VegasPatriot
01-18-2011, 11:44 AM
The Arizona Shooting and the Sad Cycle of American Politics – “They Who Can Give Up Essential Liberty …” (http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2011/01/18/the-arizona-shooting-and-the-sad-cycle-of-american-politics-%e2%80%93-%e2%80%9cthey-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-%e2%80%a6%e2%80%9d/)
It should come as no surprise that the usual political vultures have descended on the Tucson shooting and, before the blood even dried on the concrete, immediately sought to use that horrible mass murder by a mentally ill killer as a political weapon to infringe on our right to bear arms, to chill our speech, and to suppress the groundswell of constitutionalism that is sweeping the nation. But the best rebuke I have seen yet of their bloodthirsty political opportunism comes from the father of the nine year old who was among the slain.
Please watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axKjS92pnqk) and listen to his words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axKjS92pnqk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axKjS92pnqk)
In the above video, John Green, father of Christina Taylor Green, despite all of his grief at her death, speaks with deep understanding of the tendency of people to give up their liberty in response to tragic events, and he forcefully rejects any further infringement on our liberty, saying:
“I know she wouldn’t want things to change -- would not want restrictions, I-- I saw what happened to our life, specifically because I travel quite a bit. After 9/11, travel became a nightmare. It—we don’t need any more restrictions on our society … If you live in a country like the United States, where we are more free-- more free than anyone else-- we are subject to things like this happening — and I think that’s the price we have to pay.”
In another interview, he said “In a free society, we’re going to be subject to people like this [referring to the shooter], so, I prefer this to the alternative.” You can watch that interview here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXZOGNhw6p8).
My hat is off to this man for giving such a principled, deep, courageous, and thoughtful response to the tragic death of his daughter. Mr. Green is an example of what is best about America. He deserves our utmost respect and gratitude. If only the political chattering class were half as principled. In a guest editorial for the Daily Bell (http://www.thedailybell.com/1689/Ron-Paul-On-Gun-Control-and-Violence.html), Congressman Ron Paul had this to say about the shameful attempts to use the Arizona shooting as justification for liberty stealing legislation:
“[L]iberty only has meaning if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and more government security is demanded.”
Precisely. Just as it was wrong to curtail liberty and to violate the Bill of Rights after 9-11, it is now equally wrong to do the same in the aftermath of this senseless shooting. The whole point of a written Constitution and a Bill of Rights is to bind us down from doing mischief to our own lives and liberty during times of fear, war, and emergency.
And yet, just as the neocons of the Bush Administration used 9-11 as their “Pearl Harbor event” to further their executive supremacy agenda and to grow the power of the national security state, so too are their government supremacist counterparts on the left now doing exactly the same, using a tragedy as a political weapon and as a way to further unconstitutional and liberty stealing legislation. Both are despicable, displaying a contempt for liberty and the Constitution, and both deserve equal condemnation and resistance. It was wrong when the neocons did it, and it is wrong now when the current batch of politicians and talking heads on the left are doing it.
During the Bush years, I often heard leftists quote Ben Franklin’s warning that “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” They were certainly correct when using that warning to rebuke the Neocons. But now it is also applicable to them, if they support the destruction of the right to free speech and the right to bear arms to supposedly obtain temporary safety.
Ben Franklin’s warning applies equally to us all, whether “left” or “right,” of whatever party or political orientation. We must be CONSISTENT in our defense of liberty and our Bill of Rights. If, out of fear, we sacrifice our birthright of Liberty, and in a panic trample our Bill of Rights, then we will have neither liberty nor security, and we shall deserve neither.
The Sad Cycle of American Politics: Both Parties Violate the Constitution When in Power
There is a sad cycle evident in American politics where only the party out of power even thinks about the Constitution, while the party in power is blind to the unconstitutional actions of its own side. Thus, during the Clinton years, many on the left gloried and bragged about Clinton’s use of executive power (”stroke of the pen, law of the land, kinda cool.”) and it was the right that was afraid of government power and running around quoting the Founders. Then, during the Bush years they switched places, and many on the right defended anything and everything Bush did, regardless of how unconstitutional -- including the absurd claim that he could black bag American citizens without indictment, without trial, and hold them in military detention indefinitely -- while it was the left that suddenly rediscovered the virtues of separation of powers and constitutional limits on powers, and ran around quoting Ben Franklin and other Founders.
