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By Mike Nowland

The howler monkeys of the anti-self defense rights crowd constantly blast us with weepy, blood-spattered reminders of the costs of an armed society. Those same people, however, are remarkably well disciplined about never, ever mentioning the historical costs of disarmament.

Every major policy choice has both positive and negative effects, some planned or anticipated and some unintentional. The Founders’ decision to maintain an armed population is an example.

An honest reading of the Second Amendment and the contemporaneous writings of the people who formulated it make clear the Founders intended Americans to be an armed populace as a counter to the power of government. Most of the people who participated in those discussions were highly educated, including in political history. Most modern Americans, it’s safe to say, aren’t.

I own an AR-15, ammunition for it, and tools for its care and maintenance. I have owned a fighting rifle for decades and will until I’m no longer able to use one.  When that day comes, it will be passed to a descendant or young friend who understands why every capable American is morally obligated to own one.

The Founders understood fundamental truths of human nature.  They knew most people are decent and want to be left alone.  They knew a dangerous few people have always wanted and will always want to exploit other people.  A smaller but much more dangerous proportion are willing to do absolutely anything in pursuit of such exploitation.

Dangerous criminals are only too happy to assault, rob, rape, and murder others. As tyrannical governments have demonstrated throughout history, killing millions of innocent people doesn’t bother them in the slightest. Genocide, democide, ethnic cleansing, slavery, colonial exploitation, terrorism, and wars of conquest have been the norm through human history.

The only thing that the dangerous — individuals, politicians, or governments — truly fear is violence that could affect them directly. The more common, rational exploiters can be deterred. They will proceed only if a sufficient imbalance of lethal force is in their favor.

When there’s a real risk that attempted genocide, democide, ethnic cleansing, exploitation or imposition of slavery will backfire, rationally self-interested tyrants are likely to revise their plans. Deterrence is the primary reason America’s Founders chose an armed populace as a key component of maintaining a free society.

Would Hamas have attacked southern Israel if the locals had been as well armed as typical American towns of similar size? When groups have comparable ability to apply lethal force and defend themselves, nonviolent means of conflict resolution become much more likely.

That kind of deterrence won’t always work. Irrational, wildly narcissistic, and unrealistic tyrants will plow ahead regardless. Virtually nothing can be done to deter them. Effective armed resistance by an armed populace can be the only way to stop them. That’s the second reason Americans are armed.

The AR-15 rifle disperses lethal capability just as swords, shields, bows, and spears did in the past. When a targeted population is armed well enough to defeat a dangerous attacker, aggression is far less likely. That’s why deterrence of victimization, aggression, and oppression is a duty of every capable adult.

Every living thing has the natural right to defend itself as best it can. Denial of that right is grotesquely immoral. So why do so many oppose self-defense rights?

Elites have done all they can to disarm commoners since hunter gatherer clans first merged into tribes. The tribal chief and his brothers took the best food, shelter, and women for themselves, and killed or disarmed competitors and rivals in the tribe.

Rulers of cities from Tenochtitlan to Nineveh have lived in circumstances far better than those of their populations by monopolizing lethal force capability. Modern elites from New York to Beijing continually strive to do the same. Armed peasants are threats to their positions and power, especially when their exploitation becomes excessive.

Elites co-opt as many of the people they rule as they can by providing various benefits like government employment and wealth transfers, but the more common opponents of armed self-defense rights come in three flavors.

Some are genuinely persuaded that an armed population is less safe than one capable of resisting criminal exploitation and tyranny. Elite-owned media constantly report on criminal firearm misuse as shrilly as possible, and dishonestly include common suicides when discussing ‘gun violence.’ Very few of the persuaded have ever considered the past and present realities of subjugation, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and terrorism, or other aggressive attacks despite seeing them on the news every day…if they watch news at all.

Some oppose armed self defense solely because their political “team” — in America, the elite-dominated Democrat party — opposes it. People like to belong to groups and will adopt the policy positions of their party in order to be accepted, and to feel like they’re somehow contributing by helping to achieve some collective good.

