From: matus [matus@snet.net]
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 4:54 PM
To: matus@snet.net
Subject: MFD List - Are politicians doomed to repeat history? (gun laws)

(One of the biggest arguments against the restrictions of firearms is that
it takes away the citizens ability to protect themselves.  Areas with
relaxed concealed carry laws have correlated decreases in violent crime
rates.  Most instances of violent crimes related to gun use in the US occur
with illegally obtained firearms by people who it is already illegal to own
a firearm (having a felony conviction) One can argue that this is an excuse
to take away guns from civilians all together, but, as this author points
out, that leaves the citizen vulnerable to the government, again, unable to
defend themselves.  The opening paragraph says it all "A recent report on
CNN stated that, in the last century, over 170 million people worldwide were
killed by their own government."  170 million people who could have defended
themselves.  One of the biggest proponents of gun control was Hitler, who
took away the ability of the persecuted Jews to protect themselves.  There
were reports of heavy Jewish populated areas holding out against the German
government with the cluster of illegal firearms they possessed.  "Adolph
Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin together killed nearly 15
million of their own countrymen while in power. They were also extreme gun
control fanatics."  Could these despotic government leaders ordered and
successfully achieved such a startling number of murders without the help of
gun control? This is not to say that the US government treats it citizens
like Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin did, but taking away the citizens ability
to protect themselves also takes away the ability of the citizen to defend
themselves against a corrupt government.  With the liberal influenced
growing trend of government intrusion into the average life, a dangerous
repeat of some parts of history can be seen as possible.  Even now hints of
McCarthyism like intolerances are showing since the Terrorist attacks, with
numerous intellectuals and media personnel being labeled as 'Un-American' or
'Unpatriotic'. - Mike)

Are politicians doomed to repeat history?
----------
Liberty For All
by Matt McWilliams
   "We must not allow criminals and government to gain a monopoly
   on means of defense. Do we want to allow our government to
   become the fascist, anti-gun government that Hitler and
   Company used to start a World War and kill millions of their
   countrymen? Or do you prefer the American way of life, a way
   of life protected by the people's ability to protect
   themselves?" (01/02)

http://www.free-market.net/rd/869739055.html

http://www.libertyforall.net/2002/archive/doomed.html

by Matt McWilliams

A recent report on CNN stated that, in the last century, over 170 million
people worldwide were killed by their own government. And liberal
politicians want to take the citizens' guns away?

Political power, as Mao said, comes from the end of a gun. Government is
able to coerce its people by way of violence or threats of prison. I like to
ask people, "why do you pay your taxes? Why do you give up a hefty
percentage of your income each month to the government? The answer is
simple: you are forced, or coerced, to do so. Government guns are staring
you right in the face at every turn. Our politicians want to take them out
of our hands, though. Does this make sense? It does to those in power,
because it enables them to stay in power.

Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin together killed nearly 15
million of their own countrymen while in power. They were also extreme gun
control fanatics. To achieve their positions of power, they took the
citizens' defense mechanisms away and killed all of their political enemies.
Will we allow this to happen in America?

Apparently gun control did not work out too well for Hitler's Germany,
Mussolini's Italy, or Stalin's Russia. Germany ended up divided, Italy took
over twenty years to rebuild, and the Soviet Union, our ally in World War
II, soon became our greatest enemy. Will our elected officials learn from
others' mistakes or are they doomed to repeat history?

In his book, Laws of the Jungle, Allan Thornton suggests that government
follows a pattern every time with "morally questionable practices," such as
gun ownership: 1) It deplores it, 2) It prohibits it, and 3) It monopolizes
it.

This is evident with liquor sales here in Moore County. Our government
started by deploring liquor consumption and eventually took over sales of
liquor. The county government is now dependent financially upon these sales;
dependent upon the people of Moore County to continue to buy liquor. Our
government now benefits from something it considers to be a sin.

With regard to guns, the plan is to first campaign against the evilness of
guns, then prohibit law-abiding citizens from possessing them, and lastly to
hoard all the guns for itself.

The campaign against gun ownership is ongoing, while the prohibition has
tragically begun and is quickly becoming more of a concern each year. One
can only wonder how long it will be before the government (and criminals)
have a monopoly on all of the guns in this country? I can only hope that gun
prohibition never becomes a reality as it did in Nazi Germany, fascist
Italy, and the Soviet Union.

The more restrictions you place on gun ownership, the harder it is for
average Americans to own one. Perhaps that is the point of the left, to make
gun ownership a reality only for the wealthy, upsetting "the masses," and
allowing criminals to run rampant in poorer neighborhoods. Class warfare at
its finest.

It is time for the people to stand up and demand that their constitutional
rights be protected. We must not allow criminals and government to gain a
monopoly on means of defense. Do we want to allow our government to become
the fascist, anti-gun government that Hitler and Company used to start a
World War and kill millions of their countrymen? Or do you prefer the
American way of life, a way of life protected by the people's ability to
protect themselves?



 Matt McWilliams is a 22-year-old club golf pro who desires a career in
journalism.  He is also active in politics.  He serves as the chairman of
the Libertarian Party of Moore County (North Carolina) and is running for a
spot on his local school board.  Currently he is a Fellow at the NC
Institute of Political Leadership; and, Matt will soon be entering
UNC-Pembroke.

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