By Roger Katz
“What we need to do is change the way in which people think about guns, especially young people, and make it something that’s not cool, that it’s not acceptable, it’s not hip to carry a gun anymore, in the way in which we changed our attitudes about cigarettes. . . . One thing that I think is clear with young people, and with adults as well, is that we just have to be repetitive about this. . . . We need to do this every day of the week, every school, at every level, and just really brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way.”
– Eric Holder, fourteen years before President Barack Obama appointed him as Attorney General (video below)
Among the critical rights codified in the Bill of Rights, the right of the people to keep and bear arms is the only truly tenable check against tyranny in our nation. That, of course, explains the ferocity of the collectivist attack on the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
After all, it isn’t tyranny that concerns them. In fact, the unchecked, unchallenged growth of government is the clearest manifestation of tyranny; it is something they have designed and are working to accomplish – the enslavement of the American people, much as the populations of the EU are becoming enslaved.
Our nation, though, isn’t so easily susceptible to tyranny, unlike the nations comprising the EU. Our Constitution provides for several “failsafe” mechanisms that serve to preclude, forestall or, at least, to deter the onset of tyranny.
That makes the effort of the collectivists, both here and abroad, who seek to “soften up” our nation, and ultimately to destroy it—that it may be subsumed eventually into a massive transnationalist union, which is the collectivist dream of a new world order, comprising the remains of what had once been distinct, independent, sovereign nation-states—so extraordinarily difficult.
The last of the “failsafe” mechanisms that the framers of our free republic built into our Constitution to preserve its existence and to preserve the existence of a free, autonomous citizenry in whom ultimate authority resides, and was meant to reside, is also the most effective failsafe mechanism: the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
For proponents of collectivism, the exercise of the right of the people to keep and bear arms – and the emphatic assertion that this sacred right shall not be infringed – creates a serious problem. And it creates, as well, a problem for the collectivist overseers – those both here and abroad – who support and who have orchestrated the collectivist agenda and who are working to implement the items in it.
Much more so than even the First Amendment guarantee of Freedom of Speech – which, not surprisingly, is also under attack today – the collectivists cannot and will not abide the Second Amendment. Tyranny cannot take root and prevail – indeed it cannot even exist – in the presence of an armed, capable, determined citizenry, poised to resist tyranny.
Thus it is that those who seek to destroy us those intent on to breaking the back of our free republic and on breaking the will of the American citizenry, no longer even pretend to support the Second Amendment. We see this as they call for more gun control laws – gun control laws they refer to, disingenuously, as “sensible.”
These collectivists, who vehemently denounce our Second Amendment, have long considered it an anathema. Of late, these ruthless creatures who have sought to impose ever more restrictive gun laws upon us no longer even keep up the pretense of supporting the Second Amendment, as they once had done so when prefacing their remarks slyly, duplicitously, with the phrase – “but of course we support the Second Amendment” – when really they didn’t.
The collectivists who have always seen the Second Amendment as intolerable, are now making overt claims of their abhorrence of it. They now assert it to be inconsistent with modern Western civilization; archaic; a relic of a bygone age. Bizarre remarks to say the least, and all the more disturbing when they emanate from a jurist.
Firearms in the hands of millions of citizens are perceived as senseless to those who espouse the ideology of collectivism. But then collectivism demands absolute obedience to subservience to and reliance on government.
A person isn’t prepared to be obsequious to government if that person insists on being armed. That fact informs the government that a person isn’t prepared to place his or her trust in government. But, some people are prepared to do just that. And, for them, firearms are considered unnecessary.
In return for forsaking one’s firearms, government promises to fulfill one’s basic needs and wants and even happiness. But, for others, that price, is much too high. For, the mere act necessitates that one place blind trust in government. That is something one should never do, and we, for our part, never will. And, we have history to resort to as proof in support of our reluctance to do so.
