The Sandy Hook tragedy has led to much bickering, arguing, and a general opportunity for Americans to express their opinions. But a person has to ask themselves if the opinions they are expressing are "good-natured".
Every time a disaster falls, Americans feel the urgent need to enact new legislation. After 9/11 we were rushed into the Patriot Act, the Department of
Homeland Security, and the Iraq War. Now after the Sandy Hook tragedy
many states are passing gun control legislation (see link Gun Control Bills Flood Statehouses.., )
and there has been talk of a national ban on "military-style assault
rifles". Are we a people prone to panic? Why is it that it takes a
national tragedy to produce such an urgent need to enact change? When
is the last time that something good happened that put a fire into the
people?
Certainly there are special interests capitalizing on the events of the Sandy Hook tragedy as a means to enact push forward gun control legislation. It is difficult to deny that this also happened after 9/11. Of course there is not a lot of mention of the purpose of the 2nd amendment- the citizenry has a right to protect itself against an oppressive government. For this reason it is contrary to the notions of liberty to talk of banning "military-style assault rifles" for all but the military. Many of you who are reading recognize this truth.
I grew up in a small rural community, where there was constant talk of the government "taking away our guns". I recognize their sentiment and agree that the government should not take them away. That is not to say that we should have guns or use them, or more importantly, we need not be passionate about guns. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".
It does not appear that the federal government will be a leader in world peace. They are not going to give up using their weapons. The citizens of this country need to do that.
We should not ban assault weapons, we should just not use them. Jesus said, "Do not resist an evil person".
Great things can happen. Believe in those things.
Great things can happen. Believe in those things. If you believe you have something to say that expresses the will of God,
then you need to express it. This is not easy. In finding a way to
articulate a message in a way that people can understand and receive it
can be a painful process. It can take hard, hard work. But the more
you work, the easier it gets.
Showing posts with label James Madison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Madison. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Friday, July 24, 2009
10th Federalist Paper
In response to someone who was arguing that states need to conform to the federal government....
In the 10th Federalist paper Madison argues for the benefits of Republicanism over Democracy, an idea which Ron Paul agrees with and often talks about. Only in the 4th to last paragraph of the document does Madison begin to address the issue of the Union being beneficial to protecting the States against dangerous factions. The Union will protect the States against factions but I don't know where you got the states needed to "shape up or ship out". Madison writes in the 3rd to last paragraph, "The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular States but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States... A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the Union than a particular member of it, in the same propyrtion as such a malady is more likely to taint a particular county or district than an entire state." Madison does not seem to suggest that the Union will force a state to conform to the ideas of the whole; rather the Union will be able to protect the majority of the states and people in the event that a minority (or majority) is taking a wrong course.
I find it interesting that one of the evils Madison was worried about was the issuance of PAPER MONEY! Ron Paul frequently talks about how paper money does not work and our founders did not intend it... Now ALL of the states have paper money despite our constitution stating the only gold and silver can be legal tender. Why? Because the Federal Government has abused their power. They no longer follow the constitution.
What Madison feared has occured: evil factions have imposed their will on the majority. Madison argues that a Republican form of government should serve what's best for the people but he recognizes a problem could arise as he writes, "On the other hand, the effect (of a Republic) may be inverted. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests of the people". I think many believe that this has happened today (whether the faction that has overtaken our country is the neo-cons, the bankers or whoever).
Remember that the Federalists were a political party that battled the Republicans in our country's infancy. Alexander Hamilton was one of the more well known Federalists. James Madison left the Federalist party to join the party of Thomas Jefferson, the Republican party.
Before the constitution there were arguments from anti-federalists and others for a bill of rights to give a balance of power between the people, the states and the government. Alexander Hamilton did not want to have a bill of rights (he argued that the writes were inherent and need not be agreed to). Alexander Hamilton and other Federalists favored a stronger Federal Government (as opposed to the Republicans like Jefferson who wanted a smaller Federal government). Remember that the Federalist Papers and the constitution were written before the Bill of Rights!
Because of people like Thomas Jefferson we have the 10th amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people."
In the 10th Federalist paper Madison argues for the benefits of Republicanism over Democracy, an idea which Ron Paul agrees with and often talks about. Only in the 4th to last paragraph of the document does Madison begin to address the issue of the Union being beneficial to protecting the States against dangerous factions. The Union will protect the States against factions but I don't know where you got the states needed to "shape up or ship out". Madison writes in the 3rd to last paragraph, "The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular States but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States... A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the Union than a particular member of it, in the same propyrtion as such a malady is more likely to taint a particular county or district than an entire state." Madison does not seem to suggest that the Union will force a state to conform to the ideas of the whole; rather the Union will be able to protect the majority of the states and people in the event that a minority (or majority) is taking a wrong course.
I find it interesting that one of the evils Madison was worried about was the issuance of PAPER MONEY! Ron Paul frequently talks about how paper money does not work and our founders did not intend it... Now ALL of the states have paper money despite our constitution stating the only gold and silver can be legal tender. Why? Because the Federal Government has abused their power. They no longer follow the constitution.
What Madison feared has occured: evil factions have imposed their will on the majority. Madison argues that a Republican form of government should serve what's best for the people but he recognizes a problem could arise as he writes, "On the other hand, the effect (of a Republic) may be inverted. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests of the people". I think many believe that this has happened today (whether the faction that has overtaken our country is the neo-cons, the bankers or whoever).
Remember that the Federalists were a political party that battled the Republicans in our country's infancy. Alexander Hamilton was one of the more well known Federalists. James Madison left the Federalist party to join the party of Thomas Jefferson, the Republican party.
Before the constitution there were arguments from anti-federalists and others for a bill of rights to give a balance of power between the people, the states and the government. Alexander Hamilton did not want to have a bill of rights (he argued that the writes were inherent and need not be agreed to). Alexander Hamilton and other Federalists favored a stronger Federal Government (as opposed to the Republicans like Jefferson who wanted a smaller Federal government). Remember that the Federalist Papers and the constitution were written before the Bill of Rights!
Because of people like Thomas Jefferson we have the 10th amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people."
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