Steve Dettelbach on the Purpose of the Second Amendment and Begging the Question
BY Herschel Smith
6 months, 3 weeks ago
Rep. McClintock directly asked ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, “What do you think is the purpose of the Second Amendment?” Dettelbach responded, emphasizing that the Second Amendment, like all amendments, is meant to protect fundamental rights of Americans, including the right to bear arms.
Perhaps it’s my aging years, perhaps it’s just being crotchety. After all, Statler and Waldorf are my role models. I don’t know. But I hate it when people use the phrase “begging the question” as a replacement for “Well, that leads me to ask another question,” or “The next sensible question is [so-and-so].”
No. Don’t do that.
Begging the question is a formal logical fallacy of assuming the consequent. In other words, all immediate inferences or syllogisms have presuppositions (or axiomatic irreducibles), and another proposition that follows (or perhaps multiple other propositions that follow). If you can prove (or think you can prove) your presupposition, it isn’t a presupposition. It isn’t your starting point in your system of philosophy and logic. Presuppositions are not amenable to proof.
Begging the question has to do with reasoning in a circle and saying nothing. It isn’t quite what philosophers call self referential incoherence, which is a proposition that refutes itself, but in saying nothing, Dettelbach is very close.
You see, when asked about the raison d’etre for the second amendment, which pertains to the right to keep and bear arms (RKBA), he responded that it exists to protect the RKBA.
He knows the real reason, i.e., the second amendment exists as a bulwark against tyranny. But given his task master(s), he can’t say that. Dettelbach does appear to me to be a particularly ignorant man, but he knows enough to know that he said nothing to the congressman.
And the congressman apparently let him get away with it.
On May 29, 2024 at 3:39 am, WiscoDave said:
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On May 29, 2024 at 7:35 am, Checklight said:
Words on paper protect NOTHING.
The Second is a bright line which flags tyranny when crossed.
Only We the People can protect our own rights.
Dettelbach and his masters hope we have forgotten that.
On May 29, 2024 at 11:06 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
Re: “He knows the real reason, i.e., the second amendment exists as a bulwark against tyranny. But given his task master(s), he can’t say that. Dettelbach does appear to me to be a particularly ignorant man, but he knows enough to know that he said nothing to the congressman.”
This is nothing more than political theater. The ATF pretends to listen while Congress pretends to scold them, wash, rinse, repeat, nothing to see here. Hot air is the chief product of the swamp, a.k.a. Washington, D.C. ~ that and red-tape and regulations and laws ~ so call me when someone actually does something meaningful about this out-of-control agency, instead of just talking about it.