Criminals' Rights

How can I believe that you and I have the right to shoot and kill criminals when my assertion is that rights are absolute and no one can lose their rights for any reason? What I have said before, and still believe, is that rights are absolute, and they do not overlap (by which I mean I have no right to do anything that would violate YOUR rights). Where does that leave my contention?

Well, when someone chooses to commit a true "crime", they have initiated force, either physically or economically. I have the right to act in self defense. In order to complete my self defensive act, the person who chose to initiate force may well get injured or killed. I did not set the acts in motion so it is not my fault. I am not killing an intruder; he is killing himself by setting a train of events into motion. Gravity does not kill a "jumper"; his own act of jumping off a balcony brings a logical conclusion that will kill him unless certain precautions are taken, or unless conditions save him. Neither gravity, nor the balcony, nor the ground below should feel any guilt (if they could) for his death. The same holds true for an innocent person who kills an attacker. You did not violate his rights, he violated his own rights at the same time he violated yours. You did not seek him out; he took a risk and lost, and society is richer for the outcome.

I Want One!

I am not usually too impressed or excited about hi-tech gadgets, but... this is the one that I would add to my wish-list if I did such things: the Kindle.

I realize the reality rarely lives up to the hype, but to me this is cooler than an iPhone, iPod, cellphone/digital camera, any games, or anything else electronic I have ever seen. And, no, this is not a hint for someone to buy me one.

Usually I have things like the ParaOrdinance Covert Black Carry on my wish list, where they stay for years and years (and where it remains to this day). This is the first time I can remember that I got the wantsies over a gadget. Maybe someday, after it is obsolete, I will get one, or something similar.

Hilarious Reporters

From years ago:

Since I recognize that airline passengers should be as well armed on the plane as off, I have a serious philosophical dislike of misguided airport "security measures". But sometimes, related matters can be hilarious.

I was once watching a news report on the fallibility of airport security. To demonstrate how bad it was, the reporter put a toy water gun in his luggage and sent it through the X-ray machine. (Obviously this was before "9/11") He then had a field-day that the screener did not recognize the "gun" on the screen. He even pointed it out on the replay. It didn't look like a gun to me, either. Maybe that was because it wasn't a gun, Sherlock! The X-ray of a toy water gun and an actual gun are absolutely nothing alike. Any clown off the street should know that, but apparently Mr. Reporterman didn't. That his editor didn't catch the blunder made it even funnier. Ahhh. Good times....

Ending Mall Shootings Safely

Here is a mind-bender that was running through my head today:


Suppose you are minding your own business at a mall and a shooter appears. What do you do? As a responsible person, you should pull out your concealed gun and quickly put an end to the danger, of course. "Gun free" zone or not. Now, what if it turns out that it was just some kind of "test" to check the security of the mall, and you just shot the actor portraying the criminal, who might very well be a cop? After reading about the government "tests" of TSA airport security (fake bombs), and reading of the fake "gunman" situation that was played out at a school a while back, it makes me think that such a thing could actually happen. So, do you shoot or do you wonder if it is a simulation? You shoot. Some things are just that important, and this is one of them.


Any person who agrees to take part in a fake attack deserves to be killed as if he were a real danger, in my opinion. Because he is a very real danger. I am sure "the law" would not agree, but that is because they would be wrong.

________

Six Minutes of Victim Disarmament

Just in case anyone still, after all these years, thinks it is a good idea to leave guns to the bad people and the badge people only: "By the time officers arrived six minutes later, the shooting was over". That is the only relevant part of the news story about Wednesday afternoon's mall shooting in Omaha. It is the only part that does not ever seem to get inside the brains of the disarmament crowd.

When a crime occurs it is too late to call anyone for help. Cops are NOT legally responsible for protecting you anyway. That fallacy has been disproved in court. YOU are the line between chaos and civilization. It is up to you and you alone. Cops are the vultures who swoop in to feed off of the carnage after it is over, at least in most cases. Most readers of this blog will already understand this at an instinctive level. The rest of society needs to begin to grasp the concept.

I expect another fund-raising email from the "Sarah Brady Mass-Murderer Fan Club" tomorrow. Maybe they will once again want a dollar (or three) for each victim of their policies. Whatever. They will be dancing in the blood one way or another. Just watch.

