What becomes of the limitations of the constitution, if the will of the people, thus inofficially promulgated, forms, for the time being, the supreme law, and the supreme exposition of the law? - Joseph Story (Commentaries on the Constitution (1822)
Currently, between the state Senate and Assembly, California has forty-seven pieces of pending legislation which will somehow affect California gun owners…FORTY SEVEN! For instance, AB 180 would establish an ammunition tax on top of the sales tax already applied; and then there is AB 760, another law which would impose a $.05 per round tax upon all ammo sales; AB 231 would require that gun owners obtain firearm liability insurance; AB 500 would extend the firearm purchase waiting period; and SB 108 would establish MANDATORY storage requirements for guns in the home. These are just a few of the laws currently making their way through the system in Sacramento, all of which are designed to further restrict our right to keep and bear arms.
On numerous occasions I have written my state representatives, as well as Governor Brown, asking them to oppose these measures. Not once have I gotten a response from them. It seems they are hell bent on doing whatever they deem is their idea of what is best for the public safety, and to hell with what the law says.
For nearly 35 years I have served my country in some fashion. I served in the United States Air Force for thirteen years, then another ten as a military contractor working with the U-2 reconnaissance program at Beale AFB, California. For the remainder I have found myself fighting a losing battle against the ignorance of the American populace. I say losing because I have found that most people would rather accept outright lies than face the truth that their own government has become their worst enemy.
You can’t possibly imagine the sadness, and anger, I feel when I watch the country that I love go down in flames because the people living in it refuse to see what is happening right before their very eyes. Thomas Jefferson was right when he said, “Freedom is lost gradually from an uninterested, uninformed, and uninvolved people…“
For a time I had almost given up as I felt that I had said all that needed to be said and if the people did not want to hear it, then so be it. But then someone suggested I read Ezekiel 33:1-9, which I did. I then realized that God had given me this gift to write in a manner that is both enjoyable and informative, and also the ability to see, somewhat clearly, the problems facing this nation. Call it what you will, but I consider it my calling, or my purpose in life to be that watchman spoken of in Ezekiel, to warn people about what is happening. If they refuse to heed my warnings, then my conscience will be clear when the end of our Republic finally comes.
Attorney General Eric Holder: “I respect the oversight role that Congress plays. This isn’t always a pleasant experience; it’s one that I recognize that you go through as an executive branch officer. The one thing I’ve tried to do is always be respectful of the people who’ve asked me questions. I don’t frankly think I’ve always been treated with a great deal of respect, and it’s not even a personal thing. If you don’t like me, that’s one thing, but I am the Attorney General of the United States.”
What’s this Mr. Holder, you are asking people to respect the office which you hold? Why don’t you begin by respecting the office yourself? You are the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. Why don’t you see to it that our laws are enforced? Take your buddy for instance, that guy over in the Oval Office who, perhaps, might not even be eligible to hold the office he does, why don’t you investigate that? Or the fact that under your watch guns were run to Mexican drug cartels, resulting in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, why hasn’t THAT been investigated? Then there is the fact that there are currently millions of illegal aliens running free in this country when our laws make their being here a crime. Instead of talking about immigration reform, why don’t we hear about immigration law enforcement? I mean, you are the chief law enforcement officer, aren’t you? You want my respect sir, you are going to have to earn it by doing your job!
For a couple of weeks now I have been struggling to write this article. Usually the ideas just flow from my fingertips onto the screen…not this time. It is not that I don’t know what to say, it is that I don’t know if people are ready to hear it. I think I have said all that can be said about our system of government, how it was supposed to work, and about the nature of our rights. If people haven’t understood by now, they just aren’t going to. But I have never really sat down and written about the reason I believe our country is in such sad shape, the why of it all if you may. Well this is why I think America is in such sad shape right now.
