CanisMajor
04-18-2009, 08:26 PM
My liberal brother-in-law in Pennsylvania recently inquired of me via email the reason I desire to carry a concealed deadly weapon. He found out about this because I revealed in our weekly family email letter that I had spent an entire Saturday in the classroom and on the range in order to fulfill the licensing requirements for CCDW in Kentucky. So, I wrote this response to him (and to my equally liberal sister). It is admittedly a condensed explanation of the issue. As it is, I doubt that they will read beyond the first paragraph or two. I present it here for y'all to use for a similar purpose, should you so desire. Enjoy.
Why do I feel the need to carry a concealed deadly weapon (a.k.a. "firearm")?
Principle and Undeniable Fact #1:
There is a small percentage of evil people who are predatory in nature and seek to injure and kill other people, i.e. we live in a fallen and dangerous world.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #2:
God does not want us to be victims of mayhem and violence. The 6th Commandment tells us not to murder, it does not tell us we cannot kill in self-defense or in defense of another.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #3:
Evil-doers will always have access to the tools of their trade, i.e. deadly weapons. Law-breakers by their very title and their very nature don't follow laws. Therefore there is no law that will keep these people from getting deadly weapons, including firearms, and there is no law that will prevent them from using these weapons on innocent citizens.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #4:
The average individual cannot defend themselves with bare hands against a knife or a firearm attack and expect a reasonable chance of a positive outcome.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #5:
It is not the police department's job to protect citizens from evil-doers 24/7. Call your local police department and request a personal bodyguard 24/7. Let me know what they say. The job of the police is to catch evil-doers after the fact. Occasionally they do prevent assaults on citizens before they happen, but that is not their primary job.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #6:
The founders of our Republic wisely spelled out the right of self-protection (using weapons) in the Bill of Rights, with the inclusion of the Second Amendment*.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #7.
In a life or death confrontation, a firearm is a proven deterrent to evildoers. In the hands of a trained and practiced person, a firearm gives the law-abiding citizen an excellent fighting chance for survival against predatory evil-doers.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #8:
I refuse to let myself and my loved ones become victims of these evil predators. It is my responsibility to myself, my family, and my community to carry a deadly weapon (a.k.a. "firearm") for protection. In short, by carrying a concealed firearm, I am being a responsible citizen, rather than a victim-in-waiting.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #9:
While Kentucky is an open-carry state, carrying a firearm in plain view would give an advantage to the bad guys. They would know who to come after first if there were multiple prey available to them. Or, if an individual is the sole prey, they would use different tactics if they knew for sure a person was armed, and his too would give the bad guy(s) an advantage.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #10:
While Kentucky is an open-carry state, there are enough ignorant or hoplophobic people around that someone is bound to call 911 when they see a plain-clothes person openly carrying a firearm in a public place. While open carry is legal, a person could be charged with any number of things, such as inciting a panic, disorderly conduct, and menacing, just to name a few. Take that same person and that same firearm and hide it, and the ignorant and hoplophobic will be as calm as the sheep that they are.
*Contrary to popular belief, the Second Amendment does not "give" us the right to keep and bear arms. If it did, that would mean that this right comes from the government, and therefore the government could take this right away. The Second Amendment spells out the fact that we have this right, and that it cannot be taken away. The right to keep and bear arms is a God-given (or "natural") right. Since it is given by God, and not by men (government), it can never be taken away by men. Also, the Second Amendment, known to the founders as "Liberty's Teeth", was primarily designed to instill a healthy sense of fear in elected government officials, who are supposed to be servants of "We the people", and accountable to "We the people". By "Liberty's Teeth", they meant that the Second Amendment protects and ensures ALL of our other rights. The Second Amendment protects and ensures our freedom and liberty.
Now, I have a few questions for you:
Why do you feel the need to speak freely without fear of reprisal by the government? Why do you feel the need to be safe in your home without fear of warrantless searches and seizures by the government? Why do you feel the need to worship (or not worship) as you chose? Shall I go on? I will tell you why you feel all these needs and more. You desire these things because you, like all people everywhere and in every age, inherently yearn for freedom and liberty. And that is a good thing.
“Carrying a gun is a social responsibility...A citizen who shirks his duty to contribute to the security of his community is little better than the criminal who threatens it...”
--Robert Boatman
“… one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in their struggle for independence.”
--- C. A. Beard
“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.”
--- Thomas Jefferson
“To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”
--- Richard Henry Lee writing in letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic (1787-1788)
“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage then to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”
--- Thomas Jefferson, quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in "On Crimes and Punishment", 1764
“The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.”
--- Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution
“The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.”
--- Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
“That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United states who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms...”
--- Samuel Adams
“No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
--- Thomas Jefferson, proposal Virginia Constitution, June 1776, 1 T. Jefferson Papers, 334
“Arms in the hands of citizens (may) be used at individual discretion... in private self-defense...”