Government’s promises are designed merely to soothe and placate the public, who are urged to view the false promises as true and proper and desirable. For the ignorant, for the shallow, for the gullible, and for the weak among us, who readily “buy into” these false promises that seems to be enough.
Like children, such people wish to believe. It’s easy to deceive those for whom faith in false prophets comes easy. Those who seek comfort in government to coddle, protect, and nourish them, the collectivists’ promises are tranquil pipe dreams. And for these sorry souls, “the big tall wish” – this seeming pleasant pipe dream – is enough. But they will learn, too late, what they have lost and what they will have lost is everything of consequence.
They will learn too late, much too late, that happiness–true happiness–can be achieved only if the individual remains “individual,” true to him or herself. Happiness is not something that government is capable of bestowing on the individual, notwithstanding the radical left’s suggestions to the contrary.
Roger J. Katz has practiced law for the federal government in Washington D.C., for the state government in Arizona, and has been in private practice in Ohio, New York, and Arizona. Roger is a co-founder of Arbalest Group LLC, creator of the Arbalest Quarrel weblog, dedicated to strengthening the Second Amendment, preserving our Bill of Rights, and maintaining a free republic.
This article was originally published at arbalestquarrel.com and is reprinted here with permission.
“I want to feel safe.”
#MeToo. And that means access to my own firearm(s).
I want to feel like a billionaire with wings.
As Wynona Ryder once said in a movie, “It’s nice to want things.”
One MORE time:
NO, I REFUSE.
Safe, Second Amendment For Everyone !
Many times more die each year due to abortions and medical mistakes but they are just fine. Right?
How about serious prison time for all gun crimes?
How about prosecuting laws already on the books?
That’s one of the things I dont understand. If a criminal murders someone, why keep him/her alive. Why not severe penalties? Why can’t we as POTG make our own demands. Murders can’t be reformed to the point where they can reverse what happened. Why keep them alive? We need to ask our representatives to make changes.
I like the idea of the death penalty for society’s worst criminals and yes also the career criminals who commit the bulk of crime. Problem is too many mistakes. Actual innocent people convicted and placed on Death Row.
I’ve no problem with the fact that the death penalty is revenge, not a deterrent. I’m all in on revenge and punishment. But we have to get it right every time, no exceptions. That’s the problem.
This is for enuf killing the criminals is JUSTICE not revenge.yes some innocent people would die.we live in a sinful world and bad things happen to innocent people,like the victims of criminals.why should the likes of Ted Bundy remain living 15 year’s after conviction.we need to go back to public hangings
“If a criminal murders someone, why keep him/her alive. Why not severe penalties?”
Because…lawyers and judges…plea bargains…appeals that go on and on and on for decades! But how can we convince prosecutors and judges (and jurys) that severe penalties will put a dent in severe crimes? Somewhere in history a criminals rights became more important than victims rights, and this affected the appropriate punishments.
It was not always like this; the average time for appellate review to finish (either with execution, or a final ruling vacating the death sentenced.or conviction) had been only two years one hundred years ago.
Serious prison time for crimes that actually have a victim. Having musket balls in D.C. shouldn’t be a crime for instance.
Maybe all crimes in which a gun was used. Gun crimes can mean simple possession, even in a home where one person has drugs and the guns are owned and housed in a different person’s room. There are so many laws against certain people owning guns or even having them within so many ft of a school, that many of us could be breaking a law just cleaning them in our shop before putting them back into the safe.
Enforcing all gun crimes(particularly those made in the last 10 years) is just crazy talk. I applaud any LEO that doesn’t go after these people.
Sure the government can bestow [simulated] happiness. Drugged out happiness, which they have been suppling to everyone they could write a prescription to, for many decades now. But the sheep can only be happy with their soma fix if they never get to see people who are actually free and happy, which means restricted travel and communication. The only way this works for them is when the masses ask for, and DEMAND, that you kill them, but in their somacoma first.