In 1989 Justice William Brennan offered the following ruling, “If there is a bedrock principle of the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” I know that what I am about to say may offend some, while turning others away. I don’t care, I feel that what I am about to say NEEDS to be said. In fact, I think it is long overdue that I do say it. So steel yourself for Neal’s thoughts on why America is so screwed up.
It probably comes as no surprise that I often hear that I sometimes come across as sounding harsh, opinionated, or even downright insulting. Numerous times it has been suggested that I tone it down because more people will read and consider what I have to say if tried being a bit nicer. I have tried that and it hasn’t seemed to do much good, so this time around I think I’ll try another approach, I think I’ll simply speak what’s on my mind.
Besides, I grew up being taught that honesty is the best policy, so I think it’s time I be brutally honest and if you can’t handle what I have to say, tough. I saw something on Facebook the other day which I find fitting, it said, “The days of walking on pins and needles are over. The days of worrying about feelings have ended. It’s time to step on some toes and take our country back.” And if it is your toes I happen to step on in the process then maybe it is because you needed it.
It appears that Attorney General Holder sent Gov. Brownback of Kansas, a letter citing the Supremacy Clause in justifying the federal enforcement of gun laws in the states. This is what I would have sent him in return were I in a position to do so.
In 1783 George Washington sent out a Circular to the State Governments, which in part said, “The foundation of our Empire was not laid in the gloomy age of Ignorance and Superstition, but at an Epocha when the rights of mankind were better understood and more clearly defined, than at any former period, the researches of the human mind, after social happiness, have been carried to a great extent, the Treasures of knowledge, acquired by the labours of Philosophers, Sages and Legislatures, through a long succession of years, are laid open for our use, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the Establishment of our forms of Government…At this auspicious period, the United States came into existence as a Nation, and if their Citizens should not be completely free and happy, the fault will be interely their own.”
It has been two hundred thirty years since Washington said that and were he alive today he would be deeply saddened by what he would see. In fact, were he alive today Washington might very well declare, “The current state of our Empire shows an utter lack of understanding of the nature of the rights of mankind and the purpose for which government is instituted.”
Last night I sat down to watch Steven Spielberg’s film Lincoln. Had I not known anything at all about Abraham Lincoln I would have walked away from that film thinking that Lincoln was worthy of sainthood for his devotion to the ending of slavery and the cause of equality for all men, including the negro slaves. However, knowing what I do about him, I can’t but wonder as to why a film was made which distorts history so much from the actual truth.
The problem is this, many people who have seen this film are going to think that they have been told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, when in fact they would probably have gotten just as much truth had they watched Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, because both movies are fiction. Sure the creators of these films take events that actually happened and use them to fit their story, but they twist and manipulate the truth in such a manner as it creates a false image of the people involved in the events in which they participated.
The other day I read an article that left my jaw hanging just inches off the floor. It seems that during a discussion regarding gun control legislation which would ban high capacity magazines, Colorado Representative Diana DeGette made the following statement, “What’s the efficacy [effectiveness] of banning these magazine clips? I will tell you these are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now, they’re going to shoot them. And so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available.“
Anyone who knows anything at all about firearms with removable magazines would realize that this woman has absolutely no idea what she is talking about. She obviously has no clue that these magazines can be reloaded and used again. Yet she is involved in making decisions on the legality of these high capacity magazines when she doesn’t have the slightest idea what she’s talking about? Doesn’t the fact that there are elected officials passing laws when they don’t know the first thing about the subject matter bother any of you? It sure bothers me.
I’m tired, I really am. When I write I have a specific audience in mind and it seems that I am not getting through to them. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the responses I get from those who do read, and agree with what I am saying. The truth, however, is that I am wasting my time if the only people who read these little missives are the ones who already agree with what I am saying.
Listen, I am not the brightest kid on the block. That may come as a surprise to many, but it’s the truth. I do however feel passionate about the subject matter I write about, and I think it is that which separates me from the mindless mass of humanity to whom these missives are written for. I feel that people simply do not care enough to take the time to educate themselves, they would rather ‘go with the flow’ and not rock the boat. If it were any different I would be seeing a change in people’s attitudes, but unfortunately I don’t.