Many more are perpetually frightened, often of many aspects of real life. Civilian-owned firearms and people who might use them scare some people enough that they just want them to go away, in the way children try to wish away what frightens them.

Violent death is real. Democide killed more than a quarter billion people in the twentieth century alone per R.J. Rummel. While many if not most of America’s 8,000 or so murders each year would probably happen without guns, the others are a significant cost of our armed population policy. Still, they’re a tiny fraction of the number of annual civilian defensive gun uses, never mind government-committed murders.

Effective deterrence is impossible to quantify. Some people believe America is immune to the horrors other people suffer. Those things could never happen here…except for isolated instances like the systematic genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement of African Americans, the ethnic cleansing of Japanese Americans, criminalization of gay Americans and so on.

Given the impossibility of knowing how many aren’t victimized because bad people are deterred, we can only make crude comparisons. How many Americans have killed each other since our establishment as a country? How many Europeans have been killed by other Europeans in the same period? How many Asians by other Asians? Over the long run, Americans kill each other at much lower rates than other societies. That’s not because we’re inherently better people, but because we can’t.

Every political, religious, ethnic, or other subgroup of Americans is armed well enough to deter any other group from attempting to subjugate or kill them, force them out of the country, or put them in camps.

Armed populations are stable and more peaceful by comparison. America’s thoroughly armed populace is our only real guarantee of relative peace and stability. If you don’t like mass murder and don’t want to be victimized by others who are willing to do so, ownership of an AR-15 and the means of armed self-defense is a moral imperative.

 

Mike Nowland writes at Substack. A version of this article first appeared there and is reprinted here with permission. 

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110 COMMENTS

  1. I do not think ancient man killed the rivals in their tribe like your portraying. Hunter Gatherers were a family unit depending on one another for survival.
    .
    Do I have to get an AR?
    I was kinda saving up my money for an F16 and some nuclear blombs.

    • Yes – or turn in your rodent card and stand in the highway.

      You’re part of the solution or part of the problem. See as 1775.

    • “Elites have done all they can to disarm commoners since hunter gatherer clans first merged into tribes”. According to the article, the author is implying that hunter gatherers preceded tribes.

      • Indeed and factual given what we know about primitive societies. We’ve been hunter-gatherers since we climbed out of the trees.. small bands/extended families, tribes came later in human development.

    • actually ancient man killed for food, sex, power, wealth, and fame.
      just like today.
      humanity has not changed.

    • no,
      you don’t have to get a scary AR and defend yourself, family, and friends.
      instead you can stand there, wetting yourself, like a cowardly pu**y, as the bad guys take everything from you, including your life.
      or do you think your smart a** comments will save your life ?

      • There can be only One.
        And that’ One is the AR.
        Anything else just wont do.
        Not a Garand, not a BAR, not an AK, not a Thompson, not even a .30 Carbine.
        Get the AR the winner of wars.

        • Well an AR variant didn’t win the Afghan War!!

          I find the majority of people that HATE AK’s never fired one or they fired a defective one and let that mold their BELIEF of the AK’s!!!

        • What wars have we won since ww2, much less since the AR was adopted?
          I am a Mauser/AK guy, but admit that in this country the AR is probably a better choice due to parts & ammo availablity vs what is available for either AKm/47 or AK74… JMO, YMMV!

        • How so Chris?
          Guerillas pick up what ever is left on the forest floor.
          John Brown captured Harpers Ferry.( defeated yes, none the less.)
          Dods weapons could become yours..
          One victory reaps rewards.
          Or.
          Here is what could happen.
          42billion AR rifles sold in the last year+ Arm theCrane’s, Israel vs Hamass, here a war there a war. Logic ist says 5.56emu becomes unavailable on the civilian market.
          Supply couldn’t meet demand even if .giv did want to arm It’s countries subjects.

    • “I do not think ancient man killed the rivals in their tribe like your portraying.”

      Eh, I doubt that. Humans have a remarkable ability to inflict violence on others.