Just fyi, if this is not understood, go read Huxley’s “A Brave New World”. Or watch it. It was made into a movie some time long ago, like “1984” was. But I say “Animal Farm” was a lot better than “1984”. Much less about entertainment, and much more about human nature. More readable and more clear.
It’s interesting how times change. All of those books were required reading in an English Lit. class I took in my senior year of high school. (Mid ‘70’s)
I never figured out why, I couldn’t understand what they were saying. For me, Ayn Rand’s works were way better, “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead” in particular. Ran into those in college, late ’60s.
studied animal farm in grade 10 in 1990 here in australia. I had many long discussions with the teacher about it cos i was seeing more in it than even the teachers manual (supposedly written by english professors) and in the end she had to agree that I was spot on. It was one of the few books we studied that I got top marks for. I read 1984 some years later and found it a lot harder reading. Cant say i have read any of Ayn Rand yet
It’s about time they changed their attitude on armed self-defense.
And if they aren’t “down with that”, then perhaps they need to go somewhere else…
I am not going anywhere.
What are you gonna do about it, asshole?
*snicker* 😉
As a liberal, I can only feel safe when people around me are not free.
Speaking of being free, Eric Holder should not be.
👆What he said, spot on!
He means, change the way they think about freedom and rights so they will be easier to lead around by the nose. Reminds me of Ginsberg on EgyptianT.V. 2/6/12 when she said if she were drafting a constitution she would not look to the U.S. Constitution. She should have been removed from SCOTUS because every official in the U.S. takes an oath to support the constitution, Article 6, clause 3.
The libs want to disarm the population so they can move on with their plans to socialize the whole country without much opposition, then we’ll be like Europe , all we could do is throw rocks & bottles at the MAN with the shields…
…And what could be cooler than obeying every joyless, finger-wagging control freak who wants to tell you what to do, am I right?
Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon: Wednesday, February 14th, 2018
Letters to the Editor
In Agreement
I’m in 100 percent solidarity and agreement with Sharon Fitzgerald’s Wednesday, Jan. 31 Lake County Examiner letter: “Boycott Super Bowl.” Lets call it for what it really is, “The Stupor Bowl!” If the football fanatics of America who maintain a meth type addiction to football, sports, and athletics would instead divert the same time, effort, and money (citizen activism) in holding our elected state legislators in Salem (Bolshevik legislators?) and our treasonous repeat offenders in Congress in Washington, D.C. accountable, we collectively could “take back” our state and republic!”
Perhaps this addiction to sports is best confronted by Charlotte Iserbyt’s YouTube video: “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America.” No, football, sports, and athletics have absolutely no link to freedom, liberty, personal autonomy, safety and protection of community, and being an armed deterrent to criminal and outlaw activity. Historically what does though is the Second Amendment and private gun ownership. This is deliberately ignored, censored and concealed from the masses via our government controlled socialist public schools, colleges, universities, and academia who walk in lockstep with the establishment news media. Perhaps Thomas Jefferson stated it best:
“A strong body makes a strong mind. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.”
James A. Farmer, Merrill
Merrill, Oregon in Klamath County
Long Live The State of Jefferson!
look at the Fall of the Roman empire. Sports were used to keep the masses distracted and the more disaffected the people became the harder and more bloody the sports became. This is precisely what is going on now though without the blood side of it. Look at the hype surrounding the fake martial sports.
A distinct contrast was the way sports were used by the spartans as training and they never deviated from that. It was simply stronger armies going against them eventually leading to their population becoming to small that led to their downfall.
were just lucky theyre only brainwashing our kids about guns right
“Happiness is a warm gun”……McCartney/Lennon…..circa 1968…..The title came from an article in The American Rifleman, a magazine published by the National Rifle Association. The story was titled “Happiness Is A Warm Gun.” In it, the author recalls the special time when he took his 7-year-old son shooting for the first time. It struck John Lennon as “fantastic, insane… a warm gun means you’ve just shot something.” Said Lennon, “I thought it was so crazy that I made a song out of it.”
