No nation ancient or modern ever lost the liberty of freely speaking, writing, or publishing their sentiments, but forthwith lost their liberty in general and became slaves.
John P. Zenger
[Read the article linked to. The context for this quote is not the least bit frivolous. His case established freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and jury nullification in this country. And Zenger died in 1746—30 years before the Declaration of Independence!—Joe]
California is likely going to be forced to release 40,000 inmates from prisons due to over crowding.
With the economic in shambles few of these people will be able to find work and will resort to crime for the basic necessities. With the huge deficit and debt California has don’t expect an expansion of parole officers and/or police to protect the public from people that are still dangerous. And besides, what would they do with them if they caught them committing a crime? Put them back in the prison that was already overflowing?
California politicians who oppose people being able to defend themselves may face a sudden change of attitude in their voters in regards to gun control.
One might also expect a rise in the black market. The excessive regulation and high taxes stifle the utilization of cheap labor these newly released inmates represent. If the incentives to go straight are strong enough (getting shot for committing a minor crime could be sufficiently motivating) the price of the labor will become very low. If the labor is cheap enough entrepreneurs will consider getting into a grey market which bypasses the regulations and taxes. I would not be surprised that a dollar earned “below the radar” of the state is worth two dollars earned in full compliance with the state. If this does happened the underground economy will further erode the financial position of the state.
And what will be the end result? Will it be a Mad Max world, a libertarian utopia, or an invitation for the Feds to create a police state?
When having a discussion about Federal taxes being too high I’ve had people tell me, “You have nothing to complain about. Your state receives more Federal money than it pays in Federal taxes.”
I think the proper response to this is, “It doesn’t come back in the form of gold. It arrives in the form of whips, chains, and taskmasters.”
Victimhood is cherished by the left. As one of their media of exchange it is like gold to them. It is one of the highest forms of existence, for which they all long, to which they all aspire, and which they would have us all attain at their hands as payment in kind.
Lyle Keeney
November 21, 2010
Comment to Quote of the day—Kurt Hofmann
[This is in regards to Virginia Tech gun control victim Colin Goddard representing the Brady Campaign.—Joe]
I haven’t read the entire set of documents but the basics appear to be that a group of people conspired to hide their true political backers, distributed political materials harmful to a pro-gun candidate, who then lost by 122 votes.
Here is a tidbit I found in the documents alleging demonstrating misconduct:
If you voted in the primary in her legislative district (Washington State 38th district—in or near Everett) you can help. Read the following and fill out the Declaration and send it to her.
Via email from Joe Waldron:
From: Joe Waldron
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 4:28 PM
Subject: GOAL Alert, 38th Legislative DistrictDear GOAL listers:
GOAL is a political action committee (PAC) registered with the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) with the mission of supporting pro-gun candidates to elected office in Washington, primarily at the state level. (Due to RCW 9.41.290, state preemption, most firearms-related legislation is limited to the state level.)
In furtherance of this goal, GOAL has endorsed and given campaign contributions to candidates from BOTH major political parties, and occasionally to minor party candidates. The determining factor is their position on the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 24 of the Washington state constitution.
Once again in a Washington election, there are reports of inappropriate or even illegal activity conducted in support of or opposition to several candidates. (Hard to believe, I know, but apparently Chicago-style politics has made it to the great Northwest.)
One of these allegations of illegal activity involves a group calling itself Moxie Media. At the request of the PDC, state Attorney General Rob McKenna is investigating Moxie Media’s actions in the 2010 elections. According to the PDC report, Moxie Media created several separate organizations to conduct attacks on candidates too conservative for their liking. Moxie Media allegedly received its funding from several labor unions, among others. .
One of the candidates they attacked during the primary election period was Senator Jean Berkey, a Democrat representing the 38th District (NW Snohomish county).
Senator Berkey has been in the legislature since 2001, and a Senator since 2003. Senator Berkey was given an A- rating by the NRA-ILA Political Victory Fund and was also endorsed by GOAL and recommended to its members by the Washington Arms Collectors.
