From: Matt Gingell <mjg223@is7.nyu.edu>
>All real power is based in force or the threat of force, and all
>I think you're pointing out here is that we've granted a monopoly
>on physical coercion to our elected government. That's
>treacherous, of course, like any concentration of power, but in
>the end I don't see what the other options would be.
Actually the Federal Government was never granted a monopoly on
force. The Second Amendment is specifically designed to prevent
such a monopoly. When your individual citizens have the right to
keep and bear arms, and the right to organize into militias, the
governments ability to use force is limited.
They hate this which is why all the attempts at curtailing citizens
rights to own guns, especially those of equal power.
>I object to the us-versus-them character that discussion of
>government has in so many of these debates. Government is us -
>it's elected by us and made up of us - it's not some alien force,
>some evil monster out to crush all that's good and free in the
>world. I have faith that most people in government are just like
>you and me, and most of them believe in what they're doing and
>honesty feel they're doing what's right - even when I disagree
>with them.
While I agree that there are many good people working for the
government, I disagree that it's not some alien force. The
government is out to get it's own way, which rarely seems to
coincide with my needs.
Like a jungle at the edge of a civilized area, you need to keep
hacking at it to prevent encroachment.
Brian
Member:
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Current Reading: "The Millionaire Mind" by Thomas J. Stanley
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