Some things to remember...

Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience, and are left to the common refuge which God hath provided for all men against force and violence.
-John Locke



This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.
-Abraham Lincoln



The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.
-Thomas Jefferson


A well regulated Militia, being necessary to defense of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution



I ask you sir, who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people.
-George Mason


(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and . . . under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

(b) The classes of the militia are --

(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and

(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia
-Militia Act of 1956
(first enacted in 1792)

Could it be…good?

Yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court which clearly and brazenly demonstrates the primacy of the Government over the people should come as no surprise. Decisions like Kelo do not come out of thin air but are the result of a long process.


“In a democracy, personal liberties are rarely diminished overnight. Rather, they are lost gradually, by acts of well-meaning people, with good intentions, amid public approval. But the subtle loss of freedom is never recognized until the crisis is over and we look back in horror. And then it is too late."

~Judge Andrew Napolitano, October 2001


When the government says it is doing something for “The Good of The People” - I always ask myself: Who are “The People”? Are “The People” not an aggregate of individuals? And if so, how can something detrimental to all the individuals in society, namely, the severe curtailment of individual property rights, possibly be considered “good” for them?

There is, however, some small reason for optimism.

I believe that many putatively “Liberal” Americans have awoken to realize what the Liberal orthodoxy hath wrought in this country over the last seventy years. People are now dimly aware that they do not enjoy the same freedoms that their parents did. The realization is slowly dawning that they themselves have been complicit in the theft of their own Liberty.

And every day, more and more people are standing up and saying, “Enough!”

The Kelo decision will, I believe, accelerate this ‘awakening’.

In this regard, I view it as a positive development.

As if more proof were needed...

Recent articles by Dave Kopel and others have brought home the pertinence of my two recent posts on the right to keep and bear arms and Africa. To wit:

All the signs are there: Zimbabwe has started down the same road as Rwanda and Sudan.

What can we do? Not much. What can they do? Even less. Why?

The fact is that in Africa, in the last 15 years, all those who have died and who are going to die share one thing - one circumstance: they have no means of effective self-defense against their own governments.

If we could arm the people of Zimbabwe, they'd have a chance. Regrettably, Mr. Mugabe's efforts to disarm the populace have been quite effective.

Rwanda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, etc., etc.

And right on cue, in the wake of these tragedies comes the farce:

The U.N. continues to "inform" us that arming the populace of "name of African country here" will only serve to "destabilize" the region.

Perhaps someone from the U.N. would be kind enough to ask the people affected if they'd rather be "destabilized"...or dead.

So, my proof holds true: The right to self-defense IS the right to life. So, if one does not have the right to self-defense, one does not meaningfully have any right to life.

Well, that would explain it...I guess...

It can only be the case that the Editorial Boards of the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News (They are essentially the same newspaper)are given their "positions" from some one or some group at Knight-Ridder. Knight-Ridder, in turn, must get them from the Democratic Party. What must happen is, any failure to disseminate the propaganda as dictated results in censure and potential ostracism from orthodox journalism...a 21st century version of excommunication from mother church.

That is the only explanation that makes any sense to me.

Why else would seemingly intelligent and articulate people continue to spew utterly discredited, old left-wing propaganda no matter how many facts and reasoned arguments are arrayed against them? Why would people expose themselves thus to ridicule?

It's high time we told the truth here.

The Democratic Party of the United States no longer exists. It has been replaced by the Socialist Party - in all but name. So, henceforth, I will refer to the Democratic Party of the United States by its more accurate title: The Socialist Party of The United States.

This helps explain why their acolytes, like our friends Knight-Ridder, in the "Main Stream Media" (MSM) continue to push the propaganda. Propaganda is the all time favorite tool of Socialists; they firmly believe that if you tell a lie big enough for long enough - it becomes the truth.

Which brings me back to The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News and their (and my) old hobby horse: Gun Control.

Again and again and again and again...

They trot out the Socialist three-fold strategy for dealing with criminal violence:

1. Demand more Government money to "fix" the inner cities.

(And raise taxes on "the rich" to pay for it.)

2. Demand more Gun Control to stem the tide of violence.

(violence which was largely caused by the disintegration of the family fomented by their failed policies!)

3. Demonize the NRA as idiots or lunatics.

(Indeed, anyone who opposes their policy prescriptions is to be labeled "out of the main stream" and vilified as a "right-wing extremist")

No matter how many times you remind them of FACTS like:

- There are, currently, over 28,000 private citizens in the City of Philadelphia who hold legal permits to carry concealed firearms...and the crime rate among these people is so low that the Philadelphia Police Department doesn't even track it!!