--- John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions (1788)
“. . . a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen . . .
--- D.C Appellate Court, Warren v. District of Columbia
“There is no constitutional right to be protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or madmen.”
--- 7th Circuit Court, Bowers v. DeVito (1982)
Why do I feel the need to carry a concealed deadly weapon (a.k.a. "firearm")?
Principle and Undeniable Fact #1:
There is a small percentage of evil people who are predatory in nature and seek to injure and kill other people, i.e. we live in a fallen and dangerous world.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #2:
God does not want us to be victims of mayhem and violence. The 6th Commandment tells us not to murder, it does not tell us we cannot kill in self-defense or in defense of another.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #3:
Evil-doers will always have access to the tools of their trade, i.e. deadly weapons. Law-breakers by their very title and their very nature don't follow laws. Therefore there is no law that will keep these people from getting deadly weapons, including firearms, and there is no law that will prevent them from using these weapons on innocent citizens.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #4:
The average individual cannot defend themselves with bare hands against a knife or a firearm attack and expect a reasonable chance of a positive outcome.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #5:
It is not the police department's job to protect citizens from evil-doers 24/7. Call your local police department and request a personal bodyguard 24/7. Let me know what they say. The job of the police is to catch evil-doers after the fact. Occasionally they do prevent assaults on citizens before they happen, but that is not their primary job.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #6:
The founders of our Republic wisely spelled out the right of self-protection (using weapons) in the Bill of Rights, with the inclusion of the Second Amendment*.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #7.
In a life or death confrontation, a firearm is a proven deterrent to evildoers. In the hands of a trained and practiced person, a firearm gives the law-abiding citizen an excellent fighting chance for survival against predatory evil-doers.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #8:
I refuse to let myself and my loved ones become victims of these evil predators. It is my responsibility to myself, my family, and my community to carry a deadly weapon (a.k.a. "firearm") for protection. In short, by carrying a concealed firearm, I am being a responsible citizen, rather than a victim-in-waiting.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #9:
While Kentucky is an open-carry state, carrying a firearm in plain view would give an advantage to the bad guys. They would know who to come after first if there were multiple prey available to them. Or, if an individual is the sole prey, they would use different tactics if they knew for sure a person was armed, and his too would give the bad guy(s) an advantage.
Principle and Undeniable Fact #10:
While Kentucky is an open-carry state, there are enough ignorant or hoplophobic people around that someone is bound to call 911 when they see a plain-clothes person openly carrying a firearm in a public place. While open carry is legal, a person could be charged with any number of things, such as inciting a panic, disorderly conduct, and menacing, just to name a few. Take that same person and that same firearm and hide it, and the ignorant and hoplophobic will be as calm as the sheep that they are.
*Contrary to popular belief, the Second Amendment does not "give" us the right to keep and bear arms. If it did, that would mean that this right comes from the government, and therefore the government could take this right away. The Second Amendment spells out the fact that we have this right, and that it cannot be taken away. The right to keep and bear arms is a God-given (or "natural") right. Since it is given by God, and not by men (government), it can never be taken away by men. Also, the Second Amendment, known to the founders as "Liberty's Teeth", was primarily designed to instill a healthy sense of fear in elected government officials, who are supposed to be servants of "We the people", and accountable to "We the people". By "Liberty's Teeth", they meant that the Second Amendment protects and ensures ALL of our other rights. The Second Amendment protects and ensures our freedom and liberty.
Now, I have a few questions for you:
Why do you feel the need to speak freely without fear of reprisal by the government? Why do you feel the need to be safe in your home without fear of warrantless searches and seizures by the government? Why do you feel the need to worship (or not worship) as you chose? Shall I go on? I will tell you why you feel all these needs and more. You desire these things because you, like all people everywhere and in every age, inherently yearn for freedom and liberty. And that is a good thing.
“Carrying a gun is a social responsibility...A citizen who shirks his duty to contribute to the security of his community is little better than the criminal who threatens it...”
--Robert Boatman
“… one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in their struggle for independence.”
--- C. A. Beard
“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.”
--- Thomas Jefferson
“To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”
--- Richard Henry Lee writing in letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic (1787-1788)
“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage then to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”
--- Thomas Jefferson, quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in "On Crimes and Punishment", 1764
“The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.”
--- Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention on the ratification of the Constitution
“The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.”
--- Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
“That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United states who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms...”
--- Samuel Adams
“No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
--- Thomas Jefferson, proposal Virginia Constitution, June 1776, 1 T. Jefferson Papers, 334
“Arms in the hands of citizens (may) be used at individual discretion... in private self-defense...”
--- John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions (1788)
“. . . a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen . . .
--- D.C Appellate Court, Warren v. District of Columbia
“There is no constitutional right to be protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or madmen.”
--- 7th Circuit Court, Bowers v. DeVito (1982)