of the "law". All around you, everywhere you go. And the vast majority of them pose zero threat to your life whatsoever, but are instead an insurance policy that you don't even have to pay for.

Bad guys won't obey "laws" that would forbid them from doing what they are going to do no matter what, so they will always carry weapons. After all, if they have no moral difficulty violating prohibitions against theft and aggression, up to and including rape and murder, a silly "law" telling them to leave their tools behind will never, ever, make any difference to them.

But the bad guys are not the only ones ignoring such "laws". A lot of good guys know it is better to face "legal" penalties than to be caught unprepared, no matter what the "law" demands. In some cases you just have to do what you think is right and be prepared to accept the consequences of your choices. Fortunately, the good guys outnumber the bad guys by a huge margin. Any LEO who can't understand that and then muster the ethical courage necessary to refuse to enforce bad "laws" is a part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Yet, with all these "illegal" weapons around, shootouts are extremely rare in local restaurants, alcohol or not. Why is that? Aggressors are usually cowards. They prefer, and need, unarmed targets; those willing to become victims. As long as the bad guys understand, and fear, that not all the good people around them are obeying the counterfeit "law", shootouts and armed robberies are less likely. And to anyone who values peace and liberty, that is a good thing.

Liberty? In Albuquerque?

Liberty? In Albuquerque?

Can you really have liberty in Albuquerque? Being a big city there are more violations of your rights and limits on your freedoms in Albuquerque than in most smaller towns, and vastly more than in rural areas. Yet, if you are smart, and maybe a little sneaky, you can still experience liberty.

Think of it as a game, because in a very real way it is. The fact that the bad guys, those authoritarians who hate you for daring to live free, will kill you for making a wrong move doesn't take away the game aspects. It just makes it more important to win. The only way to truly "lose" the liberty game is to not even try. The fact of the matter is that we are all playing the game whether we wanted to or not, and no one finishes the game while they are alive. You might as well find a way to have fun while you play.

There is no need to flee the city for liberty. Big cities offer things that are very enriching and important to a lot of people. Otherwise they wouldn't exist. There is a vibrancy in having so many people to interact with and so many choices of things to see and do that many people would get bored stiff without. Not me, but "many people".

In most cases (but not all), unless you attract the attention of a LEO in some way, you will be ignored. Don't dress like a doughnut and don't walk around swatting at the invisible faeries that swarm around your head. Do what you know to be the right thing. Obey "laws" that are not unduly restrictive when there are busybodies about, otherwise ignore them. Think of the state as you would any other mafia, and make the payoffs you can't avoid, and don't feel guilty about the rest. Remember that it isn't wrong to lie to aggressors or liars- and that is all the government consists of. Carry your chosen weapon concealed and make a habit of avoiding metal detectors or coming up with expedient weapons where a metal detector or pedophile-o-vision can't be avoided. If you open carry, as is still your "legal" right, pay attention to your surroundings and don't let the predatory LEOs catch you off guard and sneak up from behind, or surround you. Suffer from mental lapses or numerical dyslexia when asked for your slave numbers. Assume liberty, but stay alert to those who assume they own you and believe they have the authority to require you to die for their convenience.

Choose your battles and pick your playing level. If you stand out like a pumpkin in a strawberry patch you will obviously attract more attention than the freedom outlaw strawberry who blends in with his surroundings. For you, individuality may be important enough to accept the greater risk. No one can blame you for your choices as long as you deal with your consequences.

Realize that there will be times you make a bad move, or the organs of the city or state will get lucky. You may get punished, and it will not be right or "fair". Don't mistake that for a loss; it is just a temporary set-back as long as you are still breathing. Either way, your life will be richer because you didn't just bend over and take it. One person at a time is how liberty is spread. One person at a time the job of the enforcers and other aggressors can be made more frustrating and pointless, and their lies will be laid bare. Life is a rush for the liberated human. When your life is finished, don't just wish you had given it a try.