      Which makes you in your burrow at the bottom the ditch the smart one… 🙂

      • I was seeing 9-15 transitioning Homo Erectus hunter gathers sitting around a fire and none of the males can trust each other because we are all ready to kill each other.
        I broke it down to as primitive as I could get. Exchanged Wolf pack behavior to (yuk) primitive Humans, which true hunter Gatherers would have been.
        I’m sure there was a hierarchy.
        I’m positive they’re were not rival males.
        Killing each other off dont do much good when you Mamouth hunting.
        Life was a War.
        Ask a Vet if he’d kill his brother. The Tribes we’re probably more emotionally closer then any human bonding we have now. I say probably because I was not there. Just interloping Wolf behavior with (yuk) Human behavior..
        Neanderthals?
        There are a lot of theories on their extinction. Homo Sapiens seem plausible, that race cannot accept each other, let alone a Neanderthal.

        • There was enough acceptance that there is a significant level of Neanderthal DNA to varying degrees in modern humans.

    • Have an AR, saving up for a phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range, since slug based weapons are so WWIII.

    • Don’t know for sure, but you’re probably good to go on the F-15 once they strip out anything classified. Of course you will need a pilot’s license unless you are planning to use your F-15 for static display. On the nuclear bombs, I don’t know of any courts that have found them be “arms” of the sort protected by the Second Amendment. So keep on saving; you may need to file a Constitutional challenge and that could be more expensive than any of the preceding items.

      • “…I don’t know of any courts that have found them be “arms” of the sort protected by the Second Amendment.”

        I don’t think there’s been a challenge on that front but I’m reasonably confident that General Dynamics doesn’t worry about it much either.

      • LOL, a license.
        Here I am sitting in an F16 loaded with nuclear blombs and I need a license?
        In a high speed chase with the police hot on my tail I always make sure I use my turn signals.

  2. Democide is the murder of any person or people by their government, including genocide, politicide, and mass murder.

    So a 1/4 Billion people die at the hands of a government. A mighty sobering number.

    Tribes often attacked other tribes for various reasons. Could be for a need for women to build their populations, for food (times of famine etc), fighting encroachment by others etc.
    In Africa still today many tribes have slaves captured from other tribes.

  3. Moral imperative? Uhhh, let’s get real here. It seems legitimate to say that being prepared to defend yourself is a moral imperative. But owning any particular weapon? Nope. No way, Jose. Fact is, I don’t own an AR platform weapon. AR is arguably superior to those semi-automatic weapons that I do own. But – my bolt action hunting rifle is arguably superior to any comparably priced semi-auto. Depending on the use case (or, “mission”) I can even argue that a pistol, or a shotgun are the superior weapons.

    How about everyone continue to fight for our rights to own and bear arms – and let everyone decide which arms they wish to bear. Not one of you is fool enough to argue that a modern AR-style rifle is going to be superior to a WW2 .308 British under all circumstances. And, I know from experience how intimidating it is to look at an ancient old Thompson submachinegun from the wrong end.

    Again, it is a moral imperative to keep the arms that you are comfortable, and competent with. If that happens to be an AR, fine, Obama even said you can keep your AR. (Oh, wait, he said “doctor”.) Just don’t worry about what I’m bringing to the fight. I promise, it won’t be a water pistol, or a steak knife.

    Just for fun – show of hands – how many AR owners can reach out and touch someone at 1000 yards? 800? 500? Yeah, I know that some ARs can reach out a ways, but remember, I did mention “comparably priced”.

    • Sniper Paul…Based on your disregard for the AR platform you missed the point. The AR-15 is center x, top of the list on the Gun Control hit list…Not a time for excuses or for you or anyone else to be picky, it’s time to join the fight by heading to your FFL and purchasing a rifle or the least you could do is purchase a stripped receiver to keep in a drawer. Furthermore most folks who own the AR platform own a variety of firearms.

      • Debbie – if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I don’t care which doctor looks at your ouchies. Corrupt Obama said as much.

        If there’s a point being missed, it’s the point that after the tyrants have outlawed this gun, then that gun, then another gun, they’ll want to outlaw ALL GUNS.