Senator Berkey lost the primary election by 122 votes.
I recently received the below communication from Senator Berkey. I believe she has a case. And the individual elected, Democrat Nick Harper, didn’t even bother to return the Candidate Questionnaire. That gives a pretty strong indication as to where he will stand on gun issues.
The GOAL list is a statewide e-mail list. I have no idea who on the list lives in what legislative district, hence the general mailing. This e-mail is intended for residents of the 38th District .
If you live in the 38th and you believe your vote in the primary election may have been influenced by the Moxie Media mailing, please give Senator Berkey a hand. She has been there for us, and deserves your support.
TIA,
Joe Waldron
Chairman, GOAL
Legislative chairman, WAC
Legislative chairman, WSR&PA
E-MAIL FROM SENATOR BERKEY:
Joe,
Thank you for your endorsement and your help with the Primary election in the 38th Legislative District.
I lost the Primary election by 122 votes and I believe some mail sent out by Moxie Media on behalf of some liberal Democratic groups cost me the election.
They designed the last minute mail to look like it was from Republicans (Cut Taxes PAC) to fool conservative voters. Unfortunately, it was well done and worked.
I believe the Attorney General may overturn the election and the liberal Democratic candidate that won the election may not be seated in the Senate.
I will send you this link to the PDC report (130 pages) that will shock you with the arrogance of these liberal labor and attorney groups. Every member of the Gun Owners Action League should read this report to see what we are up against.
www.pdc.wa.gov/archive/commissionmeetings/meetingshearings/pdfs/2010/11.015.pdf
Also, I will send this link to the editorial published by the Olympian.
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/11/10/1434238/maneuver-to-finance-political.html
I need help from your members in Everett and Marysville (the 38th Legislative District) and would like to ask them look at the attached Declaration (BerkeyDeclaration.doc–27 KB). If they voted during the last five days of the Primary election on August 17th, they may want to complete it and return it to me. If they have any questions, they should contact me at jeanberkey AT comcast.net.
It won’t cost them a penny and may prevent another gun control nut from being elected to the Washington State Senate.
Thank you for all your great help,
Senator Jean Berkey
I believe it is a mistake for us to borrow $700 billion to make tax cuts permanent for millionaires and billionaires. It won’t significantly boost the economy and it’s hugely expensive, so we can’t afford it.
President Barack Obama
November 14, 2010
Obama Says He’s Committed to Middle-Class Tax Cut Extension
[Just the phrase “we can’t afford it” and the word “expensive” in reference to a tax cut tells you how out of touch with reality he is or desires to change your perception of it. The proper usage of those words is more like, ‘You can’t afford spending money on expensive items.” You use a different set of words to describe taking money from people at gun point.—Joe]
…you clearly haven’t been paying attention.
The Political Insider (requires registration for e-mail alerts) is fielding a poll, trying to find out who we want for the next Republican presidential candidate. It’s all multiple choice, with the usual suspects. There are some general opinion questions too. The one that really got me is; “Do you think the tea party represents the Republican Party?”
Oh boy. First; No, or I sure hope not. But that’s not the proper question. The proper question would be; “Do you think the Republican Party represents the tea party?” The answer is; “Hell No, that’s why the tea party exists. Get it?”
That, you Insiders, is the problem, and so the tea party is trying to overrun the Republican Party, co opt it, and bring it into line. The other question I did not see is; “What should be the primary goal of the Republican Party over the next several years?”
The one, simple answer is; “Get rid of socialism and purge the socialists from American government payrolls. All of it. All of them.” We’ve had enough.
They didn’t give us the opportunity to answer in our own words, so I deleted the message.
The U.K. didn’t always have socialized medicine. The slide into the abyss started out by a requirement shortly after WW II that everyone purchase insurance. Does that sound familiar?
Here’s what we have to look forward to:
Tens of thousands of lung cancer patients are being denied life-saving surgery on the NHS, a shocking report reveals.