Not so sure Lennon was pro-gun, but he has the happiness part right.
Ever listen to his song “Imagine”? Right out of the communist manifesto.
Lennon was no one’s hero and McCartney was the real magic behind the Beatles. His death at he hands of MDC only added fuel to anti gun movements. John Lennon was a liberal like todays definition
As usual Mr. Katz cut through the left’s subterfuge and brought their goal to the forefront.
Given the rural/urban divide on 2A, I wonder what are good ways to reconstruct urban gun-culture?
All of our remaining individual rights are under attack today. For the greater good, public health of course. And always for the children.
Yes, Eric Holder is a fool and an idiot and I read he is considering running for President. I will enjoy very much not voting for him, among numerous other fools and idiots. The list is already quite long. Trump is on it, but I fear no sane Republican will beat him in a challenge.
But if you folks think the threat to our gun rights is a socialist, collectivist agenda bent upon general enslavement, you are out of your minds and part of the pending failure to protect gun rights.
Hordes of people who do not know better react badly to crime and death and make stupid choices. This was the cause of the NFA of 1934, the GCA of 1968, earlier laws and later laws. Always has been and always will be. It is always the pressure of public fear.
Curious fact, why is it that British police are traditionally unarmed? It is because when the modern policing agency was created in the early 19th century there was public outcry, fear that is, of forming yet another armed group that a monarch could potentially use against the citizenry. The British police have been slowly rearming ever since.
An emotional public driven by fear and misplaced anger causes foolish actions in government. Chisel it in stone, it’s one of those natural laws at this point.
The current leftward drift of Democrats chasing after the White House is a different freak show entirely.
Here’s another snippet from the collective ‘I want to feel safe’ crowd….
Deposing Lawyer: “youre ok with telling the parent that DTaP, TDaP(vaccine) does not cause autism even though the science isn’t there yet to support that claim?”
Dr. Stanley Plotkin: “Absolutely”.
Honesty and policy making in action.
How’s that measles outbreak going?
State of emergency over 30-40 cases of a weeklong fever and rash……that’s rational. Question for you, would you rather have a weeklong rash and fever and gain lifelong immunity from measles, or would you rather a lifelong neurological disability? That’s what many families face and wish they had been given honest information before making that choice.
I did not see mentioned here that the dickhead known as Eric Holder is brazenly discussing the imposition of mind control on American citizens.
I think about guns the same way I’ve thought about them since 1947. I like ’em – a LOT. Ain’t gonna change now.
Eric “FAST AND FURIOUS” Holder is a cancer.
“They will learn too late, much too late, that happiness–true happiness–can be achieved only if the individual remains “individual,” true to him or herself.”
An excellent read Mr. Katz. As a former prisoner of the Hawaii/Cali nation I can confirm these statements – without a doubt. Hawaii especially has gone from an independent community of locals to a corporate run oligarchy. It may look like paradise but the price you pay is your freedom.
Why you might ask is the left trying so hard to remove guns from the American peoples hands? Because if the told the complete truth “We want everyone’s guns because we’re more than a little concerned that once we implement total enslavement over the people that they might rise up and use those weapons to take back their freedom.” might not go over too well with them.
The Federal, state and local governments have been ignoring the constitution for generations. Since it was enacted into law people in power have thought of ways around it and at least since the 20’s progressive judges have “interpreted” it to mean things clearly different than the text states. Judges have found rights that are not mentioned and ignored rights that are. The Constitution is dead but not buried that day will come when the progressive’s have completed their takeover of government and announce a new progressive constitution and Bill of rights without bothering with the messy things like a constitutional Congress or 60% approval by the state’s. There will be bloody instances of refusal to comply but no revolution as long as the cell phones, computer and TV still work and people are allowed some minimal freedom’s the main body of the populace will do as they have since this process started, 50% will cheer, 45% will complain but comply and 5% will not be interested enough to form an opinion.