        To repeat myself, “How about everyone continue to fight for our rights to own and bear arms – and let everyone decide which arms they wish to bear.” See, I’m on the side of Thomas Jefferson, and the Constitution, not to mention Tench Coxe.

        • again,
          you miss the point.
          and news flash, it is the people with AR’s that are protecting your flanks, as you pretend you are a sniper.
          there is a reason all the militaries of the world abandoned the battle rifle, for the carbine.

    • Paul CHOSES to ignore the point. Our betters of 1775, could chose to carry a long rifle or a “Brown Bess”. Bessy/Charleville won that mixer. Not the rifle (long or “German”).

    • “… how many AR owners can reach out and touch someone at 1000 yards? 800? 500?”

      Considering the extremely low percentage of bolt-gun owners that can do it, even with guns meant for the purpose, this question might as well be trolling.

        • Chris, I wish we had one here in Oneida County, NY. to my knowledge there isn’t one in the region.

      • Both of you are citing anecdotes that are tangential.

        Sorry boys, been in that long range world for awhile. Loads of people with $15K+ setups can’t hit shit past 100-150 in anything but the most perfect of setups. Seen it with my own eyes. The number of people who can’t get past the separator with six tries is insane and the furthest target is 125m (136yrds). The number of those people who claim to be gun “professionals” running schools and shit is insane.

        If you think that even close to 25% of rifle owners can actually do long range work, you’re siloed. If you think 10% can actually “do work” in the shooting at people sense, you’re living on another planet.

        Go run, or watch, a serious race competition in this world and keep count of the people who drop out at <10 miles and then realize that nearly none of them could shoot for shit either.

        This sub-thread ain't about hobbyist shit or benchrest shooting.

  4. The U.S. Military stated when Herr Drumpf was in power that they would and unknown to the public already had stepped in to counter Trump the Lunatic when he threatened Nuclear War with China. One U.S. General called one of the top Chinese Generals and told him they would not let the crazed Trump start an unnecessary war, especially a nuclear one.

    The majority of citizens do not own assault rifles or even any gun for that matter and during the January 6th Beer Hall Putsch by Herr Drumpf his stormtroopers were turned in by their own relatives to U.S. Law Enforcement. So much for the warped glorious modern day second American Revolution.

    The FBI has stated that the Far Right are the biggest danger to American Democracy and its Constitutional Freedoms and that proved all too true during Herr Drumpfs attempt to take over the government by force. Unknown to Herr Drumpf the U.S. Military would have stood him up to the wall and done America a favor by putting him in front of a firing squad.

    The childish, paranoid and ridiculous idea that an armed population could fight flamethrower tanks was proven ridiculous when the government “Waco ‘ed” the Branch Davidians for gun violations along with sex abuse of minors.

    The Far Right Paramilitary Lunatic Fringe do not understand that they are the minority of gun owners. In our club of over 1,000 members the majority vote Democrat.

    The Far Rights total ignorance in regards to the history of the American Revolution show that they have no idea that the American Revolution would have failed without outside financing, and injection of professional troops and a professional navy i.e. the French who were the people who won the American Revolution, not a ragtag band of poorly equipped, poorly led and poorly trained Hill jacks led by an incompetent, arrogant megalomaniac who lost more battles than he won and was almost captured twice, more the pity for the American people. This is the part of American history deliberately swept under the rug in primary schools by conniving fanatical Far Right School Boards.

    In conclusion the Far Rights historical ignorance, anti-government fantasies, paranoia, and racism let them exist in a fantasy world devoid of any sound reality. They are always their own worst enemies.

  5. – Demonize the AR-15.
    – Pass laws that ban the AR-15.
    – Biggest chunk of semi-auto rifles eliminated.
    – Go after remaining semi-auto rifles and pistols.
    – Eliminate the rest of the guns (except for acceptable party members).
    – With U.S. armed forces, government and media under CCP control, eliminate defenseless Americans.

    • Illinois is a prime example of eliminating the AR platform and ‘All’ semi auto rifles. Illinoisans deserve the tyrants and tyranny… They allow.

