Category: Quote O’ The Day

“Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” — Patrick Henry

Atlanta Protesters Graffiti, Smash Windows at CNN Headquarters

Protests over the death of George Floyd have taken a destructive turn in downtown Atlanta.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m., some type of scuffle happened between a protester and an Atlanta police officer right outside the CNN Center along Centennial Olympic Drive.

Police formed a barricade and kept protesters at bay right for quite a while and then the protesters took a destructive turn. Shortly after 8 p.m., protesters started smashing the doors of the CNN. Then they moved to parked police cruisers and began jumping on the cars, smashing the windows and eventually set a police cruiser on fire.

This comes after protesters peacefully marched from Centennial Olympic Park to the state Capitol, and then back. The tense moments came as it appeared protesters started leaving Centennial Olympic Park.

Quote O’ The Day and winner of the Freudian Slip Award

“….I think that the dangerous – you know – edges here are that he’s trying to undermine the media. Trying to make up his own facts. And it could be that while unemployment and the economy worsens he could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think. And that is the, that is our job.”

 

“Every collectivist revolution rides in on a Trojan horse of “emergency”. It was the tactic of Lenin, Hitler, and Mussolini. In the collectivist sweep over a dozen minor countries of Europe, it was the cry of men striving to get on horseback. And “emergency” became the justification of the subsequent steps. This technique of creating emergency is the greatest achievement that demagoguery attains.” – President Herbert Hoover

Paul’s comment here , “Looking at Taiwan’s response and results makes me wonder what’s wrong with the rest of the world’s leadership.” reminded me of a quote:

“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority….. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.“
Daniel Webster.

The possibility of gaining more power, using an ’emergency’ or any other excuse, is a strong incentive to those already corrupted by being in positions of power, to do whatever they can to grab more.

The forgoing bringing this to mind:

A 9th Circuit dissent by Judge Alex Kozinski:

Judges know very well how to read the Constitution broadly when they are sympathetic to the right being asserted. We have held, without much ado, that “speech, or . . . the press” also means the Internet, see Reno v. ACLU, 521 U.S. 844 (1997), and that “persons, houses, papers, and effects” also means public telephone booths, see Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967). When a particular right comports especially well with our notions of good social policy, we build magnificent legal edifices on elliptical constitutional phrases —or even the white spaces between lines of constitutional text. See, e.g., Compassion in Dying v. Washington, 79 F.3d 790 (9th Cir. 1996) (en banc), rev’d sub nom. Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997). But, as the panel amply demonstrates, when we’re none too keen on a particular constitutional guarantee, we can be equally ingenious in burying language that is incontrovertibly there.

It is wrong to use some constitutional provisions as springboards for major social change while treating others like senile relatives to be cooped up in a nursing home until they quit annoying us. As guardians of the Constitution, we must be consistent in interpreting its provisions. If we adopt a jurisprudence sympathetic to individual rights, we must give broad compass to all constitutional provisions that protect individuals from tyranny. If we take a more statist approach, we must give all such provisions narrow scope. Expanding some to gargantuan proportions while discarding others like a crumpled gum wrapper is not faithfully applying the Constitution; it’s using our power as federal judges to constitutionalize our personal preferences.

If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual State. In a single State, if the persons entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.

Alexander Hamilton
Federalist No. 28

Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands? — Patrick Henry

We all know, or should know, of Mr Henry.
Just to point out, he was a Virginian.

Remember the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas
MILESFORTIS will return

 

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

 

“Do you wish to preserve your rights?
Arm yourselves.
Do you desire to secure your dwellings?
Arm yourselves.
Do you wish your wives and daughters protected?
Arm yourselves.
Do you wish to be defended against assassins or the Bully Rocks of faction?
Arm yourselves.
Do you desire to assemble in security to consult for your own good or the good of your country?
Arm yourselves.
To arms, to arms, and you may then sit down contented, each man under his own vine and his own fig-tree and have no one to make him afraid….If you are desirous to counteract a design pregnant with misery and ruin, then arm yourselves; for in a firm, imposing and dignified attitude, will consist your own security and that of your families. To arms, then to arms…..”—Tench Coxe

Never forget, even for an instant, that the one and only reason anyone has for taking your gun away is to make you weaker than he is, so he can do something to you that you wouldn’t let him do if you were equipped to prevent it. This goes for burglars, muggers, and rapists, and even more so for policemen, bureaucrats, and politicians.

Alexander Hope
In the novel “Hope” by Neil Smith and Aaron Zelman.