Fewer than one in ten sufferers is being given an operation to remove tumours that is routinely offered in most other countries in the Western world.
Experts say the disease is being spotted far too late so by the time it is diagnosed, it is inoperable.
I firmly believe the most important decision taken anywhere in the twentieth century was the decision taken as to where to locate the Princeton graduate college.
President of Princeton Woodrow Wilson wanted it located down on the campus. Other people wanted to located where it in fact is, up on the golf course away from the campus. When Wilson lost that, he had one of his characteristic tantrums, went into politics and ruined the twentieth century.
George Will
May 18, 2010
”2010 Milton Friedman Prize Dinner Keynote Address” featuring George F. Will
[Via Kevin. Please read the transcript at Kevin’s or listen to the podcast. This is a lot good stuff in there.
To understand this quote requires knowing more than a little about Woodrow Wilson’s “contribution” to the politics of this country. One might give Wilson a little bit of slack because of World War I. But it is probably better explained that WW I gave him the excuse to implement his agenda rather than WWI required the implementation of an oppressive government.—Joe]
I moved some pages I had on a different web site to this blog for better visibility and archival. These posts were from 1997 and 1998 which was long before my first blog post (February 3, 2004) and I have given the posts their approximate original date.
The pages moved are:
If you want to comment on one or more of those posts you will have to do it on this post as the comments are disable for posts that old.
When the People contend for their liberty, they seldom get anything for their Victory but new Masters.
George Savile
[This seems to be particularly true when the contention is via the ballot box.—Joe]
We have the belief that, through voting, our voice is being heard. How is my voice being heard if the ideas I cherish are defeated, and those I abhor prevail? How have I accomplished anything other than giving my consent to being ruled, potentially by someone my ideological opposite?
Well, I do not consent, and that is my vote.
Laurel
November 2, 2010
Check your premises.
[There is more than a little bit of truth to this but at the current time I’m not seeing “I do not consent” making a big impact or even the potential of a big impact. What are you going to do instead? Vote from the roof top on the day after? The last I heard that hasn’t started yet. Until it does voting seems to me to be the better alternative. And even if you do start applying “Second Amendment remedies” I don’t see voting with paper yesterday being a blocking issue for voting with copper jacketed lead today.—Joe]
Sounds like it’s time to put ’em up against the wall. Without the right to vote, there’s nothing left but direct force.
Michael Maio
Sunday 11/22/98 9:37 PM
SOC Libertarian Discussion
Microsoft Public Folder
In response to a report that the Federal Government concealed the results of an election to make marijuana legal for medical uses.
[I was reminded of this by what Alan said.
It’s something to keep in mind on this election day.—Joe]
The clock is ticking down and this election is very much in play. Those who resign themselves to thinking otherwise are their own worst enemies.
Here it is in simple terms: A vote for someone other than Rossi is a vote for Murray. A vote for Murray is a vote for Schumer.
Any questions?
Dave Workman
October 29, 2010
High stakes for gun owners in Tuesday’s Senate election
[Polls put Murray and Rossi very, very close:
Indeed, Republicans got a good poll in Washington tonight, although it comes with some qualifications. The survey, from Rasmussen Reports, gave Dino Rossi a 1-point lead over Patty Murray, the Democrat. Rasmussen’s previous survey of the state had given Ms. Murray a 3-point lead.
Now for the qualifications: Rasmussen has had a rather different impression of the state than other pollsters. Since Labor Day, Rasmussen and its subsidiary Pulse Opinion Research has polled the state seven times; four of their polls put Mr. Rossi ahead. By contrast, there have been nine polls of the state by companies other that Rasmussen. All nine of them gave Ms. Murray a lead, although usually by small margins.
Murray has never seen a gun control bill she didn’t like. Rossi is a good guy on guns and good on the economic issues as well.