    • Not true. ARs are at the top of the ban list only because they were locally developed and are well know. Most ban legislation target semi-automatic rifles in general and some extend into shotguns and pistols. Magazines holding more than 10 rounds are also under attack. FYI, wife and I are retired and we enjoy target shooting with several semi-auto pistols and an AR15 which is a very nice rifle. Much as we enjoy venison, elk and some other game animals neither of us are into hunting. As for illegal usages – like the vast majority of law abiding gun owners, never even remotely considered it!

  7. FROM MY COLD DEAD HAND! Whether it is a bolt action, front break, or a semi automatic rifle, it is your right to own the rifle or handgun you choose as long as you use it ethically and legally.

  8. Owning an AR-15 is a moral imperative? That’s pretty strong. I think a moral imperative would be determined by an individual’s morality. For me owning a rifle is a moral decision, but to suggest that it has to be an AR is laughable. Although an AR would be way down on my list of “moral” I do own a couple of them. They’re serviceable. I prefer the BCM.

    • A moral imperative is the elimination of any tyrants or tyranny that wishes to disarm, law abiding citizens. Regardless of their weapon of choice.

    • “For me owning a rifle is a moral decision, but to suggest that it has to be an AR is laughable.”

      For you, (and I) yes, that article was geared towards ‘Joe Six-Pack’.

      And for him, it’s a solid choice. The AR-15 is the Lego battle rifle for non-gun people…

      • Considering that most “gun people” can’t actually hit anything nearly as far as an AR will dick-someone-up-but-good, the AR is a perfectly fine rifle.

        This country has gun people and “gun people”. The latter are far, far, far more numerous.

        • “This country has gun people and “gun people”. The latter are far, far, far more numerous.”

          Please clarify, the “gun people” know nothing about guns?

        • They may know quite a bit about guns in a historical or technical sense but they can’t actually shoot for shit.

          Perfect example is a guy who used to be my neighbor. Any chance he had he’d read from the gospel of John [Moses Browning] and sprinkle it with the occasional verse from Saints Ayoob and Cooper.

          Dude owned dozens 1911’s, high end rifles, even a Korth(!). Annnnddd… he shot a pattern larger than the target at 7 yards on a flat range.

  9. For those, who think genocide will never happen here, answer the following questions:

    1) What entities funded the gain of function research that brought us Covid-19?

    2) Who funded the fast track and therefore impossible to regulate Mrna vaccines not bothering to remove or avoid including highly carcinogenic Mrna fragments?

    3) Who prevented off label use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin for Covid? They also suppressed the use a combination of Vitamin D3, Zinc, Vitamin C, and Quercetin would prevent catching Covid-19?

    The Administrative state has already admitted they are OK with genocide!

    I prefer European bull pups that shoot either 5.56 and 7.62 but plan to

    • You really prefer them? Everyone I have ever met in the service and the gun folks since who have had experience with them thought they sucked. I found them awful myself. The only people who really seem to like them are procurement officers looking for a better mousetrap that fit in a shorter box.

  10. There is a lot to be said not only for the people to be armed but for ammunition and parts commonality. In a scenario of it becoming necessary to repel foreign invaders, (example would be hoards of illegal aliens streaming across the border waging chemical warfare by smuggling Fentanyl as well as communicable diseases), it would be easier for government to supply the militia if they were all armed with weapons of common caliber. In a scenario of government becoming murderous as well as oppressive, it would be easier for the people to supply themselves with additional arms and ammunition by raiding government supplies or by salvaging from dead or wounded soldiers or government agents (FBI). Given the various Facebook and other social media postings by various active duty military personnel who are eager to kill ordinary Americans who are insurrectionists, this scenario poses no moral dilemma for me.

    • EF – ‘hordes’ of them crossing the border – unless you are stashing them in your backyard. 😉

      Props for stating that ammo and parts commonality is a much ‘better’ reason for owning an AR platform than trying to put some sort of guilt trip on those who choose other platforms.

      • yeah, this is sort of what i got too. but taking someone else’s because i’m out of .308 gets me in the club fast. until then, barbie up.