But now that the left has been back in power, we have seen them trade places and roles yet again, with the left now drunk on executive power, excusing, justifying, and defending anything their man and their party does - including Obama’s use of executive orders to circumvent Congress, and his claim that he can order the assassination of any American citizens he deems “unlawful enemy combatants.”
And we now see masses of conservatives rediscovering the Constitution and quoting the Founders, while many (if not most) on the left are openly hostile toward anyone who dares to even question what is being done, or dares quote the Constitution or the Founders, labeling them “extremists,” “traitors,” “crazy,” “paranoid,” “stupid” or “racist.” That has been the consistent meme presented by political elites of both parties: that no one who speaks out against government activities or laws has any legitimate concern, and do so out of paranoia or for illegitimate reasons. And now we see leftists trying to blame constitutionalists and conservatives for this act of senseless violence by a mentally disturbed individual.
As Jordan Page’s excellent song, Pendulum (Click to View Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlZldWmmDTY%29)) puts it:
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
as momentum increases the need for the fight
Like a blindfold when its time to walk towards the light
& I am lost somewhere in the middle
Sadly, as the political pendulum swings from the left to the right, we see both major parties supporting violations of the Constitution when their guy is in the White House. The cycles through Democratic and Republican administrations and majorities in Congress act like a one way ratchet of expanding government power. Regardless of who is in office, the power of the federal government is ratcheted up, and the increases in power are rarely ever rolled back by the other party once it ascends to power. Each increases power using different justifications and reasoning. And each uses the inherited power for different ends. For example, right now all the federal power increased during the Bush years in the name of fighting Islamic terrorism is being aimed increasingly at constitutionalists, gun owners, libertarians, and Tea Party people – nearly anyone on the grass-roots political right. Just look at the current focus of DHS. But whether it is a Democratic or a Republican administration, the common denominator is that power is increased, and it is used – against the American people.
Hope for America: The Growing Third Part That is Consistent in Defense of Liberty and Fidelity to the Constitution
But there is a growing third part of this nation that is consistent in defense of liberty regardless of which of the two major parties are in power. Those are the libertarians, the Ron Paul Republicans, the “Barry Goldwater” conservatives (sometimes called Paleo-cons), the Constitutionalists, and others across the political spectrum who do understand Franklin’s warning and who are not blinded by power when “their side” is in the White House.
We consistent constitutionalists opposed the unconstitutional actions of Clinton as well as Bush, and now we do the same in opposition to McCain and Obama and any other politician who violates the Constitution. We truly do not care whether they are Democrats or Republicans, if they violate the Constitution, we call them on it.
And that is where our salvation as a nation will lay, if anywhere. We must work HARD to grow that third part of the population that is consistent and steadfast in defense of liberty regardless of who is in power. But we must also expect to be attacked viciously by the partisan hacks, on both the left and the right, when they are in power. And we must understand that, with few exceptions, only when they are out of power are they open to our message of liberty and sincere defense of constitutional limits on power.
At this moment, it is the left that is most blind and deaf to that message of liberty and constitutional limits on power because their man is in the White House, while it is the political right that is most receptive to our message because their man is not in the White House. When the political fortunes change, then so will their perspectives, and many on the right will go to sleep, while many on the left will wake up again. But the more we can grow that third part of the population who are always awake, aware, vigilant, and suspicious of anyone who approaches the jewel of liberty, the more likely we are to stop that pendulum swing and to restore a limited government Constitutional Republic.
As to the great majority of our fellow citizens who fall prey to that factionalism and partisanship when their side is in power, we should strive to treat them with understanding, patience, and forgiveness, for they know not what they do. Rather than condemning them, we must help them to wake up and become consistent (which is far, far easier to do when they are out of power, and then hope that the lessons stick).
But as to the politicians, who each raised their right hands and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, they are far less deserving of our tolerance and forgiveness since they do know precisely what they are doing. By their actions we shall know them, and if they violate their oaths and sponsor, support, or vote for legislation that violates our rights and violates the Bill of Rights, then we should make it our goal to see to it they are defeated in the next election -- and that goes for any such oath breaker, of any party.