If you are eligible to vote in Washington state please vote for Rossi. Remember how things went for Rossi in his last election. He needs enough votes to make another election theft improbable.—Joe]
Having lived for many decades in deeply liberal enclaves and having had many long-term friendly and working relationships with progressive types, I puzzled about the mental diff myself.
What I came up with is that your basic libertarian conservative is an optimist who doesn’t doubt for a second that, left to our own devices, things slowly but surely tend to get better. Your social conservative feels much the same *provided* we are on guard against moral trespass–you can’t get on the right track if you’re living on the wrong track.
Your progressive, otoh, is a pessimist who firmly believes that, left to our own devices, we will surely go astray in mass through greed, ignorance, prejudice and other low motivations. Hence, we need parental-type authority over us. Love of material things, particularly in categories like guns and cars, stands as proof of intent to drag all of society into your own mental hell.
If you point out the march of progress over recent centuries to them, to the extent they reply at all (as opposed to just blowing you off as some idiot), it is to state that that’s all delusion, a bubble that will burst leaving us in worse shape than if we had not pursued the folly of econo-technical progress at the expense of getting our heads right. Almost anything you say to them not from the choir book is mere confirmation that you are hopelessly delusional.
Curiously, most people who come right out and say they are socialists, you can have a debate with. They just think you’re the enemy, a swine, deluded but not delusional.
Charlie
October 17, 2010
Comment to Same Planet different worlds.
[I really like this. I like the way it succulently expresses the philosophical viewpoint of the various camps. Of course it’s possible to construct some gray area between the various camps. For example it’s possible to say the government should stay out of the lives of people but if people want to use public roads it might be okay for government require proof of driving skill.
But the main conclusion which can be drawn from this is that the progressive/pessimist leads themselves into a logical trap. If they are correct that people will “go astray” and need parental-type authority over them then the same argument can used against government. Hence you end up requiring an infinite chain of parental-type authorities. Just like requiring the universe to have a creator—who created the creator? It’s not turtles all the way down and the government can’t be fathers all the way up.—Joe]
Of course the tendency had been to say, ‘let’s adopt the multicultural concept and live happily side by side, and be happy to be living with each other’. But this concept has failed, and failed utterly.
Chancellor Angela Merkel
October 17, 2010
Angela Merkel declares death of German multiculturalism
[The same could be said of our tolerance of the liberal/progressive/socialist culture.—Joe]
Via Sebastian we have this bit of nonsense:
Justice Department legal adviser Amid Torres told lawmakers during a public hearing last week that the agency would submit amendments to the weapons law to La Fortaleza that reflect the jurisprudence established by the nation’s top court in McDonald vs City of Chicago this summer. In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court cast doubt on handgun bans in the Chicago area, but signaled that some limitations on the U.S. Constitution’s “right to keep and bear arms” could survive legal challenges.
Puerto Rico will have to ease its stringent firearms code in relation to the acquisition and possession of guns for self-defense.
Torres said the measures will include a requirement that shooting ranges keep logs of how much ammunition their members use and cap the number of bullets each client can fire in target practice at 500 per year.
I’ve gone through this many rounds in an hour of practice. There are very few firearms classes that I have taken which used this few of rounds. This is like telling a journalist they may only publish five articles a year.
A specific enumerated right that is limited to, at best, exercise only one weekend per year cannot stand.
I’ve got a better idea. How about governments can repeal as many laws as they want but they can only enact five laws per year?
Last Wednesday Senate Candidate Dino Rossi came to Microsoft and I went to listen to him talk and answer questions. I thought he did quite well. The Microsoft crowd has a strong tendency to be liberal. And his incumbent opponent has been considered the most liberal in the U.S. Senate. And as Rossi pointed out that when she has admitted socialists and people like Nancy Pelosi for competition in that contest that says a lot about her. The crowd was polite and listened. Almost his entire point was the financial crisis our country is in. His credentials are a degree in business with successful business ventures as proof. Then he took the lead in getting Washington state’s budget balanced several years ago.
