Friday, July 04, 2003
Dean has posted the Declaration of Independence, which is always worth a read, especially today.
This has to be one of the most delicious statements ever made:
When learning about the Revolutionary War as a child that statement always fascinated me - did they really mean that? Could they really mean that? These were the guys forming the new government...I wondered if it was one of those, "Even if I scream to be let out, don't let me out" but really hoping that you would be let out, kind of things.
Or maybe it was so much posturing and nose-thumbing for the sake of the monarchy? Maybe a, "Listen, we had to do what we did - if we were in your position we'd expect the same" thing?
Surely, overthrowing your government isn't to be taken lightly, but part of me has to wonder...well, it was a bit easier for the colonists, wasn't it? They were away from England...would they have tried to overthrow the government if they were in England? No way! So if this line, this call for coup d'etat if necessary, is to be taken at face value then it's reasonable to assume that our founding fathers would expect this to take place on domestic soil. Unless - were there plans to colonize like England had done? Were these guys expecting their reach to match that of England's?
I'd like to revisit this when I've had some sleep, because it pulls into play the whole "right to bear arms" thing...which, again, lends credibility to the thought that our government believed that the day may come when people would have to rise up against their leaders. Though, you have to wonder, if you're rising up against your government to take them by force if necessary (which it surely would be) are you honestly going to worry about a Constitutional amendment giving you the green light? And that's something else...this statement about overthrowing the government was made in the original Declaration, but the amendment didn't come until much later...you'd have thought that, seeing as how important it was, that it would have been included in the original Constitution rather than tacked on at the end, am I right?
What of the militias that don't recognize the governement? Theoretically, they've cast off what they view as an oppressive, unfair, what have you government - are they still part of this country? Wouldn't it be their right to govern themselves? Or would they be expected to take down the whole government, military and all?
Seems to me the government has a rather unfair advantage here...I mean, if this whole "overthrow us if we suck" thing is to be taken seriously. When gunnuts advocates pull out the Constitution and say that they need their weapons in case they need to form a militia to overthrow the governement don't you have to wonder? They'd be mounting an attack of Lilliputian proportions against a behemoth war machine. So...okay, help me out here...we need to be prepared to take down our government if necessary, yes? By being "prepared" we, you know, have the right to buy guns. However, if our government really meant that we should be prepared, shouldn't they give us all guns? Every man, woman and child, armed in case we need to go toe-to-toe with Uncle Sam - now that would be an army! Yeah - I've got it - at the birth of every child they're issued a birth certificate, a gun, and directions on how to get where we're all going to meet in case the day came that we had to pick up weapons against the government. Viva la revolution!
Hang on...I think I fell asleep here somewhere. The second amendment doesn't have anything to do with government - but the wording...how does it go? Well-regulated militia something...something about the security of a free state. But that's not what it means. They didn't mean "state" like we use the word - well, they did and they didn't, but they didn't mean...you know what I bet that's in reference to? The Native Americans. I would bet you anything that it's about the Native Americans rising up to reclaim their land. Or hell, maybe to just do a little damage to the white man. I mean, the Revolutionary War was an absolute mess for Native Americans...one tribe ended up in a civil war, I think. That's what that is - it's the right to form a militia to protect yourself, family, whatever from Native Americans...after all, you couldn't expect the government to come running every time a tribe got a hair on their ass and decided to attack. Besides, they wouldn't have the time to respond - these were pre-SWAT days, remember. The amendment is intentionally vague - I bet there's a rough draft of it somewhere that says something about how you can keep a gun to protect yourself against those damn dirty Indians. Betcha.
You know, I'm a long, long way away from where I started, and I still haven't slept. Again, disclaimer, fully reserve the right to talk out of my ass, blah blah blah.
Zzzzzzz-ingly,
Natalie
This has to be one of the most delicious statements ever made:
"...that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..."
When learning about the Revolutionary War as a child that statement always fascinated me - did they really mean that? Could they really mean that? These were the guys forming the new government...I wondered if it was one of those, "Even if I scream to be let out, don't let me out" but really hoping that you would be let out, kind of things.
Or maybe it was so much posturing and nose-thumbing for the sake of the monarchy? Maybe a, "Listen, we had to do what we did - if we were in your position we'd expect the same" thing?
Surely, overthrowing your government isn't to be taken lightly, but part of me has to wonder...well, it was a bit easier for the colonists, wasn't it? They were away from England...would they have tried to overthrow the government if they were in England? No way! So if this line, this call for coup d'etat if necessary, is to be taken at face value then it's reasonable to assume that our founding fathers would expect this to take place on domestic soil. Unless - were there plans to colonize like England had done? Were these guys expecting their reach to match that of England's?
I'd like to revisit this when I've had some sleep, because it pulls into play the whole "right to bear arms" thing...which, again, lends credibility to the thought that our government believed that the day may come when people would have to rise up against their leaders. Though, you have to wonder, if you're rising up against your government to take them by force if necessary (which it surely would be) are you honestly going to worry about a Constitutional amendment giving you the green light? And that's something else...this statement about overthrowing the government was made in the original Declaration, but the amendment didn't come until much later...you'd have thought that, seeing as how important it was, that it would have been included in the original Constitution rather than tacked on at the end, am I right?
What of the militias that don't recognize the governement? Theoretically, they've cast off what they view as an oppressive, unfair, what have you government - are they still part of this country? Wouldn't it be their right to govern themselves? Or would they be expected to take down the whole government, military and all?
Seems to me the government has a rather unfair advantage here...I mean, if this whole "overthrow us if we suck" thing is to be taken seriously. When gun
Hang on...I think I fell asleep here somewhere. The second amendment doesn't have anything to do with government - but the wording...how does it go? Well-regulated militia something...something about the security of a free state. But that's not what it means. They didn't mean "state" like we use the word - well, they did and they didn't, but they didn't mean...you know what I bet that's in reference to? The Native Americans. I would bet you anything that it's about the Native Americans rising up to reclaim their land. Or hell, maybe to just do a little damage to the white man. I mean, the Revolutionary War was an absolute mess for Native Americans...one tribe ended up in a civil war, I think. That's what that is - it's the right to form a militia to protect yourself, family, whatever from Native Americans...after all, you couldn't expect the government to come running every time a tribe got a hair on their ass and decided to attack. Besides, they wouldn't have the time to respond - these were pre-SWAT days, remember. The amendment is intentionally vague - I bet there's a rough draft of it somewhere that says something about how you can keep a gun to protect yourself against those damn dirty Indians. Betcha.
You know, I'm a long, long way away from where I started, and I still haven't slept. Again, disclaimer, fully reserve the right to talk out of my ass, blah blah blah.
Zzzzzzz-ingly,
Natalie