What they do in the aftermath of this shooting will be a litmus test for all those freshmen legislators. Watch them closely, and if they fail the test, flunk them.
Stewart Rhodes
Founder of Oath Keepers
It should come as no surprise that the usual political vultures have descended on the Tucson shooting and, before the blood even dried on the concrete, immediately sought to use that horrible mass murder by a mentally ill killer as a political weapon to infringe on our right to bear arms, to chill our speech, and to suppress the groundswell of constitutionalism that is sweeping the nation. But the best rebuke I have seen yet of their bloodthirsty political opportunism comes from the father of the nine year old who was among the slain.
Please watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axKjS92pnqk) and listen to his words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axKjS92pnqk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axKjS92pnqk)
In the above video, John Green, father of Christina Taylor Green, despite all of his grief at her death, speaks with deep understanding of the tendency of people to give up their liberty in response to tragic events, and he forcefully rejects any further infringement on our liberty, saying:
“I know she wouldn’t want things to change -- would not want restrictions, I-- I saw what happened to our life, specifically because I travel quite a bit. After 9/11, travel became a nightmare. It—we don’t need any more restrictions on our society … If you live in a country like the United States, where we are more free-- more free than anyone else-- we are subject to things like this happening — and I think that’s the price we have to pay.”
In another interview, he said “In a free society, we’re going to be subject to people like this [referring to the shooter], so, I prefer this to the alternative.” You can watch that interview here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXZOGNhw6p8).
My hat is off to this man for giving such a principled, deep, courageous, and thoughtful response to the tragic death of his daughter. Mr. Green is an example of what is best about America. He deserves our utmost respect and gratitude. If only the political chattering class were half as principled. In a guest editorial for the Daily Bell (http://www.thedailybell.com/1689/Ron-Paul-On-Gun-Control-and-Violence.html), Congressman Ron Paul had this to say about the shameful attempts to use the Arizona shooting as justification for liberty stealing legislation:
“[L]iberty only has meaning if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and more government security is demanded.”
Precisely. Just as it was wrong to curtail liberty and to violate the Bill of Rights after 9-11, it is now equally wrong to do the same in the aftermath of this senseless shooting. The whole point of a written Constitution and a Bill of Rights is to bind us down from doing mischief to our own lives and liberty during times of fear, war, and emergency.
And yet, just as the neocons of the Bush Administration used 9-11 as their “Pearl Harbor event” to further their executive supremacy agenda and to grow the power of the national security state, so too are their government supremacist counterparts on the left now doing exactly the same, using a tragedy as a political weapon and as a way to further unconstitutional and liberty stealing legislation. Both are despicable, displaying a contempt for liberty and the Constitution, and both deserve equal condemnation and resistance. It was wrong when the neocons did it, and it is wrong now when the current batch of politicians and talking heads on the left are doing it.
During the Bush years, I often heard leftists quote Ben Franklin’s warning that “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” They were certainly correct when using that warning to rebuke the Neocons. But now it is also applicable to them, if they support the destruction of the right to free speech and the right to bear arms to supposedly obtain temporary safety.
Ben Franklin’s warning applies equally to us all, whether “left” or “right,” of whatever party or political orientation. We must be CONSISTENT in our defense of liberty and our Bill of Rights. If, out of fear, we sacrifice our birthright of Liberty, and in a panic trample our Bill of Rights, then we will have neither liberty nor security, and we shall deserve neither.
The Sad Cycle of American Politics: Both Parties Violate the Constitution When in Power
There is a sad cycle evident in American politics where only the party out of power even thinks about the Constitution, while the party in power is blind to the unconstitutional actions of its own side. Thus, during the Clinton years, many on the left gloried and bragged about Clinton’s use of executive power (”stroke of the pen, law of the land, kinda cool.”) and it was the right that was afraid of government power and running around quoting the Founders. Then, during the Bush years they switched places, and many on the right defended anything and everything Bush did, regardless of how unconstitutional -- including the absurd claim that he could black bag American citizens without indictment, without trial, and hold them in military detention indefinitely -- while it was the left that suddenly rediscovered the virtues of separation of powers and constitutional limits on powers, and ran around quoting Ben Franklin and other Founders.