Open BOTH Eyes

My eyesight stinks. I have worn glasses since I was in first grade. My optometrist told me once my eyesight is somewhere around 20/1600. As bad as it is, it is much worse when I try to use only one eye. When both are being used, they correct for one another somewhat and make the picture much clearer. Maybe it is a biological analog to speckle interferometry.

With regards to the way humans see the "political" world, the world of human interaction, only libertarianism sees the whole picture clearly. Authoritarianism only sees the half they wish to see, either "left" or "right"; erroneously called "conservative" or "liberal". By using only one "eye" they get a blurry, distorted view. It leads them down the wrong path towards doom. They can't even recognize the real world because they have never seen it. That is why they can't understand libertarians and anarchists.

Should I write a Book?

I have been thinking about the possibility of writing a book. Should I? Is there a market for such? Is there a need for more "preaching to the choir" or is there a way to move beyond that to "preaching to the heathens" (the authoritarians and government sympathizers).

My idea at this point is to take the content of this blog and work it into a coherent, organized, book. Not an autobiographical book in any sense, other than documenting my philosophy. I would obviously need to write extra stuff to tie it all together as well. I have actually begun the project, just to see what the finished product looks like. I just wonder if it is worth the effort.

I have already asked a couple of people privately. If you think it would be a good thing, or not, let me know. And if any of you know any publishers who might be interested, or know any book store owners who would like to carry such a book, please send them my way.

"If You Have Nothing to Hide....."

Reading this story (by way of War on Guns) I saw this ignorant comment from someone who hid under the name "support police": "If you have nothing to hide then why are you concerned? Our underpaid police are out there risking thier (sic) lives so people can have a happy and safe country - Go back to Russia "

Even if you are guilty of no real crime, is there nothing in your life that could be used against you in any way? Do you want everyone to know all your PINs, your bank account numbers, your home address, work address, your children's names, all your medical history, anything? Do you want these state-sponsored perverts watching you use the toilet or having sex? What about the private thoughts inside your head? They may not be as private as you think they are. Could none of those be misinterpreted?

I am guilty of no real crime. Why do I care if the authoriturds spy on me? Because I do not trust those who gather the information. They are dishonest and corrupt to the core. They spy on us and yet will beat, arrest, taser, and threaten to kill anyone who returns the favor.

Look back at the ignoramus's last barb. Isn't it funny that someone who advocates and worships Soviet-style surveillance would want those who don't to "go back to Russia"? That person's pen name should have been "support tyranny". It would have been a LOT more honest!

The High Shelf

If you have ever had an unruly child come to visit, you know it is important to place the breakable nice things out of reach. Usually a high shelf becomes the temporary home for these objects. If you have an unruly child living with you, you either leave the breakables on that shelf permanently or hide them in the top of your closet.


The shelf didn't create the nice things that are upon it; it simply protects, or was intended to protect, them.

Government is a very bad destructive child. Human rights are very precious and are not to be played with. The Bill of Rights was intended as a high shelf on which to put those things that government was not to be trusted with. Being like a naughty child, some things needed to be out of its reach. The shelf was not enough.

Unfortunately, we the parents have watched as the bad child has stolen a step stool and broken everything on the shelf. If the broken "pretties" are noticed, most of the parents gently threaten a "time out"without ever following through. It hasn't worked. Now the child thinks it runs the house. Government is a particularly bad child, with super-strength ADHD, to boot. Government needs to at least have its pudgy, grubby little hand slapped til it is red.

Don't Look Back; Move Forward

My new article in The Libertarian Enterprise:

I don't really look as though I belong in the 21st century. I don't act like I belong here, either. My personal views are based on mutual respect and taking responsibility for oneself. Because of my appearance and opinions, people mistakenly believe I live in the past. I have been accused of wanting to return to "the good old days" when a person could walk down the street carrying a gun and not be noticed, except by people who wanted to "talk guns" with him. To a time when self-reliance and individuality were valued, not feared. To an era when a person's personal life was fodder for whispered gossip and raised eyebrows; not an excuse to toss the flash-bangs through his window, kick in the door, taser the survivors, and make a brutal "arrest" on the floor—beside the bloody bodies of the puppies. Read the rest

"Property Rights" Versus "Human Rights"

A discussion with Francois Tremblay resulted from yesterday's post on "Limited Rights". He asserts that rights are limited. The basis for his argument is that property rights can be limited, bought, and sold. I agree with this assessment, but feel that property rights are in a slightly different category from other human rights. You can follow the discussion on the comments on that post. I will explain my thoughts here.