A while back I made some comments at work which seem to have offended and upset certain people who I thought were my friends. My comments were along the lines that why should I get upset over the fact that, in the current contract negotiations with our union, our company is trying to give us the shaft, when for the past ten years or so I have been writing about how our government is giving us the shaft and none of these people who are mad at me now have even cared enough to see if I might be telling the truth.
These folks also were upset with me because I was repeating the propaganda, or bullshit if you prefer to use the term, fed to me by management, yet they don’t think twice about repeating the same lies and bullshit fed to them by their elected officials and the news media. Talk about hypocrisy!
Sometimes I grow so weary of trying to open people’s eyes to the reality that is unfolding right in front of them. I know that there are many people who read these commentaries I write, and many more who are of like mind who have never heard my name. Yet it still seems like the wheels of tyranny and oppression continue to turn, depriving us of more of our rights, and regulating the minutest aspects of our lives. So what are we to do if we wish to preserve our liberties?
I know that there are some who feel that I am too radical, that I pose a threat to them, and to what they believe to be the American Dream. Is it radical to tell people the truth? Didn’t Orwell say that in times of universal deceit telling the truth was a revolutionary act? Yet I continue to hear from some that I must hate my country because of all the bad things I write about it.
As I speak the company I work for is going through the process of contract negotiations with the Teamsters Union which represents the employees. Before I continue I would like to make it clear, I have very little use for unions, and if it weren’t for the fact that I am required to be a member to work where I do, I would never have joined one. I have my own reasons, and I won’t go into them as they bear no relevance to the subject I wish to discuss here today.
It seems like every time this process of contract negotiations takes place, rumors begin flying all over the place as to what the company is trying to take from the employees. I don’t think some people realize that it is a bargaining process and nothing is set in stone until they present us with a contract to vote upon. It makes absolutely no sense to get yourself all worked up over these rumors until something is presented to you in final form.
However, since everyone is getting all worried about certain aspects, I felt that I may as well add my two cents, and just to let you know, what I am about to say is going to piss a lot of people off.
A good portion of the rumors I have heard deal with the issue of medical insurance. Among the rumors I have heard are; that the company is trying to take it away from us, that our premiums are going to increase, and that if you have a pre-existing condition they new insurance they switched to won’t cover expenses incurred due to that condition.
My last article garnered a comment from someone I know that proves that I was right when I said that most people couldn’t name even five of the rights protected by the Bill of Rights. This person, who I won’t mention, but who knows who they are, said that I was nuts because we can still exercise all our rights. So I asked them to name five of the rights, just as the article said. The first thing they said was freedom of speech, followed by a long pause. So I prodded, what else? Then they blurted out I plead the fifth. To which I replied, you ought to before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have. Of course that didn’t go over too well, but it proved my point that most people CAN’T name the rights which our Founders felt were so important that they listed them individually in the Bill of Rights.
If people aren’t capable of telling you which rights the Founders specifically listed in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, how in the hell are they capable of telling you if they have been infringed upon? On top of that, I don’t think they understand, no matter how many times I have tried to explain it, what the word infringed really means. So let me try and make this as simple as I can.
The Constitution of the United States is a law for rulers and people, equally in war and in peace, and covers with the shield of its protection all classes of men, at all times, and under all circumstances. No doctrine, involving more pernicious consequences, was ever invented by the wit of men than that any of its provisions can be suspended during any of the great exigencies of government. Such a doctrine leads directly to anarchy or despotism.
Ex parte Milligan (1866)
At the foundation of our civil liberties lies the principle the denies to government officials an exceptional position before the law and which subjects them to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen.
Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1921)
It is not enough to know that the men applying the standard are honorable and devoted men. This is a government of laws, not of men…It is not without significance that most of the provisions in the Bill of Rights are procedural. It is procedure that spells much of the difference between rule by law and rule by whim or caprice.