  11. Moral imperative to own a AR15?
    No.
    Moral imperative to know how to shoot any firearm high degree first hit rate using iron sights out to a few hundred yards under field conditions?
    Yes.
    I know more than a few guys with high end ARs that can only shoot good groups from a lead sled sitting at bench. Even pie sized targets at 100yrds are hard for them from the off hand.

  12. “Some are genuinely persuaded that an armed population is less safe than one capable* of resisting criminal exploitation and tyranny.”

    *_incapable_?

    And while I am at it, a 2 year supply of food. It is a heavier lift than a rifle and ammo, but the Mormons have this one right. You can’t preserve civilization or resist mass-murder-by-starvation tactics when you are so depleted you are trying to figure out who to eat next.

    • So depleted trying to figure out who to eat next?
      Have you seen what most people eat?
      That would be like eating junk food!
      Vegetarians and vegans might find themselves as desireable members of a community not for the reasons they think.

      • Vegans will be sane and calm when the meat eaters have panicked –

        vegan: “Man! Am I hungry. O well. Due a bowl of rice tomorrow night, I can wait.”

        meat eater: “Must have food now, or I will die!”

        vegan: “O crap, here comes another one.”

        vegan wife: “Don’t let this one get so close, I do not want to have to smell him for a week.”

        vegan: “Good point, the smoker is full
        anyway.”

        vegan wife: “Yeah, but I ain’t eating none of it till my hair starts falling out.”

        vegan: “I heard that!”

  14. I never really wanted to own an AR until the lefties started foaming at the mouth about it. Now I own three. Lefties are the best at gun sales in the world.

  15. What if I consider an AR15 to be on the “light” side of lethality? Thirty caliber all the way!

  16. Would it not be a moral imperative to own a flint-lock muzzle loader?
    If the crazy would really happen like a civil war, total supply, economy, social breakdown, at some point if you are actively engaging in fire fights against whomever, your supply runs out, might be back to ball and musket.
    Or does the author have a magical resupply train of 5.56? If he does where can I get on that train?

  17. “…owned a fighting rifle for decades…”
    which one isn’t? dangerously close to saying assault without saying it. what’s with the model specifics? let’s dwell on the hendrix “‘scuse me while i puke an’ die” instrument.

  18. Possum

    You dont know much if anything! Tremendous evidence of warfare among ancient men.

    We wiped out neanderthal man remember?

    • “Possum

      You dont know much if anything!”

      What do you expect from a 4-pound Marsupial with beady eyes, nasty yellow teeth, and a rat-like tail that lives at the bottom of a drainage ditch outside of a sleepy Kansas town?

      Geeze, some people… 😉

    • I’m not saying ancient man did not war.
      Within the tribe I doubt there were many killing each other. Hunter Gatherers, maybe 15 humans working together to secure food and protect themselves as a unit. It would be counter productive to kill the ones helping you to insure your survival. I’m guessing there was a hierarchy, as is with most any pack animals that work together. I would imagine that if another hunter gatherer group was to encroach on another ones territory there would be fighting. Then again I’m guessing there may have been a lot of trading and sharing of knowledge. We dont know, we can only speculate. Everything may not have been “Killem All”.
      Neanderthal, there are a lot of theories on that species extinction.
      One is the harsh environment and low birth rates.
      You are probably correct though, as Homo Sapiens cannot coexist with even themselves.

  19. I would share this on FB and other social media, and sometimes it gives food for thought.
    The ignorant comments do not. But then perhaps it is all in good fun. I dont know.

    • “But then perhaps it is all in good fun.”

      That’s kinda where the Possum is coming from.

      Lighten up, Francis… 🙂

  20. The article sounds like it was written by somebody who would have been doing Tae Kwon Do lessons in the suburbs twenty years ago.

    Stay tuned for tomorrow’s article on this week’s “do what I do or you suck” drill.