All rights are essentially "property rights" but not all property rights are "human rights". You "own" your body and your life; they are your property. These are your human rights that are absolute and non-negotiable. The other property rights, to your time and possessions, and to a lesser extent- your actions, can be bartered away, as we all do on a daily basis. Therefore, to my way of thinking, the "non-human-rights" property rights are different because they can be bought, sold, or traded.

"Actions" are not the same thing as "rights". In taking a job you are selling some of your time and the actions you will perform during that time in exchange for something else (money). You are agreeing to do certain things in exchange for money. You are not (or, at least shouldn't be) selling your body, but only renting it for a limited duration or job. If I rent something from you, you still retain limited property rights to that thing. My rental agreement does not allow me to destroy that which I rent. With your person, you can give up some property rights to your time and actions for a set amount of time, but you can not sell off your basic human rights. You do not give up your right to not be attacked or defrauded. You do not give up your right to defend yourself against these things. If your boss demands that you give up those rights you have no obligation to abide by his wishes as they violate your basic human rights and are null and void.

During the time which a particular "property right" to specific possessions belongs to you, I would still say it is absolute, but it is within your personal rights to sell off that particular possession and thereby lose any attached property rights.

In a situation where you are "selling yourself into slavery", you would no longer have any rights over that which you sold: your life. Any such attempt to sell your human rights would not hold any legitimacy in my eyes. It is similar to the problem I have accepting the nanny-state embracers and their abdication of responsibility and their acceptance of cradle-to-the-grave "care". Abdicating a right is tantamount to refusing to accept a responsibility that belongs only to you.

So...Child Abuse is Legal in MA, For Now?

I see that the lawgivers of Massachusetts want a new law to ban spanking- "For the children^TM". It is being touted as a law against child abuse. That is odd. I would have thought a place like the socialist paradise of Massachussetts would have already had a law against abusing children. I guess they don't, though, because otherwise I am sure no one would want to add to the law pollution that already festers there, just to pass a new law prohibiting something that is already prohibited.

I don't think this is really a "spanking vs. non-spanking" issue. No one thinks kids should be abused, but does this law solve the problem, or is abuse already illegal? Who is protecting the rights of the parents to raise their children as they believe best? One size does not fit all, and some children do not respond to "time out". It has been my observation that some parents who "do not believe in spanking" can become so frustrated that they explode with rage and step over the line into abuse, including actually beating the children. But that is just a personal observation based on people I have known.

The "Masters" Are Displeased

My recent response to Rep. (short for "reptile"?) Jewell Williams has gotten me a "visit" from "DeptHomelandSecurity" (whoever they are) on this blog, by way of War on Guns. Interesting.

"Limited Rights"

I place this in the same category as "sorta pregnant". I was reading an editorial in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (thanks to War on Guns) where I found this "gem":

NOW THE court has agreed to open another Pandora’s Box.
Never mind that for
decades now the question of the Second Amendment’s root meaning has been left
open while a consensus gradually formed, namely that the individual’s right to bear arms does not mean the government
cannot regulate that right for good reasons (emphasis mine - KM). To
quote a balanced appellate decision back in 2001 out of the Fifth Circuit (U. S.
v. Emerson ), the “Second Amendment does protect
individual rights [but ] that does not mean that those rights may never be
subject to any limited, narrowly tailored specific expectations....”
(emphasis mine - KM) This decision upheld an act of Congress denying
the right to buy or carry a gun to someone who was under a protective court
order for good reason. In that case, the defendant had threatened his estranged
wife.
The decision in Emerson made good sense—and good constitutional law. The right to bear arms may belong to the individual, but
that doesn’t mean it’s an absolute right that trumps society’s interest in
saving life and preserving the peace. (emphasis mine,
again - KM)

Some people and most judges just don't get it. All rights are, by definition, absolute. A right limited is a right violated. No government has the authority to limit a right; otherwise it would not be a right but only a privilege. "Privilege" is the polar opposite of "Right", since privileges are granted by masters to slaves or by parents to children, whereas rights come from within. A privilege can be granted, revoked, or limited, but a right can only be respected or violated.

"Society" has no interests that justify violating rights because "society" in this case is just a weasel-word for a multiplicity of individuals. The rights of the individual always trump the "interests of society", or else rights are completely meaningless. Each individual has an interest in saving his or her own life and preserving his or her own peace. That "interest" does not fall to anyone else, especially not some nebulous "society". The best and most effective way for the individual to save lives and protect the peace is for that individual to exercise the absolute right to keep (own) and bear (carry) arms (guns, knives, swords).