- Serious, comprehensive "gun control" schemes have been tried and have done nothing to stem violence. The City of Washington D.C. has essentially forbidden the ownership of ANY firearm since 1976...since which time it has perennially been among the top five worst cities for murders. New York City has had very strict "gun control" for decades, but their crime rate went down only after innovative policing policies were tried. The gun laws didn't change.

- Jens Ludwig, one of the foremost gun-control advocates in academia has admitted that guns - sometimes by their mere presence or even implied presence - prevent or stop the commission of approximately two million crimes every year in the U.S.

- Crime rates have steadily decreased over the last 15 years even as gun ownership and concealed carry permit rates have steadily risen.

-Finally, how does the introduction of another law stop a problem that, from beginning to end and at every juncture in between, is already illegal?


I used to slap my forehead and ask myself, "Why don't they get it!?"

I was told something several years back that literally took my breath away: Guns represent individual power - and with it, individual responsibility. Socialism is the antithesis of those two ideas. Therefore, according to Socialist doctrine, it is NECESSARY for the populace to be unarmed. They must be utterly beholden to - and dependent upon - the State. Therefore, we see clearly that gun control isn't about guns...it's about control.

It's not that they don't get it...they WON'T get it.

The apparatchiks atop the Socialist/Democratic Party...and by extension the people on the editorial boards of newspapers like the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News are not interested in actually fixing things...far from it. If things improve - if people figure out that they don't need the government to succeed, the government money spigot may get turned off...and a lot of people might find themselves out of power and out of a job. Thus, they have a vested interest in keeping things in Philadelphia BAD. But, of course, they must look like they're doing something, mustn't they?

Every time I read the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News I am convinced anew that I'm right.

The collectivist social and fiscal policies of the last forty years will (not may...WILL) destroy Philadelphia and other cities. Only a few will ever know the real reasons why it happened. The editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News bears no little responsibility for this.

In the meantime, like Sisyphus, I'll keep rolling my stone up the hill - telling them what they don't want to hear and trying my best to be impossible to ignore.

I continue to write letters to the editor, but they rarely get published. You see, while a Professor Kairys of Temple University gets 2500 words to tell us why we should ban guns, someone writing in get 250 tops, to rebut him. This effectively cuts off debate even as they claim to be providing equal time.

God save the republic.

Funeral Follies...

Here is a guest post from "Kiki" discussing the clash between, on the one hand - respect for tradition - and on the other, the realities of modern life:


Funeral Follies


I am a church-going, respectful woman and I always stop for funeral processions and say a small prayer for the deceased. However, this past Friday, I faced a moral conundrum. I was driving on State Route 291 West where so many taxis and other drivers “fly to the Airport” and Interstate 95. I reached the intersection at Penrose Avenue to approach Interstate 95, and an unescorted funeral procession of 25-40 vehicles approached traveling at a brisk 40 miles per hour with wide gaps in between some vehicles.



My first intention was to respectfully stop at this merge, but cars were flying behind and around me and there were three vehicles in front of me that had been off-roaded by the procession to the shoulder. I was fearful of an accident. I saw a wide gap in the procession and intended to quickly get in the left lane so to not break the procession. As I merged, an SUV in the procession put their pedal to the metal and forced me to the shoulder where I nearly hit the other vehicles jammed up on the shoulder in fender benders from the procession. This deliberate act happened to vehicles behind me as well.



As I merged on to Interstate 95 off of the bridge, not infringing on the procession, the SUV traveled out of the procession and doubled their speed with the clear intent to force me into the median and into the Delaware River. It reminded me of the movie, Patriot Games, in the scene where the IRA drives Jack’s wife and daughter into the median at the merge on the interstate.



I somehow was able to swerve across two lanes into the right shoulder, risking my life as well as others. Of course, the SUV caught up to me and yelled at me and gave me inappropriate gestures. For a woman who rarely curses at strangers, I reciprocated given the fact that this driver had deliberately attempted to kill me twice. However, I could not help but feel guilty even though my life has been put at risk three times by this funeral procession. I realize that the SUV driver was in an emotional state; however, safety should come above the respect of keeping a procession together.



My nice manners had created big problems on this major interstate merger. And, then, I created some sort of road-raged funeral guest when I attempted to avoid an accident, not to disrespect the deceased. After this event, I found it necessary to review the legal standing and the etiquette of funeral processions for public safety.