In the Sixties, the group Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young wrote a song in which they state; “Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground.” As Ronald Reagan once said, freedom is never free. Freedom comes with a cost, and if there aren’t those willing to pay it, then it will vanish. And without freedom you are merely a slave. That is not the way freemen live, and it is not how our Founders hoped this nation would turn out.
In February of 1788 James Madison penned Federalist 51 in which he hinted at what may happen should the people of this country become ignorant and corrupt, “It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”
Before I even begin, let me make it clear that I am not insulting or denigrating anyone. I am merely using a conversation I had this morning as an example to explain how our right to keep and bear arms has been infringed by those who have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, our elected representatives, and the Injustice System whose job it is to uphold the law.
This morning at work a woman was saying that she keeps a gun in her car for protection and that it is her Constitutional right to do so. She also said something about if anyone tried to arrest her she would see them in court for violating her right.
I honestly can’t recall the subject of the very first article I wrote way back when I first started writing these long-winded missives. I do recall that two subjects were of concern to me at the time; illegal immigration and gun control. Well, it seems like I have come full circle as gun control is once again the subject of greatest concern for me.
With everyone from the Federal Government all the way to the state governments, attempting to enact their own laws to prevent gun violence, the Second Amendment is under attack like no other time in our nation’s history. Yet this time it appears that there is greater public support for stricter laws regarding who can own guns, and what type they may own.
Before I continue, I would like you to consider two scenarios and think about how you would react to each of them. In the first scenario imagine you are at a mall or busy shopping center and you see a uniformed policeman or country sheriff walk in and begin shopping. In the second scenario you see an ordinary person in civilian clothes walk in, but this person is carrying a sidearm in a holster and they begin to shop in the store.
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When my local news station ends their broadcast of the evening news, they always say something along the lines of, “Celebrating 125 years of broadcast excellence.” When I hear them say that it truly angers me, as from my perspective they are anything but excellent. But this is not just about my local news channel, it is about journalists in general, from those who work at the many local stations across the nation all the way to the high profile anchors at the 24 hour news stations like FOX and CNN.
Are you aware of the fact that the Society of Professional Journalists have a code of ethics to which they are supposed to uphold? The Preamble to this code states ” Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society’s principles and standards of practice.”
With a large percentage of the public behind them, lawmakers across the country are waging all out war upon the Second Amendment. Just last Thursday the Providence City Council passed a resolution banning all semi-automatic firearms in the city. The Illinois State Legislature is now working on a bill which would ban all semi-automatic rifles, and certain semi-automatic pistols as well. Not to be outdone, Senator Diane Feinstein, of California, is planning on introducing a beefed up version of the 1994 federal firearms ban on semi-automatic firearms, which would also include certain types of semi-automatic pistols as well.
With a great deal of public support, and a spineless neutered GOP to oppose her, Senator Feinstein might actually succeed in ramming this unconstitutional law through Congress, and you can bet your ass that Barack Obama will willingly sign it. But just because they have the majority to do a thing, with the support of much of the public behind them, does it mean they have the authority to do it? And if they do enact this law, what are the implications for we the people?
This will effectively be, my last article for 2012. The ONLY reason I am writing it is because in January, the Wicked Witch of the West, Senator Diane Feinstein, plans on introducing a bill which would ban on the manufacture and sale of, so-called, assault rifles, but would also require the registration and fingerprinting of ANYONE who had legally purchased one after the 2004 expiration of a ban on them expired. My intent is, hopefully, to introduce some facts, and common sense, (something that is far too scarce these days), into the argument before the Senator is successful in ramming this bill through Congress to the desk of, a more than willing, President for his signature.
