A Bit of Advice for Mitt Romney
Presumptive Nominees Governor MitT Romney is changing his tack on gun control. With a history of gun regulation, Romney is now coming out in favor of more gun rights. I have some advice for you, Governor.
Be bold on second amendment issues: trust the electorate. Nothing says that trust better than the severe curtailment or a moratorium on gun control.
There are 90-million gun owners in the U.S., and many of them are very sensitive to one thing: how we have to live with the consequences of gun control while the elites do not. If you should take a very bold position in favor of reducing gun control, you will be elected President of the United States. Here is why.
All gun owners are adults, probably unregistered voters in millions of cases. You may change that. Every time you respect second amendment values, you show that you are in fact not out of touch with the people, but in touch. It means not only that you listen, but that you heed. Someone we know doesn’t heed the electorate. You must take the lead on this.
The Values
The values of the second amendment aren’t really about guns and weapons, but of personal independence. The second amendment is not written for us, but for government. Gun owners know what many public servants do not consider; for instance, that police have no duty to protect individuals from the criminal acts of others [Lynch v. NC DOJ, for example.] There are many, many such cases where courts have ruled that it is not the duty of police to protect us. It’s up to the individual.
Independence comes in the form of being the one and only person you can count on when in danger. Gun control obstructs this value, obfuscates it for the purpose of growing violent crime. Bureaucrats then point to violence when defenseless persons are shot, but not when raped, abducted or beaten. Only shot. Corruption on this subject and practice are clearer with every passing day.
Further, in seeing that people will ‘tolerate’ gun control or give a candidate a chance to their detriment, the politicians then believe that they can take anything, and they do, don’t they? This is how gun control is responsible for all big government costs and bureaucracies.
Finally, should gun control be reversed, people will get a better handle on violence, and the electorate will then get a better handle on spending. We need your help in any reduction in the size of government. We will do our part and vote and we need the Chief Executive to do his part and cut spending, close redundant agencies, and respect the sovereignty of the people.
The second amendment is the lethal force which backs our sovereignty as supreme authority. Truly, Governor, the health of the second amendment is the primary indicator of the overall health of the nation.
Be bold on your position on gun rights, the armed citizen propriety and purpose, and you will show the people that you realize that they do not have to understand you, but that you understand them. The electorate will trust you in return on one vital issue permeating their minds: does the candidate believe that we are the sovereign in this country and does he trust us?
John Longenecker is author of The CPR Corollary.