The absolute human right to own and to carry weaponry does not mean you have a right to use that firearm (or anything else) to violate the rights of anyone else by shooting, or threatening them when they are doing you no harm.

Why is that so difficult for some people to understand? I'll tell you why: because it is not in the interests of their seized power or their victimhood to understand it.

Liberty Dollar Newsletter/Update

I got this update from Liberty Dollar:


Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Dear Liberty Dollar Supporters,

Usually at this time of the month, it is the deadline for the Liberty Dollar News, our monthly newsletter that has chronicled the Liberty Dollar for over nine years.
Of course all that came to a screeching halt when the g-boys raided the Liberty Dollar just two weeks ago on Wednesday, November 14. 2007.
So now I am running from the government, afraid for my life and trying to figure out what the hell to do next! Right? Wrong! Nothing could be further from reality. Please read these quick bulleted (no pun) items for a quick review of the latest developments:

IMPORTANT: If you have not received your order and you paid for it with a bank card, please call your bank immediately, cancel the transaction, reversing the transaction and GET YOUR MONEY BACK. Don’t let the government steal your money!

• 1. First I am not running “from” the g-boys. It is just the opposite. I am running “to” the government. I see the current situation as an ideal opportunity to validate the Liberty Dollar. Otherwise they will have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am guilty and the Liberty Dollar is the scourge of the country. Luckily, my favorite FBI Agent “Andy” just called me yesterday... on my private cell phone. Well the cell phone is suppose to be “private” as most people don’t know the phone number. So I complimented Andy on his resourcefulness and he responded that he was the “FBI”. Now that impressed me and gave me a good secure feeling... because if the FBI could not find my cell phone number, we would really be hurting. In any case, Andy and I had a very “friendly” discussion for about 10-15 minutes. Seems that he wants to “talk” to me. I took that to mean that he wants to arrest me. So I asked about that and sure enough... a Grand Jury, indictment and arrest seems to be a given at this time.
  Later in our discussions, when Andy was forth coming with other info, I complimented him on his “friendliness”. To that Andy told me that he (that’s the gov) would be as “friendly” as I was. Well, what is a poor boy to do, especially one in hot water with the feds... but be friendly. So trust me, I intend to be very “friendly”. Seriously, I told my favorite FBI Agent Andy (who I am sure is reading this and can reply if he is so moved...) that I took the government’s raid “very seriously.” To which Andy replied, “And well you should... because the government takes it very seriously too.”
  So there you have it, my second call with my very Special Agent Andy. For the record, I spoke briefly to Andy shortly after he and his gang invaded the peaceful Liberty Dollar offices and raided it of everything. And as required, we received an inventory of the all confiscated material. Unfortunately, it was not as detailed as really required... simply stating 500 pounds of silver, without regard to year, weight, denomination or design was way too sloppy for this detailed pone arrestee-in-waiting.
  Again, I am running “to” the government to absolve the Liberty Dollar as a legal, private, voluntary, barter currency as soon as possible. I want to get your property back ASAP. Please note this complete post for more important info on how you can help us get your property back.


• 2. Our first mission is to get your confiscated property back. Please don’t call it stolen... yet. It will only be “stolen” if we lose this case. And God help us all if the Liberty Dollar is found guilty. So please take two actions: First sign up for the Class Action Lawsuit and encourage other people to do so. We need thousands and thousands of people demanding the return of their “stolen property”. Second, we are launching a Legal Defense Fund to defend your right to use Gold and Silver any way you chose. It would be a very dangerous first step if the government started limiting the way you can use your own gold and silver. Please don’t let this happen! Please donate $10 or more to this very serious movement.
  Currently we cannot accept donation via a bank card... but we can accept checks, money orders and cash. It is OK to mail your donation to the same old address: Liberty Dollar. 225 N. Stockwell Road. Evansville. Indiana. 47715. Every single dollar, FRN or Liberty Dollar is greatly appreciated.
  Stay tune for more exciting ways to donate as we ramp to drive this out of control government back to reality. We can do it... and we need your help.