  21. Remember that this is how the UK, Australia and New Zealand started. They banned ‘the most dangerous weapons’ first (weapons of war) such as ‘assault rifles’. Then, it was handguns, then all repeating shotguns. Now, those populations are almost ‘gun-free’. Canada is hot on their heels in banning more firearms. In recent years, ‘Liberal’ Israeli politicians also put severe restrictions on possession of ‘army rifles’ by Israeli civilians. That didn’t work out too well for almost 2,000 Israelis on October 7, 2023 when HAMAS terrorists attacked with little or no armed resistance from their victims.

  22. “…the ethnic cleansing of Japanese Americans…”

    In Defense of Internment: The Case for Racial Profiling in World War II and the War on Terror. Michelle Malkin (Author)

    The order was to evacuate Japanese Americans to any place in the US more than 50 miles from the west coast.

    In the 1930’s all young men of Japanese decent were obliged to return to Japan for military training, irrespective of their nationality. That was the Japanese law. About 7,000 ‘born in the USA’ youngsters did so. (Obviously a considerable number didn’t.) Those 7,000 caused more trouble in the camps than the other 93,000+ did.

    The book is a long read, eye-opening. It includes photos of government documents not previously readily available to the public. “Ethnic cleansing”, no.

    • Gabby. American citizens were rounded up at gun point for no other crime than their race. Period. End of statement. Maybe those 7,000 would not have caused trouble had their human and civil not been violated. No, it was not a mass murder. But it was still very wrong.

      The biggest violator of human and civil rights in the history of the US is the democratic party. As they were then they still are.

      • The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII was almost certainly wrong, yet many of them served with distinction during the war and were a credit to themselves, their country and their race. What I can’t do is place the entire blame for that internment on the democratic party. Yes, FDR was President, but following Pearl Harbor and subsequent reports of Japanese cruelty to prisoners and conquered peoples China the internment was considered an unpleasant necessity by both parties.

        Some early Democrats were less than praiseworthy in their treatment of native Americans and slavery, but in the 20th century their policies impoved significantly.

  23. “That kind of deterrence won’t always work. Irrational, wildly narcissistic, and unrealistic tyrants will plow ahead regardless.”

    Such people are extremely rare.

    “That kind of deterrence” also doesn’t function in the face of those who are determined to end-run you. Which, I might add, they believe they have. They’re not worried about the rifle, they’re worried about the trigger pullers because, IRL, the rifle is just one weapon of many and it’s usually not the most effective.

    The truth is that if the trigger pullers are [insert percentage over ~5 here] obese fucksticks blathering on about how a heart attack actually doesn’t hurt as bad as being told that they’re fat… well, that ain’t exactly the kind of force that strikes fear into the heart of tyrants.

    There’s a reason I basically have no time or respect for those who believe that it’s “not a civil war until shots are fired”. They are unimaginative, doctrinaire and they’ve already lost because they lack vision. The fucked up part is how many of them were actually forced to read a copy of The Counterinsurgency Field Manual and still think like it’s 1600.

    The simple Stalin quote is more popular, but as usual, Lenin said it better because he was a lot smarter:

    “Why should freedom of speech and freedom of press be allowed? Why should a government which is doing what it believes to be right allow itself to be criticized? It would not allow opposition by lethal weapons. Ideas are much more fatal things than guns. Why should any man be allowed to buy a printing press and disseminate pernicious opinions calculated to embarrass the government?” – both by V. Lenin.

    ^^They’re already doing this. What are you DOING about it?^^

  24. Didn’t help me last time as the poll worker had me insert my ballot into the “bin” below the Dominion machine. I’m still sure it was a shredder. I almost put my fist into that evil device but I don’t like being incarcerated.

  25. I guess everyone is forgetting the Assault Weapons Ban during the Clinton regime. Anything with two of the following .
    Detachable Magazine
    Pistol Grip
    Bayonet Lug
    ….banned.
    It’s not only the AR.
    It’s all of them.
    When Charleston Hesston held up a Flintlock and said “Not one step more.” He was letting us know what the Powers That Be were going to allow.

  26. Not an AR fan. Never owned one. Prefer .30 caliber for intermediate combat. Not an AK fan either so I have SKSs. Durable, reliable to a fault, cheap ammo. Just my preference. If I need to seriously reach out I’ll use my .308 hunting rifle.

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