When someone asked what he would do about the tax penalty that the questioner and his partner (it was worded such that it was pretty clear they were a homosexual couple) suffer that married couple don’t. Rossi had what seemed to be a satisfactory answer. He said he hadn’t really thought about it but he certainly would if it came up. And that it is rare that he would turn down an opportunity to reduce taxes so the chances are probably good that he would support something like that.
He didn’t mention guns at all. It’s probably just as well—particularly in that venue. He should let others tell that story. Here is an example of what his opponent says about guns. No one has ever accused her of being smart.
Here is what the NRA has to say about Rossi:
Update: I just heard a survey result on the radio. Rossi leads by 1%. In a state where King County (the Seattle area which is very liberal) sometimes reports more votes than registered voters this isn’t a big enough lead. Even in a fair election this margin is in the noise. We need to increase the margin. People will start voting in a few days (everyone votes by mail in Washington State) and the time is now to help Dino Rossi. See also the comment here from Boyd.
That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the People, that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to them.
George Mason
June 12, 1776
Virginia Declaration of Rights
[The U.S. Constitution was heavily influenced by the Virginia Constitution. Remember, James Madison, the main architect of the U.S. Constitution was from Virginia. And Mason had his share of input to the Constitution as well.
The entire political philosophy of our country is based on government deriving it’s powers from the consent of the people. Hence I always find it a little irritating when someone refers to a politician as a ‘leader’ when they are actually servants.
It is more than a little irritating when the servants tell the People they are the only ones allowed to own and carry certain types of personal weapons.
And when the servants use the People’s credit to run up a massive debt giving money to people and organizations which they had no constitutional authority to give it it too it’s time to fire them and perhaps prosecute them.—Joe]
The Brady Campaign has very little to feel good about these days so they are doing a lot of crowing about the Federal district court judge who dismissed the Montana Firearms Freedom Act case.
While most observers agree that we will not win this case that doesn’t mean it is a losing action. As I said in the comments over at Say Uncle’s place:
From the Missoulian
“We’ve believed all along that the federal District Court cannot grant the relief we request. We seek to overturn a half-century of bad precedent,” Gary Marbut, MSSA president, said in a statement. “Only the U.S. Supreme Court can do that. In that light, the pending dismissal by the District Court means little except that we are now free to move to the next step of the process.”
The Brady Campaign may ultimately be able to claim victory but not without more work. They are crowing now because it will be a while before they can crow for a real victory.
…
I don’t think “restrictions are defeated before they start” via lots of guns is a workable strategy. As an example look at machine guns. There were lots of them in private hands prior to 1934 and now there aren’t. Also consider legislative attacks such as trigger locks, “safe storage” laws, restrictions on carry that start with schools and public buildings then progresses to banks, parks, churches, vehicles, and “public spaces”.
While the Firearms Freedom Act has a low chance of ultimate success it is an integrated part of the SAF firearms civil rights judicial strategy.
I used to play a lot of chess which gives us a way to view this. Suppose you have a slight material advantage say 15 pieces to their 12 pieces. You increase your odds of winning by trading down an equal number/quality of their pieces for yours. When the odds are 3 to 1 in your favor you are far better off than when you were at 15 to 12.
Think of it this way–we have far more money than the anti-gun side. Suppose we have 10 x as much money and resources as they do. Suppose they need to spend half as much as we do on each front as we do in order to defeat us. The more fronts we attack on the less they have to spend on any one front. Even if we attack on a front they can easily win they must spend resources on it. This makes it easier to win on more fronts.
By forcing them to divide their resources we can create much better odds for success on each of the individual attacks because we have sufficient resources that our multiple attacks do not suffer from division.
There are other reasons as well but discussion of those in public would not be in our best interests.
Please add to that what Idaho Governor Butch Otter said about the ruling:
Governor Otter said that decision is consistent with Molloy’s wolf ruling, and together they highlight the lack of regard that the judge has for states’ rights under the 10th Amendment.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll find some relief from the appellate court,” he said. “But if not, we’ll keep fighting to protect our right to self-determination.”