Mostly Doesn’t Count When It Comes To Tyranny
BY Herschel Smith
11 years, 8 months ago
NYDN’s Bill Hammond sees fit to lecture gun rights advocates about the need to temper our “blind fury” about the latest infringements on that which shall not be infringed–specifically, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s draconian new gun ban (which Hammond describes as “Gov. Cuomo’s landmark law”). Hammond particularly objects to the notion that the Second Amendment is intended to protect the people’s right to the means of effective resistance against a tyrannical government:
The audience applauded heartily in tribute to the many veterans who were there. But it also loudly cheered the speaker who said, “We need guns to protect us from government.”
Maybe that thinking made sense at the time of the Founding Fathers — who had just succeeded in overthrowing the rule of a monarchy. Back then, ordinary citizens living on the frontier faced the very real threat of violent confrontations with Native Americans or British invaders.
But applying that logic to today — after more than two centuries of stable, democratic and mostly non-tyrannical government — is crazy talk.
Notice the change of subject mid-stream. From overthrowing the Monarchy to the very next thought, which is “ordinary citizens living on the frontier.” I’m all for pointing out the utility of firearms, from hunting to self defense to sporting value. But the doctrine embedded in the second amendment pertains to tyranny, not any of the other utilities associated with being armed.
Kurt responds:
“Mostly non-tyrannical” doesn’t cut it–doesn’t come close, and aspiring “mostly non-tyrants” have no right to be surprised when they find themselves staring down the muzzles of the “mostly non-insurrectionist” people’s guns.
I have no idea whether or not Bill Hammond has daughters of dating age, but if he does, I’m sure he’ll have no objection to them dating “mostly non-rapist” boyfriends.
Right. Girls don’t get mostly pregnant, a person doesn’t mostly have a job, and I don’t mostly have a dog. Mostly is a bad descriptor. If a regime is mostly non-tyrannical, then there is some degree to which it is tyrannical. That means that the ruler is a tyrant at least some of the time. It’s as simple as that. And tyranny is never acceptable. Not mostly unacceptable – always unacceptable.
On March 8, 2013 at 8:54 am, Bill said:
“Cuomo’s Landmark law”? More aptly described as “”Cuomo’s Skidmark Law”.