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http://www.newsmax.com/commentarchive.shtml?a=3D2001/1/26/134840

Campaign Finance Reform and Gun Control: Partners in Pretense=20
Dr. James Hirsen=20
Jan. 26, 2001

Campaign finance reform and gun control. Believe it or not, these two =
agendas have some amazing traits in common.=20
First of all, both issues are tailor-made for public grandstanding. =
Demagoguery just seems to gush forth whenever a big wad of money is tied =
to the political system or a firearm tragedy occurs. In matters of money =
and death, emotion trumps intellect every time, present day definitely =
not excluded.=20

Campaign finance reform devotees characterize the sheer size of a =
contribution as evil in and of itself. The presence of a quid pro quo is =
not mandatory. Only the potential for some sort of mischief need exist. =
Gun control advocates tell us that somehow a lifeless object is the =
source of the problem rather than human action. In the case of a crime =
that involves gun usage, laws which merely regulate conduct are deemed =
insufficient. New laws aimed at gun ownership are suddenly desirable and =
urgently needed.=20

But here is the rub. Legislation in either area runs counter to the =
express language of the Constitution. No place in the Constitution =
authorizes Congress to regulate money given to candidates. Furthermore, =
the First Amendment protects so-called issue ads as free speech. =
Proponents of campaign finance reform know that soft money cannot =
effectively be banned without closing the issue ad loophole. However, =
the very groups that attempt to enlighten the public through issue ads =
are the same alternative sources of information that compete with the =
conventional media. Advocacy groups of all persuasions would be silenced =
by the types of proposals that campaign finance reformers seek.=20

With regard to gun control, firearm ownership regulations contradict the =
express language contained in the Second Amendment. The language of this =
amendment simply reiterates one of the unalienable rights referred to in =
the Declaration of Independence. It is a right that government does not =
bestow. Rather, it is a birthright and may not be infringed.=20

The second commonality involves the threat to liberty when government =
gets into the business of regulating specifically determined rights. If =
a certain type of speech by a certain organization is restricted, other =
organizations acquire greater power as a result. When an advocacy group =
is censored, the monopoly power to control information is vested in the =
mainstream media. The American public already knows that conventional =
news sources cannot be relied upon to provide the complete picture. When =
government regulates the possession of firearms, the monopoly power is =
vested in the criminal.=20

Thirdly, new laws mean nothing if existing laws are not enforced. =
Campaign finance laws have been on the books for approximately 25 years. =
In recent times we have seen troubling allegations of foreign campaign =
contributions, individual limit violations and policy changes that =
appear to be payoffs. So many times the public has witnessed failure on =
the part of officials to apply the law in even the most obvious cases. =
And with tens of thousands of gun laws on the books, and additional laws =
prohibiting criminal conduct while using a gun, the same principle =
applies. Why bother to pass new laws when old laws are basically =
ignored?=20

Fourthly, facts are consistently dismissed by supporters of campaign =
finance reform and champions of gun control. There is an excessive =
conflict of interest involved when legislators are asked to regulate the =
source of their incumbency. Campaign finance reform turns out to be an =
incumbency protection plan that allows current politicians to stay in =
office and hampers challengers from using grassroots resources. =
Politicians who are pushing for campaign finance reform know that it =
will never work. They know that the Supreme Court has already struck =
down restrictions on issue ads. Since there is no way to eliminate soft =
money without eliminating issue ads, it is just empty rhetoric.=20

Gun control enthusiasts ignore the millions of crimes each year that are =
thwarted in a non-violent way, due to the mere presence of a firearm in =
the hands of an intended victim. The fact that crime rates plummet in =
every jurisdiction that allows "concealed carry" is, for the most part, =
kept secret.=20

What we do need is enforcement of campaign finance laws. We need to =
provide for full and complete disclosure of all contributions and =
continue to safeguard the First Amendment. And we also need enforcement =
of gun laws. We need policies that properly advance the spirit and =
letter of the Second Amendment.=20

The Constitution has proven itself a venerable document. Its fundamental =
principle is that of liberty. We must make it clear to campaign finance =
reformers, gun control advocates and politicians who try to use these =
vehicles as a path to more power that the Constitution has friends in =
common and diverse places who will oversee its care and ensure its =
preservation.