First of all, some history. In 1994 the Congress passed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, or Public Safety and Recreation Firearms Use Protection Act, which provided a ten year ban upon, so-called, assault rifles. It was signed by President Clinton, and then expired in 2004. Now this new bill, which will be introduced in January, will ban the same type rifles, close loopholes in the 1994 law, while at the same time ban other semi-automatic pistols. It will also require that the owners of those weapons purchased during the time they were legal to be fingerprinted and registered with the government. This, being pushed by the same Senator Feinstein, who on 60 Minutes, stated, “If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them — Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in — I would have done it.”
Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by reason. Samuel Adams 1776
In the movie Enter The Dragon, starring Bruce Lee, there is a scene where a British Agent comes to recruit Bruce Lee to participate in a martial arts tournament on an Island where the British have no jurisdiction. During the meeting between Lee, and the agent, Braithwaite, one of Lee’s students comes for some personal instruction. After completing a kick, Lee asks the student, how it felt. The student begins to reply with, “I think…”, when Lee slaps him on the head and says, “Don’t THINK, FEEL.”
With the recent rash of shootings, particularly the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the people of this country are certainly feeling. They are feeling fear, anger, but all those who are running around claiming that more gun control is the answer certainly aren’t THINKING.
Our nation’s founders believed that for our system of government to function as designed the people would have to, first be educated as to how it was supposed to function, and secondly, pay close attention to the actions of those chosen to represent them.
In 1822 James Madison wrote. “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” Madison also said, “Learned Institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty & dangerous encroachments on the public liberty.”
In an 1816 letter to Charles Yancey, Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant & free, in a state of civilisation, it expects what never was & never will be.”
Finally, Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Surgeon General during the Revolutionary War, and founder of Dickenson College, stated, “Freedom can exist only in the society of knowledge. Without learning, men are incapable of knowing their rights.”
Increasingly, I am finding it more difficult to place any faith whatsoever in the people of this country to do what is in the best interest of the nation overall. Do not get me wrong, I do not hate anyone, or hold any ill will towards them, but I have become so disillusioned with the apathy and ignorance of people in general that I fear that America will never be able to solve all the problems we face as a nation.
Sometime between 1787 and 1788 James Madison wrote, “It is a misfortune, inseparable from human affairs, that public measures are rarely investigated with that spirit of moderation which is essential to a just estimate of their real tendency to advance or obstruct the public good; and that this spirit is more apt to be diminished than promoted, by those occasions which require an unusual exercise of it.”
On Sunday I attended a meeting for the Teamsters where proposals were taken for the upcoming contract negotiations. As I sat there listening to the proceedings all I could think of was, is it any wonder why America is so screwed up. Allow me to explain.
After being called to order the meeting began with us reciting the pledge of allegiance. Although all the members recited it from memory, I truly wonder how many of them realized the significance of the words they were reciting.
The pledge states, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end. ~ Neal H. Ross
Currently, between the state Senate and Assembly, California has forty-seven pieces of pending legislation which will somehow affect California gun owners…FORTY SEVEN! For instance, AB 180 would establish an ammunition tax on top of the sales tax already applied; and then there is AB 760, another law which would impose a $.05 per round tax upon all ammo sales; AB 231 would require that gun owners obtain firearm liability insurance; AB 500 would extend the firearm purchase waiting period; and SB 108 would establish MANDATORY storage requirements for guns in the home. These are just a few of the laws currently making their way through the system in Sacramento, all of which are designed to further restrict our right to keep and bear arms.
Attorney General Eric Holder: “I respect the oversight role that Congress plays. This isn’t always a pleasant experience; it’s one that I recognize that you go through as an executive branch officer. The one thing I’ve tried to do is always be respectful of the people who’ve asked me questions. I don’t frankly think I’ve always been treated with a great deal of respect, and it’s not even a personal thing. If you don’t like me, that’s one thing, but I am the Attorney General of the United States.”
On Sunday I attended a meeting for the Teamsters where proposals were taken for the upcoming contract negotiations. As I sat there listening to the proceedings all I could think of was, is it any wonder why America is so screwed up. Allow me to explain.