Tacoma City Council Increases Prices on Firearm, Ammunition Sales

I guess a city in Washington state can do this even when the state legislature has preemption on gun law. If it was me with a gun business in Tacoma, I’d move right outside the city limits and advertise like crazy.

The Tacoma, Washington, City Council voted Tuesday to increase prices on firearm and ammunition sales within city limits.
Fox News reports that the council did this by passing new taxes that will amount to an additional $25 on the price of every gun, two cents on the price of every round of .22 ammunition, and five cents on the price of every round of ammunition that is of higher caliber than .22.

The council approved the tax hike by a vote of 8-0.

The council expects the city of Tacoma to “raise about $300,000 annually” off the imposition, and they say they will use the money to fight violence.

On August 12, 2015, Breitbart News reported Seattle’s adoption of a similar tax and less than two years later Money reported, “It didn’t work.”

Money reported Seattle’s City Council predicted the tax would “raise $300,000 to $500,000” annually. In reality, it brought in less than $200,000. However, the National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that the tax did achieve one end–it drove licensed, law-abiding gun dealers outside of city limits where they could avoid paying the tax.

Also, violence in Seattle surged as licensed gun dealers moved outside the city to avoid the new taxes.

 

“The only reason why the government would want to disarm you after 243 years is because they intend to do something that you would shoot them for.” 
–Kathy Zhu @PoliticalKathy

Thank You Beto O’Rourke

Not for withdrawing, but for ripping the cover off the ball. It wasn’t that you promised to confiscate AR-15s. It was the roar of applause that you got from that audience.

Rifles accounted for 2.9% of the gun murders in America in 2018, and ARs are a subset of rifles. If you and your audience wanted to confiscate those, either that was only the beginning or you don’t care about the other 97.1%+ of gun murders.

I vote for Door #1 on that. So, Beto, you did us all a service by finally coming out and saying what the Democratic Party wants to do. If any Democrat thinks that the message didn’t get through, you’d better think again.

Sheriff: My Deputies Won’t Be in Beto O’Rourke’s Anti-Gun ‘Gestapo’

Sheriff Mark Cage of Eddy County, New Mexico, indicates his deputies will not serve in the anti-gun, “personal Gestapo,” Robert “Beto” O’Rourke talks about sending around to confiscate guns.

O’Rourke has been clear in his support for a “mandatory,” government-enforced buyback of all AR-15 and AK-47 rifles. And he has been equally clear on his plans to send law enforcement personal to the homes of those who refuse to hand over their rifles.

Sheriff Mark Gage is not in line with O’Rourke’s plan. In fact, Townhall quoted Cage saying, “I’m not sure whether his statements are naive or just plain ignorant and arrogant. Maybe it’s all three.”

Cage continued, “The thought of anyone utilizing my sheriff’s office or any other law enforcement agency in this country as their personal Gestapo to go door to door violating citizen’s rights is disgusting, unrealistic and downright un-American.”

Cage believes “bloodshed” will the be unavoidable outcome of O’Rourke’s plans, should they ever be put in place. He said, “Some of my constituents are already adopting the mantra of ‘Come take mine Beto!’…His rhetoric has gotten old and I look forward to the day when he shuts up.”

‘We have to do something’: Michigan school district considers arming staff

Addison — Standing on the sidewalk outside his school’s K-12 campus, superintendent Steve Guerra sweeps his hand across endless acres of farms, woods and marsh that surround his school and the 810 students inside.

Any direction Guerra stands — north, south, east or west — law enforcement is at least 20 miles away from Addison Community Schools, which sits remotely along the borders of Lenawee, Jackson and Hillsdale counties.

Guerra, who spent the summer reinforcing nearly 130 school windows with security film and adding 60 new security cameras, estimates police response time to his main school building from any three county sheriff’s departments is between 13 to 38 minutes.

“Both of those numbers are unacceptable,” Guerra said. “A school shooting is over in seven minutes. We are looking at other opportunities to keep our kids and staff safe.”

That includes arming school staff.

Addison school officials are talking about becoming the first school district in Michigan to allow its educators to carry guns.

The conversation started 18 months ago, Guerra said, when school leaders were searching for new ways to improve school safety, and it led to the creation of a safety committee comprised of three local board of education members to study and research the idea.

Then earlier this month, about 100 people attended a public meeting where students, parents and community members openly spoke of their support of and concerns about having guns inside the school.

Guerra said he has eight staff members who are concealed pistol license holders, including himself, teachers and a custodian, who have already volunteered to carry if the district moves forward with the option.

“I personally think that it would be a good idea,” Guerra said. “As the CEO and superintendent of my district, I can’t guarantee 100% safety in my district. Would employees carrying guarantee? No. It would reduce causalities.”