Call to Decision

Begging for Freedom

How many people REALLY believe in unalienable rights? How many
people REALLY believe in freedom? Not many. Even among those who
call themselves pro-freedom, many still have some residue of the
slave mentality.

Let's use the example of the right of self defense, which is the
basis for the right to possess weapons, such as firearms (as
acknowledged in the Second Amendment). Even among gun owners, how
many people REALLY consider self-defense a "right"? Almost all gun
owners would SAY they believe it's a right, but do they really?
Here is a test: If owning a firearm was "illegal," would you still
have the right to do it? Suppose the Second Amendment was repealed,
via the proper procedures for amending the Constitution. And
suppose the feds, and all the states, then outlawed private gun
ownership entirely. Would you STILL have the right to be armed?

Yes, you would. And at this point, I expect most gun owners would
say the same, although the discussion would be making some of them
start to feel a bit nervous. You see, people have been so
indoctrinated into viewing politician commands as some morally
binding gospel, which they call "law," that they feel uncomfortable
even discussing the concept of violating such so-called "law" in
order to protect individual rights.

Let's go one step further. If the Second Amendment was repealed,
and private gun ownership was outlawed, and the police showed up at
your house to take yours, would you have the right to use any means
necessary to stop them? Would you have the right to start gunning
down "law enforcers" if they tried to disarm you? Quite a few gun
owners (including me) would still say, "Hell, yes, I would!" But
others would hesitate and squirm. And that's where someone's real
principles can be seen. If you believe in individual rights, then
you have to believe that NOTHING--no election, no legislation,
nothing--can take them away. (That's what "unalienable" means.) As
Jefferson explained in the Declaration of Independence, if those
calling themselves "government" decide to violate your rights, you
have every right--the DUTY, even--to resist, including with deadly
force, if necessary.

Of course, resisting tyranny is almost always hazardous, and you
may have to choose which battles to fight. But the principle
remains: if you have a "right" to do something, then, by
definition, you don't ever have an obligation to let ANYONE
interfere with your exercise of that right. And if shooting a cop
in the head is required to preserve your rights, you are perfectly
justified in doing so.

So NOW how many people are uncomfortable with the discussion?
Probably quite a few: all the people who do NOT really believe in
unalienable rights. Let's make it even a bit LESS comfortable: If
some "government" thug tries to forcible stop you from speaking
your mind, do you have the right to forcibly resist his efforts,
even if that requires killing him? Yep. And if you have the right
to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, do you have the
right to use force--deadly force, if necessary--to stop any "law
enforcer" who tries to search you or your house without a warrant
and without just cause? Yep.

A "right" that requires "government" permission is not a right, but
a government-granted privilege. A "right" that legislation can
negate is not a right. And yet most of the pro-freedom movement
goes to great lengths to ASK those in "government" to please not
violate our rights. They lobby for legislation protecting their
rights, or lobby against legislation which will infringe on their
rights. They try to elect people who will preserve their rights, or
at least not violate them even more than before. In other words,
they beg for their freedom, as if they need the PERMISSION of
tyrants to be free.

Why? If you have RIGHTS, why would ever ASK those who don't respect
those rights to give you their blessing? Would you ask a carjacker
if he would please refrain from stealing your car? How well would
that work? Would you try to elect a new carjacker for your
neighborhood, who will be nicer? Or would you SHOOT THE BASTARD?

Every time the American tyrants push some new totalitarian stunt,
and wage some new attack on your rights--which is happening at an
almost incomprehensible rate these days--do something about it. No,
I don't mean writing to "your" congressman. ("You" have a
congressman about as much as "you" can have a carjacker.) And I
don't mean voting. If you want to do something that the tyrants
will actually notice, and actually care about, every time they take
a step towards totalitarianism, go buy another gun, or more ammo,
or a couple high-capacity clips. Go to the range a few more times.
Make sure you have the equipment and the skills necessary to
enforce your rights yourself.

The politicians know they can completely ignore all the letter-
writing campaigns, petitions, and other examples of peasants
pathetically begging their masters to be nice. But I'll tell you
one thing they are NOT ignoring--one thing they DID notice--was the
HUGE number of people who have been buying guns and ammunition
since Barack Ostalin won the election. Violence is the only
language "authority" ever speaks, and in the end, is the only
language it understands. Or, as Patrick Henry put it...

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone
who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it
but downright FORCE. Whenever you give up that force, you are
inevitably ruined."

One final note: If the foregoing message made you nervous and
uncomfortable--if you're one of those who likes to talk about
"rights" as long as you don't have to think about actually
resisting "authority" (with something more meaningful and effective
than a vote or a letter)--then by all means, send "your"
congressman a letter saying, "I agree that I have no rights, and I
will only do what you give me permission to do." And then, when the
poop eventually strikes the air-propulsion unit, stay out of the
way. Maybe you'll get lucky, and people who actually have
principles and believe in rights will save yours.

Larken Rose
http://www.larkenrose.com

(P.S. To any feds or other fascists reading this message--and I
know you do--I have some advice for how you can protect yourself
from some gun-wielding "extremist" pro-freedom wacko: Stop
violating people's rights. Hang up your jackboots and get a
respectable job.)