• 3. Now lets get serious. Did you read the 35 page Affidavit filed by Agent Andy to show ‘probable cause’ for the issuance of the Search Warrant? If not please go to: http://www.libertydollar.org/legal/pdf/libertyaffidavit.pdf and read it! Read it very thoroughly. And while you do... ask yourself, “Where’s the crime?” Where is the crime?!!! Usually in such an Affidavit there is all sorts of names, dates, offences, and other info. None of that is in this Affidavit! It seems that I am guilty of selling a t-shirt to Karen, our favorite kinda-undercover agent who was well known from the get-go. Where is the crime? And the idea we were “laundering money” is almost a joke... if it was not such a serious matter. Trust me, this is a serious matter and is being taken most seriously.


• 4. Equally serious, is your fear that some good natured, smiling, Agent Andy is going to raid your home and confiscate your Liberty Dollars. I know paranoia is rabid. And many of you have good cause to be alarmed. The government’s assault on our liberties and property has been way over the top. And many of us have lost property in the past. But this should only toughen our resolve for this case. But please don’t fear a raid on your place or home. There is no way the government has the resources to mount such an attack with $20 million Liberty Dollars in hundreds of thousand of hands all over our great country. Take precautions, diversify your holdings is prudent for everyone.
  While it is not the time to relax and be happy, paranoia is no friend. Good communication is our best companion. So if you hear of some related action, please report it to me directly and stay focused so we can get all our property back.


• 5. Towards resolving this testy matter, we are interviewing federal criminal attorneys and hope to secure good, dedicated, successful counsel asap. As I mentioned to Agent Andy, I wouldn’t want to meet him without counsel.


• 6. I was encouraged when Agent Andy told me that he would call me when he knew the schedule so I could “turn myself in”. I thought that was real “friendly” and thanked Andy, as I am obviously not hiding out and prefer that this matter be handled in a gentlemanly way. I just hope the arrest does not interfere with my other commitments. I will be in Evansville on Thursday, attorneys in DC, family for the holidays and please join me for a rare performance as the keynote speaker at the Liberty Forum in Nashua NH on Friday, January 4. Please consider coming to the Liberty Forum... just mention Liberty Dollar and get 10% off. Trust me this is going to be wild... just a couple of days before the big Presidential Primary!!! Come to New Hampshire. Even Agent Andy is welcome. But lets find a convenient time for the arrest...OK?


• 7. Surprise!!! Speaking of commitments. I will be in Evansville this Thursday, November 29! Open to all. Pot Luck at 6:00. Meeting at 7:00 and out for a beer at 9:00. Everyone is welcome. Please join me at the Liberty Dollar office: 225 N. Stockwell Road Evansville Indiana. 47715. Plenty of free parking. Just off the Lloyd Expressway. Just ask Agent Andy he found us. But I don’t’ think he will be there on Thursday.... but then again... maybe Andy can come out and play... and he might be there


• 8. Plus... if you did not catch my interview with Glenn Beck on CNN or with Larry Kudlow on CNBC... please visit http://www.libertydollar.org/ld/legal/raid.htm. Who would have thought that the raid would generate national news... let alone two shows on the same night and at the same time! The little Liberty Dollar just amazes me.


• 9. While doing the two national shows was good fun, it was not all the coverage. In fact, there are dozens of newspaper articles. The most amazing coverage came from a most amazing source, The Washington Post. Not only did the Post cover the raid, it was featured on the Front Page, plus it included a image of the Ron Paul Dollar! And if all that was not enough, the article was quite large and REALLY GOOD. It all started when Jan Salsbery, one of many fiery RCOs in California, referred Alec MacGillis, a reporter with the Washington Post to call me. As usual, Alex sounded like a very bright, very young reporter. And as I explained with a certain amount of contempt, you might write a good (truthful) article, but it will be sausage when the editors get done. But very late Friday night Alec called me and said the “editors” liked the story and was going to give it “some space.” Well who would have thought ... Front Page for the Liberty Dollar and Ron Paul?! Now who could image that he will be our next President... I for one! And hope you agree! Our country really needs Ron Paul. As the silver Ron Paul Dollar states: VOTE FOR TRUTH.
  PS: To Alec’s credit, he followed up with a call on Monday, and subsequently wrote an additional outstanding article: http://www.libertydollar.org/news-stories/pdfs/1195598713.pdf


• 10. The local television and newspaper also provided very good coverage. It is amazing how many people are interested in the Raid on the little Liberty Dollar and the confiscation of two tons of Ron Paul Dollars. Of course your support is critical to our success. BIG Thanks for all you have done!


