I recently posted a Thomas Jefferson quote on my Facebook page regarding the Second Amendment that started an interesting discussion. A friend of mine from Canada said in a comment on the post, that they (as Canadians) weren't awarded "those rights" and that she was trying to process the "drive behind the American passion" for guns and gun control as well as "the Constitution." She was also concerned that such strong words could be considered anti-government... Let me make my self clear... I am not, have never been, and never will be anti-government. What I am, and always will be, is anti-tyranny,
This was my reply:
The idea our American forefathers had, and rightly so, was that rights were not given by any government, but by God Himself. The flow of power is that God gives these rights to the individual, who in turn give the government the PRIVILEGE (not the right) to govern. Unfortunately our lawmakers have mistaken OUR rights for privileges. What's the difference? Rights are Given by "nature and natures God" and therefor cannot be taken. Privileges, however, are something you're ALLOWED to do and privileges may be taken away.
You may be in Canada, but God gives the same rights to everyone. It's governments that control, limit and strip us of them.
The first paragraph of the U.S. Declaration of Independence reads as follows:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
This tells us that the founders of our great nation did not believe that throwing off a tyrannical government was treasonous, but patriotic!
The mood has changed in the last 236 1/2 years though. We have our public school system teaching our children to chant the name of our president as if he was the savior. They are teaching them that those who participated in the Boston Tea Party were terrorist!
When it comes right down to it, it has nothing to do with guns. It has EVERYTHING to do with human rights. REAL human rights, given by God at conception.
Revelation 2:5 says:
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
This is where the passion comes into play. We who know our history, know what a great nation this is, or at least was. But we also hold to the hope that it will be again. If not for our own sake, then for our children's.
The Second Amendment to the Constitution reads:
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a FREE state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.
Here are some interesting quotes from Thomas Jefferson, one of our countries greatest patriots:
"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it."
"The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits."
"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?"
"A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate."
And last but not least....
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
The honey bee is reluctant to sting. Yes he may buzz you first and try to scare you away, but stinging you is his last resort. He'll do it to protect the hive, but he also knows he will die in it's defense.
So it is with modern day American Patriots. We are reluctant to sting. Our forefathers preserved our right to keep and bear arms so that we could protect the rest of our rights. What our government has been doing for years is slowly filing down our stingers. And they won't stop until you're nothing more than a fruit fly. Unlike what you here from some in Washington, our guns are our last line of defense. Wisdom is our first.
Stay tuned....
