I just got off the blower with H.L. “Bill” Richardson, retired State Senator from California, and founder/Chairman of the Gun Owners of America. Fascinating guy and even more fascinating conversation. I gotta admit I’m envious…he actually got to speak to Ayn Rand personally. But more germaine to matters close to home, he has some “Wow, I coulda hadda V8”-style insight as to the whole immigration thing – an insight that is forcing me to rethink part of my outlook on illegal immigration. To wit, the good Senator told me that the reason the Dems want unrestricted immigration has nothing to do with freshly minting huge numbers of voters. In many states illegals are lobbying for the “right” to vote, but that’s not happened. Yet. However, there is one way that the illegal aliens do affect our political balance of power, and it’s one I’d not thought of. They get counted in the census. Stop and think about that for a moment.
Every ten years (including the one we’re in) the U.S. Census Bureau, by Constitutional law, must take a census of the population. They (try to) count each and every person in the country, legal or not. This data is used to draw Congressional districts at both the Federal and Local level. Ergo, if you have a huge number of illegal aliens in your district, you get more representation in your state legislature and in the U.S. House of Representative.
That’s huge.
This is akin to a recipe for “instant Gerrymandering.” Wanna change the balance of power in a state from rural and non-urban areas (which typically vote more along the lines of Conservative/gun rights/Republican) to hard-core urban (which typically votes for Liberal/Progressive/Democrats)? Just count a butt-load more illegals in the metro areas. Ka-ching!
Now you get more representatives covering the metro areas, and fewer covering the boonies. This tips the balance of power towards the densely-populated areas that are Liberal-friendly, and tips the balance of power in the legislative bodies toward the Libs. Who cares if the illegals vote? As long as they are there for the head count, they’ve served their purpose.
Of course, nobody seems to care that this little trick comes at a huge cost – social services in this country are overwhelmed by the demands put upon them by illegals, and most states are already swimming in a sea of red ink, unable to pay for the increased demand, and simultaneously unable to turn the illegals away or get them to pay their fair share of taxes to support that need.
Talk about your insidious plot. No wonder the Feds are unwilling to enforce existing laws. And it gets better – the more strain you put on the States, the more they have to come crying to the Feds for help, thus switching the balance of power from the States to the big, centralized, all-powerful Federal government.
Buy a clue, campers – the more powerful the Federal government becomes, the less power YOU have. When we live in a world where the President – any President – can, with the stroke of a pen wipe out your rights by virtue of an executive order centralizing power is bad.
Even worse, what the President can’t get by executive order or through Congressional complicity, he can get by simply using offices in the Executive branch to carry out his plans without the need for legislative consult. For example, the President didn’t get his “Cap and Trade” bill through Congress, so he’s directed the EPA to start regulating carbon emissions anyway.
What does this have to do with you and your guns?
How long do you think it will be before the Federal government starts imposing draconian rules on guns, ammo, and anything else they want, without worrying about passing laws and having them pass the Supreme Court’s litmus test on Constitutionality? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get an executive branch department’s rules overturned? (Do the words “Act of Congress” have any meaning in your world?)
So here’s the deal, people. If you think illegal immigration doesn’t affect you, wake up. This is an issue that touches all our lives, and represents a clear and present danger to all your freedoms, including your 2nd Amendment rights.
The Left doesn’t have to ban guns to get them out of your hands. They can simply regulate them (or their ammo) in ways that will make it all but impossible for you to effectively use firearms for any purpose, let alone self-defense. You can choose to snooze, or you can wake up and demand action. Your call.
What can you do? Well, given my well-documented frustrations with the latest moves by the NRA, I’m not sure at this point I would recommend that you send them your hard-earned cash.
But I would recommend you check out the Gun Owners of America, and look into their mission statement, and see what they are doing to fight the good fight. Or you can go back to sleep. Just don’t be surprised there, Mr. Van Winkle, if when you wake up, your rights have gone the way of the dodo, spats, and cassette tapes.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
