The Little Amendment that Failed
As I ruminate on the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America I am forced to conclude that if it was put in place, as it surely seems, as a personal right with the intent to fortify the people against domestic tyranny then it certainly seems to have failed. Given the proportion of our population that is armed, is there a more timid people? In fear of everything they resist nothing. Where 300 might have resisted 100,000 in Greece here it is inconceivable that 300,000,000 would resist 700,000 (an estimate of the domestic law enforcement population). Despite tax rates that would have set the world ablaze in times past, government intrusions far beyond the bounds envisioned during the country's formation, unaddressed and massively unpopular immigration and active and increasingly common violence against the population there is little more than the occasional harsh word, law suite or youtube video to mark any signs of resistance. The South seceded and the continent was bloodied over issues no more divisive than those we face now.
In the few acts of resistance to the Government of the United States you have the use of fertilizer, planes and powders. The weaponry that was supposed to steel the spine of the nation has failed in that purpose. While government seems to fear its citizenry, it is not through the collection of firearms that it acts out its will upon them. By the time it would get to that point it is far to late anyway...
Is it an overarching faith in government and its legitimacy that restrains the current population in ways prior populations would not? Is it the relative economic prosperity that gives more people a stake in the system as it stands? Is it a preoccupation with foreign affairs that has kept the domestic scene so tranquil? Is it simply a level of passivity in the general population that exceeds the vision of those who authored the amendment, and if so, what accounts for the passivity of this population group compared to the French, early Americans and the Eastern Bloc countries?
1 comment:
what is it that an american population should rebel against exactly? we are not taxed as heavily as many nations. we have freedom of movement, gasoline prices notwithstanding. we can send our children to public, private or in most states homeschool them. we can write to papers or stand on a corner with a sign condemning the government. we can choose not to fly because we despise the security process. we can carry weapons with ease in many locations. we can cruise on the government highways with a large measure of comfort. we can have access to medical care in almost every region of the nation including the wider spaces.
yes, there is some control on our speech but that is more from private sources than government. media people are constantly being fired or censured for saying something publically that their employer deems unsatisfactory. but losing a job is the only downside. no one is locked away in a gulag.
police officers are the same throughout history which means thuggish behavior. check the history. justice has always been a dicey business with the innocent hammered often. one can only try to avoid contact with the "justice" system.
you can drink from any public water supply with a large degree of safety. you can eat in most any food establishment and live to tell about it though you might want to avoid seeing the kitchen facilities. government has a hand in all of this. left up to private enterprise entirely, restaurants would serve last weeks leftovers or meat that had been sitting around until it turned green.
do i like government? no! do i like authority? no! do i like chaos? no! but i cannot have it both ways. government and authority is biblical and often it is not conducted with the level of ethics and integrity i want? no. but neither do i conduct my personal life at the ethical level i would like.
the american revolution was about businessmen upset over taxes and other laws they believed unfairly denied them the ability to make money. had nothing to do with individual freedom that we like to celebrate in july.
rebel? why?
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