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.newsmax.com/commentarchive.shtml?a=3D2001/1/26/134840"=
>http://www.newsmax.com/commentarchive.shtml?a=3D2001/1/26/134840</A></FO=
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=3D#003399 size=3D4>Campaign Finance Reform and =
Gun Control:=20
Partners in Pretense</FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><EM>Dr. James Hirsen </EM></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT size=3D2>Jan. 26, 2001</FONT></EM></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT size=3D2></FONT></EM></STRONG>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Campaign finance reform and gun control. Believe it or not, these =
two=20
agendas have some amazing traits in common.=20
<P>First of all, both issues are tailor-made for public grandstanding.=20
Demagoguery just seems to gush forth whenever a big wad of money is tied =
to the=20
political system or a firearm tragedy occurs. In matters of money and =
death,=20
emotion trumps intellect every time, present day definitely not =
excluded.=20
<P>Campaign finance reform devotees characterize the sheer size of a=20
contribution as evil in and of itself. The presence of a quid pro quo is =
not=20
mandatory. Only the potential for some sort of mischief need exist. Gun =
control=20
advocates tell us that somehow a lifeless object is the source of the =
problem=20
rather than human action. In the case of a crime that involves gun =
usage, laws=20
which merely regulate conduct are deemed insufficient. New laws aimed at =
gun=20
ownership are suddenly desirable and urgently needed.=20
<P>But here is the rub. Legislation in either area runs counter to the =
express=20
language of the Constitution. No place in the Constitution authorizes =
Congress=20
to regulate money given to candidates. Furthermore, the First Amendment =
protects=20
so-called issue ads as free speech. Proponents of campaign finance =
reform know=20
that soft money cannot effectively be banned without closing the issue =
ad=20
loophole. However, the very groups that attempt to enlighten the public =
through=20
issue ads are the same alternative sources of information that compete =
with the=20
conventional media. Advocacy groups of all persuasions would be silenced =
by the=20
types of proposals that campaign finance reformers seek.=20
<P>With regard to gun control, firearm ownership regulations contradict =
the=20
express language contained in the Second Amendment. The language of this =

amendment simply reiterates one of the unalienable rights referred to in =
the=20
Declaration of Independence. It is a right that government does not =
bestow.=20
Rather, it is a birthright and may not be infringed.=20
<P>The second commonality involves the threat to liberty when government =
gets=20
into the business of regulating specifically determined rights. If a =
certain=20
type of speech by a certain organization is restricted, other =
organizations=20
acquire greater power as a result. When an advocacy group is censored, =
the=20
monopoly power to control information is vested in the mainstream media. =
The=20
American public already knows that conventional news sources cannot be =
relied=20
upon to provide the complete picture. When government regulates the =
possession=20
of firearms, the monopoly power is vested in the criminal.=20
<P>Thirdly, new laws mean nothing if existing laws are not enforced. =
Campaign=20
finance laws have been on the books for approximately 25 years. In =
recent times=20
we have seen troubling allegations of foreign campaign contributions, =
individual=20
limit violations and policy changes that appear to be payoffs. So many =
times the=20
public has witnessed failure on the part of officials to apply the law =
in even=20
the most obvious cases. And with tens of thousands of gun laws on the =
books, and=20
additional laws prohibiting criminal conduct while using a gun, the same =

principle applies. Why bother to pass new laws when old laws are =
basically=20
ignored?=20
<P>Fourthly, facts are consistently dismissed by supporters of campaign =
finance=20
reform and champions of gun control. There is an excessive conflict of =
interest=20
involved when legislators are asked to regulate the source of their =
incumbency.=20
Campaign finance reform turns out to be an incumbency protection plan =
that=20
allows current politicians to stay in office and hampers challengers =
from using=20
grassroots resources. Politicians who are pushing for campaign finance =
reform=20
know that it will never work. They know that the Supreme Court has =
already=20
struck down restrictions on issue ads. Since there is no way to =
eliminate soft=20
money without eliminating issue ads, it is just empty rhetoric.=20
<P>Gun control enthusiasts ignore the millions of crimes each year that =
are=20
thwarted in a non-violent way, due to the mere presence of a firearm in =
the=20
hands of an intended victim. The fact that crime rates plummet in every=20
jurisdiction that allows "concealed carry" is, for the most part, kept =
secret.=20
<P>What we do need is enforcement of campaign finance laws. We need to =
provide=20
for full and complete disclosure of all contributions and continue to =
safeguard=20
the First Amendment. And we also need enforcement of gun laws. We need =
policies=20
that properly advance the spirit and letter of the Second Amendment.=20
<P>The Constitution has proven itself a venerable document. Its =
fundamental=20
principle is that of liberty. We must make it clear to campaign finance=20
reformers, gun control advocates and politicians who try to use these =
vehicles=20
as a path to more power that the Constitution has friends in common and =
diverse=20
places who will oversee its care and ensure its preservation.</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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