Re Holder, how many U.S.A.G.’s have been found in contempt of congress. I believe he is the one and only. Otherwise, look at who appointed him. As to his opinions, when and if I desire a load of baloney, I will most definitely know where to seek it.
As to the putz displaying that Repeal The Second Amendment sign, I’m given to recall the following adage. Forgive them, for they know not what they do, or in this case, what they say. Additionally, as to that other sign carrier and His I Want To Feel Safe, there is a hellish large difference between “feeling” something, anything that comes to mind, and actually “being” that, safe, beautiful or anything else that might come to mind.
Excellent article. I need to memorize this as it articulates exactly what I want to say.
“What we need to do is change the way in which people think about guns, especially young people…”
Indeed. We need to do is think:
A gun is a tool; dangerous in dangerous hands, but only because it is powerful enough to be useful in responsible hands. It is the hands, not the power that makes a tool dangerous, or useful.
Having a gun is a right, a prerogative of autonomous people to choose what power they wish to wield, responsibly. What you do with the power you wield is right or wrong, good or bad. It is no one else’s prerogative to declare: “This, you may not wield.”
Taking guns, for sake of argument, as a tool only for violence (it’s not), and only confronting humans (they’re not), the gain is something like .5 to 2.5 million violent incidents stopped each year. The violent potential of guns, when in citizens hands, net reduces violence.
And we need to think of guns, like other choices and capabilities, in the world as it is, not a Utopian fantasy. We can talk about violence in a world without guns, if there is a way to get there. Until then, we need to think about guns in the really, real world where bad people will have them. We can think about violence done with guns as the only horror in a world where it is. Until then, we need to think about guns in the really real world where bad people sometimes do violence until they are stopped, and many bad people are larger, stronger, faster, and more skilled than the people they would do violence to. When we think about guns, we should think of the 80-something grandmother and the home-invading drug thug of last week, and who we’d rather have survive.
We need to allow people to think of guns in these ways, while the anti-people’s propaganda isn’t just anti- to these ideas, but to thinking. Mr Holder’s pronouncement is about changing how people think “about” guns. I don’t think that word was an accident. Not think “of” guns, as in the facts, and consequences, but “about” guns, as in how to approach the topic.
And we need especially to help people think. Mr. Holder needs rather the opposite.
His agenda is not to change what people thing *of* guns, as powerful or not, dangerous or not, a right or not, a net gain or not. His goal is to change how people think *about* guns: as totems not tools, from emotions not facts, with slogans not reason, their uses in particular for self-defense as permissions not rights, and these choices as collective not your own.
Me. Holder wants to change how people think *about* guns to a collective choice, made for a utopia that does not exist, by betters like himself for us all, without regard to how that choice lands on you, particularly.
Of course facts don’t matter in a debate framed like that. They lose in a debate framed their own way, too, but you have to see it to meet them on their terms. Yes, let’s think “about” guns these ways; the pro- position wins anyway. Then, let’s talk about choosing to take those positions, to frame the debate that way, what they’re “gunning” for, and the utter disengenuousness of the people who choose to work this way.
It takes a lot of work to pack so much evil into such a seemingly shot pronouncement. But, they’ve been at it for a while.
The quote “Cold Dead Hands” sounds like what is coming in the not to distant future. The liberal/Progressive/Socialists, at least in the state I live in, out number us 2 to 1.
Their numbers count for nothing as they are largely unarmed. Most of them will end up merely as cannon fodder.
Lenin said (paraphrased) Give me the children, and I will transform the country.
Done…..America is doomed.
God Guns and Guts gave us our republic.time to take it back.death to tyrants
In days of old , when evil was bold , and toilets had not been invented
Governments split your head & left you for dead if you didn’t as they intended !
But after many a fall , evil learned thru it all , and became more timid !
Now evil indoctrinates our children thru our education system in which they have infiltrated !
Evil changed , now they slither in acting as a friend !