But now that the left has been back in power, we have seen them trade places and roles yet again, with the left now drunk on executive power, excusing, justifying, and defending anything their man and their party does - including Obama’s use of executive orders to circumvent Congress, and his claim that he can order the assassination of any American citizens he deems “unlawful enemy combatants.”
And we now see masses of conservatives rediscovering the Constitution and quoting the Founders, while many (if not most) on the left are openly hostile toward anyone who dares to even question what is being done, or dares quote the Constitution or the Founders, labeling them “extremists,” “traitors,” “crazy,” “paranoid,” “stupid” or “racist.” That has been the consistent meme presented by political elites of both parties: that no one who speaks out against government activities or laws has any legitimate concern, and do so out of paranoia or for illegitimate reasons. And now we see leftists trying to blame constitutionalists and conservatives for this act of senseless violence by a mentally disturbed individual.
As Jordan Page’s excellent song, Pendulum (Click to View Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlZldWmmDTY%29)) puts it:
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
as momentum increases the need for the fight
Like a blindfold when its time to walk towards the light
& I am lost somewhere in the middle
Sadly, as the political pendulum swings from the left to the right, we see both major parties supporting violations of the Constitution when their guy is in the White House. The cycles through Democratic and Republican administrations and majorities in Congress act like a one way ratchet of expanding government power. Regardless of who is in office, the power of the federal government is ratcheted up, and the increases in power are rarely ever rolled back by the other party once it ascends to power. Each increases power using different justifications and reasoning. And each uses the inherited power for different ends. For example, right now all the federal power increased during the Bush years in the name of fighting Islamic terrorism is being aimed increasingly at constitutionalists, gun owners, libertarians, and Tea Party people – nearly anyone on the grass-roots political right. Just look at the current focus of DHS. But whether it is a Democratic or a Republican administration, the common denominator is that power is increased, and it is used – against the American people.
Hope for America: The Growing Third Part That is Consistent in Defense of Liberty and Fidelity to the Constitution
But there is a growing third part of this nation that is consistent in defense of liberty regardless of which of the two major parties are in power. Those are the libertarians, the Ron Paul Republicans, the “Barry Goldwater” conservatives (sometimes called Paleo-cons), the Constitutionalists, and others across the political spectrum who do understand Franklin’s warning and who are not blinded by power when “their side” is in the White House.
We consistent constitutionalists opposed the unconstitutional actions of Clinton as well as Bush, and now we do the same in opposition to McCain and Obama and any other politician who violates the Constitution. We truly do not care whether they are Democrats or Republicans, if they violate the Constitution, we call them on it.
And that is where our salvation as a nation will lay, if anywhere. We must work HARD to grow that third part of the population that is consistent and steadfast in defense of liberty regardless of who is in power. But we must also expect to be attacked viciously by the partisan hacks, on both the left and the right, when they are in power. And we must understand that, with few exceptions, only when they are out of power are they open to our message of liberty and sincere defense of constitutional limits on power.
At this moment, it is the left that is most blind and deaf to that message of liberty and constitutional limits on power because their man is in the White House, while it is the political right that is most receptive to our message because their man is not in the White House. When the political fortunes change, then so will their perspectives, and many on the right will go to sleep, while many on the left will wake up again. But the more we can grow that third part of the population who are always awake, aware, vigilant, and suspicious of anyone who approaches the jewel of liberty, the more likely we are to stop that pendulum swing and to restore a limited government Constitutional Republic.
As to the great majority of our fellow citizens who fall prey to that factionalism and partisanship when their side is in power, we should strive to treat them with understanding, patience, and forgiveness, for they know not what they do. Rather than condemning them, we must help them to wake up and become consistent (which is far, far easier to do when they are out of power, and then hope that the lessons stick).
But as to the politicians, who each raised their right hands and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, they are far less deserving of our tolerance and forgiveness since they do know precisely what they are doing. By their actions we shall know them, and if they violate their oaths and sponsor, support, or vote for legislation that violates our rights and violates the Bill of Rights, then we should make it our goal to see to it they are defeated in the next election -- and that goes for any such oath breaker, of any party.
What they do in the aftermath of this shooting will be a litmus test for all those freshmen legislators. Watch them closely, and if they fail the test, flunk them.
Stewart Rhodes
Founder of Oath Keepers