🚀 go-pugleaf

Kent Finnell wrote:
> 
> "William Hughes" <cvproj@texas.net> wrote in message
> news:hj17cucdk5glvvl2ntbti6k2b7g8i5dvj3@4ax.com...
> > On Sun, 21 Apr 2002 14:08:13 -0500, in talk.politics.guns "Kent Finnell"
> > <kentfinn@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> >
> > > To quote one of my least favorite politicians, LBJ, "Politics is the art
> of
> > > the possible."  It is IMpossible to turn the direction of politicians on
> a
> > > dime or on a single issue.  And the worst possible way to make the
> attempt
> > > is with threats of violent physical action.  Are you really that anxious
> to
> > > spill blood, Nurse Pat?  If so, I don't want to be any where near where
> some
> > > fool state medical board allows you to practice.
> >
> > Where do you draw the line? When do you say "We will not compromise any
> more"?
> 
> We'll know it when we get there, when there is no other hope.  California,
> along with NY, Massachusetts, D.C., and the 100 mile radius around Chicago
> aka the Daley fiefdom are the extreme cases.  There are isolated other
> cases, but the rest of the country is holding firm or even improving in
> regards to the Second Amendment.
> 
> Patience, vigilance, and hard work are the best tools, not threats of bloody
> revenge.  When the line is crossed by the opposition, then it will be time
> to strike back, swiftly, surely, and WITHOUT warning.  Strutting, posturing,
> and chest beating don't serve us well.  Like him or not, like his methods or
> not, Haas is correct in saying that public threats do nothing to further the
> cause.  That's not appeasement, that's common sense.

Can we all agree that common sense has to prevail?  OTOH, we each
have our own and very personal tyranny-tolerance level. Obviously
we all can tolerate tyranny because we have for years.

There is a USENET penchant for us to sit at our key boards and
make much tougher statements than our actions have ever
supported.  For instance, how many of us have ever fixed bayonets
and charged the federal government? The answer is not nearly as
many as have sat at their keyboards and tapped out
blood-and-guts-in-your-face messages.

While the above in no way reduces our resolve to keep our rights,
keyboard warriors are not going to get it done.

Those that practice and cultivate tyranny (and that takes in a
large part of Congress, SCOTUS, and the Prez) are better at
playing the game than we are.  The tyranny promulgator take
advantage of our different levels of tolerance. The game is not
to motivate too many of us at once. When our numbers are reduced
to the point that we cannot effectively resist in Congress and at
the polls, we will go down the tube like Australia, the UK, and
most of the used-to-be-free world. Funny thing is, those guys
don't realize that it has happened. They think that they are
still free because they can vote. Have we gotten into the same
boat?

So, the bottom line is that we need to keep up the rhetoric with
a healthy dose of activism because we certainly have to stand
together to keep our numbers strong. Join the organizations of
your choice, but as gun culture enthusiasts we need to be as
tolerant of each other as possible. Just understand that rhetoric
should serve the purpose of keeping us together and not driving
wedges (sorry, indolesat).  We also need to be more understanding
of the fact that we each have different ideas on how this
downward spiral can be stopped before it's too late.

Walter Williams has some good thoughts on this subject.  If you
haven't read him and have time, he is worth reading at:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27155  

Until enough of us are ready to fix those bayonets and charge, we
need to practice activism at the highest level.  Call, write, and
organize.  If we every exercise our First Amendment rights to the
maximum to support our Second Amendment rights, we will be
surprised at the results. How many gun owners are sitting on the
sideline?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I haven't read Unintended
Consequences in about six years.  I believe I will read it again.
It was quite a motivator at the time.  My impression of Henry
Bowman is that he was low key in his fight against tyranny. While
I didn't run out and start feeding the hogs, I did pick up my
level of activism.