It's great that Shaneen Allen is free and was able to share her story with us at a Citizens for Liberty meeting. I just couldn't post this video without commenting on her call for national reciprocity for state issued carry permits. She's in favor of them, I'm not. Here's why. National reciprocity is just more federal domination of the states. We have too much of that already.
The problem is states implementing gun control not a lack of federal laws on the subject. National reciprocity entrenches and legitimizes this state level tyranny while at the same time expanding federal power. Despite appearances it's step backwards for liberty. The answer is to repeal state laws about licensing and regulating guns. At the same time we need to end federal involvement with guns by abolishing agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It's by this kind of limiting of government power that we protect our freedom.
The cover of the handout containing the presentation's PowerPoint slides
You read the title correctly, Delaware County United for Sensible Gun Policy (Delco United) held their “Firearms 101 Presentation” Monday night (02/02/2015) in Springfield, PA. They figure if they gain a little book knowledge about guns they'll have more credibility. OK, stop laughing, you have an article to read.
A page from the handout questioning
the nonexistent gun show loophole
As you can see by following the link above, the presenter, Larry Glick, is well credentialed being a former law enforcement officer and a former National Rifle Association member. Unfortunately, my request to video his presentation was denied. Let me start with one of the most most important things that he said, “there is no gun show loophole”. He went to great lengths to explain that the idea that there are many gun sales going on at gun shows with no background checks performed is false. Glick very directly told the Delco United people not to pursue that angle. Let's let that sink in for a moment. At a meeting of one of the major gun rights hating groups in the Philadelphia area the speaker debunked one of the biggest lies that gun rights haters put out.
The evening started out interestingly enough. When I first got there Terry Rumsey and Robin Lasersohn, Co-Chairs of Delco United, recognized me as the leader of the Open Carry Counter-Rally For Gun Rights that stole the thunder from their march and rally for universal background checks in Media, PA last June. They took me aside and expressed their concern that I might try to disrupt their meeting. “We don't want people being afraid of being mocked when they ask questions”, is how I recall Robin Lasersohn putting it. After agreeing to behave, which was my intention all along, I was allowed to stay.
The presenter, Glick, hit on the de rigueur propaganda notes. “It's for the children”, he said at one point. Tellingly, Glick said that he knows that crime rates, including murder rates, are falling as are rates of gun accidents. He must also know that this is happening as the number of guns in the US is higher than ever and rising. It doesn't matter, he still thinks we need more gun control. “If we can only save one life it's worth it”, he said dramatically. Hey, who needs facts and logic when you can tug at the heartstrings? I've written several articles covering the dynamics that drive the murder rate and it's not the availability of guns that matters. They can be read here, here, here, here, and here.
Glick also went into denial and said that nobody wants to confiscate guns. He may be sincere but is very misguided. Conversations with gun rights haters often reveal that ending civilian gun ownership is their goal. I don't recall him saying much about gun bans, but he sure was talking about the kinds of so called “assault weapons” that we don't need. Let's keep in mind that when certain kinds of guns are actually banned (as opposed to the phony 1994 – 2004 “assault weapon” “ban”) they're going to be confiscated. It makes little difference if all guns are banned/confiscated at once or if it happens in gradual stages. We end up in the same place.
Let's, for a moment, assume that few or no guns will actually be banned/confiscated. Onerous regulations, severe licensing requirements, high fees, insurance mandates, and draconian penalties for minor gun infractions can end up making owning and bearing arms financially prohibitive and legally dangerous. This is a way of de facto banning/confiscating guns without making the guns themselves illegal.
Because of my good behavior, I said not one word during the whole presentation, Terry and Robin were a bit nicer after the meeting. During our conversations I asked if they'd be interested in a debate. They said no but they would be interested in a moderated discussion. That sounds like a fine idea. Stay tuned for updates.
In LOVE Park, Philadelphia, PA on Saturday August 24, 2013 activists demonstrated against the NSA's surveillance program that has not faced its end yet. Also protested were Philadelphia's unreasonable stop and frisk policies that go against the Fourth Amendment and are warrant-less searches and violate our rights to privacy.
I gave this presentation at
the Citizens
for Liberty meeting on August 20, 2013 near Norristown,
Pennsylvania. Below are links to source material so readers can do
their own research and come to their own conclusions.
And if we enquire
how these unhappy nations have lost that precious jewel liberty...we
shall find their miseries...proceed from this, that their necessities
or indiscretion have permitted a standing army to be kept amongst
them...
...no nation ever
preserved its liberty, that maintained an army otherwise
constituted within the seat of their government...