• 11. And finally have you seen the prices of the Ron Paul Gold, Silver and Coppers Dollars. One day the copper is a buck and the next day $65 or more on eBay! Silver is in the $250 to $450 range! Just crazy! And that is not even for the special numbered or hallmarked editions. Are you hip to the Hallmarked Ron Paul Silver Dollars? The Hallmark features a micro scroll with BOR denoting Ron’s respect for the Bill of Rights.
  Quite simply, there is a lot to be thankful for. When we started the Liberty Dollar we did not get an instruction manual. We did not know how the Liberty Dollar was going to save the country from a monetary crisis. But we vowed not to let our great country falter without trying. We all, even Agent Andy, have a civic duty to our country. We are commanded by the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident... That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. We shall not let this country fail to live up to the ideals upon which it was founded by our Founding Fathers. Let us each vow that our country will not falter on my watch!

Now as I face eminent threat of arrest and possibly many years in prison, you have my sincere thanks for supporting the Liberty Dollar that exemplifies those very ideals. Our Founding Fathers fought and died for them, we shall do nothing less.
Remember it is only by banding together and adopting a free and independent currency that provides us with “just weights and measures” will we be able to throw off the yoke of a manipulated monetary/tax system and generate a peaceful and prosperous society.

Change the money / Change the country / Change the world. Do it now!

Bernard von NotHaus

Monetary Architect/Editor

November 27, 2007

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"Time's Up Flag" Auction

If you have wanted a "Time's Up" flag, but couldn't afford the price, this is your chance. Just this once* I am auctioning one on eBay. No reserve price.

*Well, that is the plan for now, anyway.

..............................

"Government" Doesn't Equal "Society"

Why is it that many government sympathizers think libertarians and anarchists "have it in for" society? I think it is because they are incapable of differentiating between the two things. Or maybe they can, but don't want to. It doesn't serve their purpose of worrying the sheep. Government is not the same thing as society. Government needs society in order to exist, but society does not need government. Government is a symptom of a failed or failing society. When society can not keep government at bay, when it becomes to sick to do so, government metastasizes in it. Let's get our society healthy again.

Not All Viewpoints Are Valid

It makes me sick when some elitist authoriturd tells me that "surely we will differ on opinions and policies" as if my viewpoint and his are on equal footing; are equally valid in the realm of ideas. I realize he is just pandering to me even then. He really thinks I am a clueless hick regarding his "grown-up" world of backroom deals with shady characters and his compromises with immeasurable evil. "Because that is how the world really works." Just because he is an elected official dwelling in a big city (and therefore insulated from reality in many cases) he feels that he is above this Yahoo from the sticks. Sorry, it won't wash, Mr. Authoritarian. You do not know what is best for me, or for anyone else except, possibly, yourself. Stop behaving as though you do.

Theft-by-government is not a valid position. Victim disarmament is not a valid position. Redistribution of wealth and property for the "common good" is not a valid activity. Thinking it is acceptable to push your socialistic agenda on everyone else against their will because you think you are superior is not a valid viewpoint.

Liberty is the standard against which viewpoints are measured. Respecting and honoring the absolute human rights of every single human alive is the valid position. Understand the difference?

This "Yahoo" Responds to an Elitist

After reading this post on War on Guns, I wrote to the "representative" in question. I told him that as one of the "yahoos" he hated so much, I thought he should get a real job.

Here is the response I got from his office:

Good Afternoon Kent:

I am sorry that you were offended by the
“yahoo” comment; it actually referred to persons who shouted “yahoo” after
common sense gun legislation was defeated within the judiciary committee.
We are a Commonwealth state and surely we will differ on opinions and
policies.

I am a strong supporter of the right to bear arms.
As a former police officer and chief within the Philadelphia County Sherriff’s
office, we need such legislation to protect the lives of law enforcement
officers across this state and the lives of Pennsylvanians like
you.

Thank you for sharing your views.