They tell us , give us your money , you don’t need it ” we will take care of you ”
They tell us ” give up your guns ” you don’t need them , we will protect you & serve your interest !
Like the brown shirts of hitler , holder says we should change people’s thinking by brainwashing the children , raise a new generation of people who we have trained to believe evil is right & everything / everyone else is wrong !
Win their kids thru their school & the people will no longer pose a threat to evils agenda !
Sounds just like hitler to me !!!
Make no mistake , the evil that is a lust for wealth & power , knows no bounds , no limits to what can be done to get wealth & power !
Now we see these new evil ” politicians ” telling us , equal pay , redistribution of wealth , universal health care for all , but these are mere carrots , to dangle in front of the jacka$$es they need to ride on , on their way to more wealth & more power !
Like facebook , who’s proclaimed creator , stole the framework software from his college buddy’s & had the means to run with it , untill he was far ahead , then payed the real creators to go away , now Facebook & others , like ” google ” are in most every aspect of your life thru your phone & PC , their teams of unscrupulous LAWYERS having crafted user agreements so complicated & wordy , that the masses surrender their right to privacy & individualism !
The people have been duped into serving evil for the sake of some face time or a video game !
Do this , click on your google search , below the search box there will be a couple a dozen so called “NEWS” articles , among them will be at least 3 so called “news ” articles about the latest cell phones or cell services , and at least 3 or more so called ” news ” articles about video games & at least that many so called ” news ” articles about sports !
None of these have a positive impact on our haveing gainful employment , or a roof over our heads or even something to eat !
Use to , we went fishing or hunting or played baseball or golf to get our self’s a lil down time from the riggers of life !
Now we have been fooled into opening our doors to our enemies thru our phones & tv sets !
Don’t put actual photos in YOUR photo album , put your electronic pics in THEIR cloud !
Put your health care , your insurance , even YOUR banking into THEIR electronic world !
A world THEY created with the sole purpose of wealth & power for them , with the ability ” at the push of a button ” to steal your identity !
The ability to interfere in your life in ways you haven’t dreamt of YET !
WE have blindly givin power to those who LUST for it , the power to ” with the push of a button ” turn your electricity off , turn your water off , shut your car off , where ever you are ! Render your phone useless , even lock you out of your own bank account !
Go ahead , label this as the babel of a conspiracy theorist !
Send a text to all your friends , telling them of this psychotic rant , but make sure you proof read before you send , lest someone @ google change your words for you !
Money , the root of all evil right ?
Here is what WE have allowed ourselves to be fooled into = you go to work every day to earn a living , to be able to eat ! But unlike how it should be , that your employer pays you for your labor , now you get a check , THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY SOMEONE TO CASH ( Guess who that someone is ) you work to get payed , but now you have to pay someone to get payed ! WE are being cheated out of our money while we are wide awake ! And brainwashed into accepting that ” it’s just the way it is ” wrap your head around this ” you have to PAY someone for access to YOUR money !!!! P.T.Barnum once said ( A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted )
““What we need to do is change the way in which people think about guns, especially young people, and make it something that’s not cool, (…)”
Sure, but how do you do that after you allow some kid or novice to shoot? I’ve never introduced anyone to shooting that didn’t love it after a session.
There in still lies our greatest defense of the Second Amendment-
TAKE SOMEONE SHOOTING!!
OFTEN!!
Don’t worry about how much it might cost you, quit being selfish. Spread the “love” around, the younger, the better. Want to change some college kid attitudes? Get them to the range and be sure to let them shoot semi autos, from 10-22s to ARs as well as handguns. It’s pretty difficult even for the most feminized pajama boy not to start smiling after shooting a couple of mags.
And while I still enjoy hunting, that doesn’t cut it most situations any longer. The vast majority of people I shoot with would never dress a pheasant or rabbit let along field gut a deer. Want to use rubber gloves and all that. Just shoot!
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