...the
Israelites, Athenians, Corinthians, Archaians, Lacedemonians,
Thebans, Samnites, and Romans; none of which nations whilst they kept
their liberty were ever known to maintain any soldiers in constant
pay within their cities...
It's the misfortune
of all countries, that they sometimes lie under an unhappy
necessity
to defend themselves by arms against the ambition of their
governors,
and to fight for what is their own; for if a prince will rule us with
a
rod
of iron, and invade our laws and liberties...we...must patiently
submit to our bondage, or stand upon our own defense; which if we are
enabled to do, we shall never be put upon it...
This
subject is so self-evident, that I am almost ashamed to prove it: for
if we look
through the world, we shall find in no country, liberty and an army
stand
together;
so that to know whether a people are free or slaves, it is necessary
only
to ask, whether there is an army kept amongst them?
I
will venture to say, that if this Army does not make us Slaves, we
are the only People upon Earth in such Circumstances that ever
escaped it… If this Army does not enslave us, it is barely because
we have a virtuous Prince that will not attempt it; and it is a most
miserable thing to have no other Security for our Liberty, than the
Will of a Man, though the most just Man living: For that is not a
free Government where there is a good Prince (for even the most
arbitrary Governments have had sometimes a Relaxation of their
Miseries) but where it is so constituted, that no one can be a Tyrant
if he would. Cicero says, though a Master does not tyrannize, yet it
is a lamentable consideration that it is in his Power to do so; and
therefore such a Power is to be trusted to none, which if it does not
find a Tyrant, commonly makes one; and if not him, to be sure a
Successor.
It
is certain, that all parts of Europe which are enslaved, have been
enslaved by armies; and it is absolutely impossible, that any nation
which keeps them amongst themselves can long preserve their
liberties; nor can any nation perfectly lose their liberties who are
without such guests: And yet, though all men see this, and at times
confess it, yet all have joined in their turns, to bring this heavy
evil upon themselves and their country.
It
is on a supposition that your American governors shall be honest that
all the good qualities of this government are founded; but its
defective and imperfect construction puts it in their power to
perpetrate the worst of mischiefs should they be bad men; and, sir,
would not all the world blame our distracted folly in resting our
rights upon the contingency of our rulers being good or bad? Show me
that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people
were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men without
a consequent loss of liberty! I say that the loss of that dearest
privilege has ever followed, with absolute certainty, every such mad
attempt.
Did
you ever read of any revolution in a nation, brought about by the
punishment of those in power, inflicted by those who had no power at
all? You read of a riot act in a country which is called one of the
freest in the world, where a few neighbors cannot assemble without
the risk of being shot by a hired soldiery, the engines of despotism.
We may see such an act in America. A standing army we shall have,
also, to execute the execrable commands of tyranny; and how are you
to punish them? Will you order them to be punished? Who shall obey
these orders?
The Lemonistas strike again! For the third year in a row they've run an illegal lemonade stand selling their refreshing drink. A police officer interrogated and threatened them but in the end did nothing. This happened in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. This act of civil disobedience is done to protest the closing of children's lemonade stands around the country.
The description of the video on YouTube says it all, no need for me to add anything:
WeAreChange goes to the home of activist and YouTube host Adam Kokesh to
find out what happened on the night he was raided and arrested.
Kokesh's home was raided following a video he released of him loading a shotgun in Washington D.C. as an act of civil disobedience to protest
laws that restrict or deny people of the 2nd amendment. Kokesh did not
threaten anyone with the shotgun or use it in any violent way. When his
home was raided, the police said that they found magic mushrooms in his
safe along with his guns which is a felony charge in Virginia. Kokesh
and his housemates who were there on the night of the raid claim the
drugs were not Kokesh's and that he is being set up. They claim the
house and the safe was completely clean of any illegal substances and
that they actually witnessed police bringing in evidence bags that were
already full. Kokesh is currently being held in solitary confinement and
has been denied bail.
Become a member of The Sponsor Lounge and get exclusive behind the scenes content while helping us grow! Join us today! http:///www.wearechange.org/donate
The sixth Smoke Down Prohibition happened on June 30, 2013 in Philadelphia, PA. The police state turned out in greater strength than ever. They put on an overwhelming show of force. There were several arrests but fortunately no one was hurt.
This is what a police state looks like:
The cage the police state set up for the protesters:
Larken Rose (www.larkenrose.com/)speaking to the crowd before they started the march
(The next four pictures are of the marchers rallying in front of the Federal Detention Center. This is where Adam Kokesh and NA Poe were held in May after being arrested at Smoke Down Prohibition 5.)
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