Jewell
Rep.
Jewell Williams

Not content to leave well enough alone, I replied:

I am more offended by the elitist mindset you have demonstrated by pushing
these slavery-enhancing "laws", than by your name-calling. The only
"common sense" gun legislation necessary or desirable is to honor the highest
law of the land: The Constitution, as it is written, not as socialists would
prefer to reinterpret it. The Second Amendment protects from
government infringement two separate rights "of the people" (look up
"infringe" if you have difficulty with the word): the right to form a militia,
("well regulated" meant "well practiced" at the time it was written, not
"government controlled" as you would prefer to think), and the right to own and
to carry any type of weapon they desired, wherever they went, in any manner they
saw fit, without asking anyone's permission, ever. If you do not abide by
this, you are not even a weak "supporter" of the right to keep and bear arms,
but a believer in the limited privilege to keep and bear arms at the whim of the
government. Victim disarmament ("gun control" to you) has failed everywhere
and every time it has been tried, IF the goal is to reduce crime. If the
goal is to reduce the population to a state of slavery and fear, then it is
effective. Philadelphia has the most draconian gun "laws" in the state;
shouldn't it therefore have the least crime if victim disarmament prevents
crime? Police would not need laws "for their protection" if they were not
on the streets and in the neighborhoods violating the rights of peaceful people
by enforcing counterfeit "laws" (laws that have no real individual
victim). If they were acting honorably they would be rallied behind and
protected by the people all around them. Sadly, this is no longer the case
in America, and will not be again unless the absolute rights of the people are
once again respected by those in government and their enforcers.

I guess I will wait to have my door kicked in now.

Willful Mischaracterizations of Libertarians

I was looking back over my past blog entries and got to thinking about the racist blogger from a few weeks ago. You know, the one so consumed with hatred and racism that he myopically pointed an accusing finger at libertarians as the villainous racists in his fantasy world. I read his incoherent blog entry again where he goes into a detailed description of what (he "thinks") is a typical libertarian.

Dissecting it, I see he claims that "Libertarianism is heavily made up of of healthy young men in the 20's and 30's making very good incomes." Hmmm. OK, I may be relatively healthy, but I am not in that age bracket, and I am not making even a passable income.

OK, on to his next lie: "A few older guys and married men are into it, and they are usually making very good incomes too." I am not married, though I am in a relationship (still not making a good income).

Next: "There are not many libertarian women, because the life of woman is vulnerable, as she is the bearer and raiser of the very "weak" people, in this case children, so despised by libertarians. And woman is weak herself, as biology and cultures the world over inform us." Wow, is there anyone this guy doesn't hate? Why does he keep projecting his opinions on others? Some of the libertarians I admire the most are women. But he probably hasn't ever heard of Claire Wolfe, Sunni Maravillosa, Liz Michael, "ElfNinosMom", Kirsten, Taran Jordan, Loretta Nall, and a bunch of others. He hasn't heard of them because it might upset his delicate sensibilities to find out he is dead wrong yet again. I am constantly awed by women, and I never thought of children as "weak". Women take on responsibilities that I don't think I could bear, and children have been strong enough to learn, survive, thrive, and keep this species going for millions of years, even with imperfect parenting.

Moving right along: "The number of poor, low income or working class libertarians is not large." I fit into this category, but feel in no way "less-than" or whatever he thinks I should feel. I think I am a very typical, if somewhat more vocal, libertarian.

His final insult is: "As these libertarian and far-right men age, many shed off some of their extreme conservatism or libertarianism, as entropy inevitably attacks their mortal coils. In particular, they often endorse more socialist health systems. A tiresome saying says, "Any man at age 20 who is not a socialist lacks a heart, and any man at age 40 who is still a socialist lacks a brain." Well, wages of time being what they are, I've noticed that older conservative guys sort of move back into that age-20 thing as they grey and hobble. Past 65, you are one of the "weak" that the libertarians hate so much, and most smart American conservatives figure this out." I guess he means that when the brain cells die off, old men become reborn socialists who want welfare? Socialism, being a form of authoritarianism, does not have a "heart". Neither does its mirror-twin, conservatism. No system based on theft does, unless it is the heart of a thief. Old people are seldom "weak". Their bodies may be battered by the ravages of time, but their spirits are often stronger than that of people a quarter of their age. I have known old people who would happily punch him in his smug, racist, sexist nose for saying such things. But elderly libertarians will not initiate force. Not that I would blame them too much if they did in this case. The only thing I "hate so much" is when government, posing as a "provider and protector" steals the future away from these people, replacing it with a welfare check. Where is the dignity in that?

I guess I shouldn't let this get to me. After all, it isn't the first time I have read mischaracterizations of this sort. It just seems like someone who advertises himself as a "journalist" should try a little harder to look into things he is trying to denigrate. I guess that is too hard for him.