I researched funeral procession laws and etiquette on-line. I was surprised to find that this is somewhat controversial. The laws for funeral processions vary from state to state and the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) now offers a book called Funeral Procession Law Analysis. "Because of the growing number of lawsuits resulting from accidents involving funeral processions, states are changing their funeral procession laws. It has become a challenge for funeral directors, lawyers, city officials and others to keep up with these changes. This new book offers clear and sensible analysis of each state's law," according to NFDA Executive Director Robert Harden in an article I found through the NFDA.



The Pennsylvania Cemetery Funeral Association (PCFA) informs funeral guests that “Although common courtesy implies that traffic would stop people often do not stop for funeral processions. Pennsylvania does have a statute requiring vehicles to stop for a funeral procession HOWEVER many drivers are unaware of the law. Caution while driving in a funeral procession must be taken seriously as accidents and injury have occurred. Do NOT assume other vehicles will stop for the funeral procession.”



The Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles’ Driving Manual informs drivers to yield to vehicles in a procession unless a funeral director of police officer informs drivers otherwise. Although this is a clear-cut law, it is unfortunately not possible to follow on interstates and major interstate connectors with drivers unaware of the procession or the law.



In Delaware, the law informs drivers in a procession to drive with caution, proceed slowly, and drive closely together avoiding gaps between vehicles. This not only makes other drivers aware of the procession, but allows the appropriate reverence for the purpose of the procession in the first place.



In many states, long processions require a police escort. All bets are off for long processions remaining together on interstates, roundabouts, major intersections, and so forth. Long fast-moving processions blocking mergers are potentially fatal accidents waiting to happen.



With the fast-moving traffic of interstates and interstate connections, funeral processions should be informed to give caution and drive slowly. Further, a funeral procession, by no means, offers its drivers the excuse to off-road other vehicles into the shoulder or median.



This could all be avoided if people simply patiently stopped for funeral processions. However, this tradition that dates back to back roads and city streets is dangerous on interstates and major thorough ways. Funeral directors should inform their processions to exercise caution and laws should be created for long funeral processions on major metropolitan roads. More than anything, it is ironic to me that a funeral procession could easily cause the deaths of others when such road-rage exists among drivers today, in and out of the procession.

More about Africa...and us.

Why am I so numb about events there? I guess it's because I understand that the developed world isn't going to get involved - because it doesn't want to. The world says, "Oh, it's a shame, certainly...but what're you gonna do?"

The most damning thing about all this is that in order to really help...to really do something to stop the carnage, the first world would have to admit that effete gestures like:

1. Giving more aid (which inevitably goes to the dictators)

2. Inserting "peace keepers" (who refuse to defend the helpless - and who frequently cannot even defend themselves)

3. Promoting vacuous programs of "multi-lateral" diplomacy...and

4. Insisting on failed socialist nostrums like gun control (as citizens - unable to defend themselves - are murdered by their own governments)

...do not work. Rather than make this admission and be forced thereby to examine itself, the first world will just let Africa implode and shrug at the millions of deaths that ensue.

Scratch a U.N. official and you'll find a socialist. And as a famous socialist, Josef Stalin, once said, "A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic."

"The West" is not interested in saving a million human lives in Africa. It's interested in keeping abortion safe and legal. It's interested in stopping globalization and fighting the scourge of Capitalism. It's interested in a maximum 35 hour work week...with 6 weeks of vacation per year. It's interested in which movie star is sleeping with which member of congress/parliament. It's interested in animal rights. It's interested in what's on TV tonight.

At moments like this I realize that our society is ill... perhaps terminally. And when I realize this, I clearly understand why so many people hate us and think the West is doomed.

We in the West are afflicted by a dread disease: Humanism.

When the individual human life becomes the "highest good", then nothing is worth dying for. When nothing is worth dying for, nothing is worth fighting for. When nothing is worth fighting for, we wring our hands and we declare our outrage. In our craven cowardice, we avert our eyes and congratulate ourselves for being enlightened - even as that same "highest good" that we so fervently claim to cherish is rendered worthless.

Going through the motions of our existence each trembles in private terror - hoping that knock we hear is upon our neighbor's door and not our own.

John Donne's thoughts on the matter remain unsurpassed:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

Oh, yeah?

I was in the 2000 block of Sansom Street walking East a couple of days ago and I saw, posted, several leaflets from the Carpenters’ Union asking people not to patronize a new Sansom street comedy club - Helium - because the owner used non-union carpenters.

Yesterday, I was walking in the same area. A guy was handing out these leaflets. He held one out for me to take. As I walked by I said, “No, thanks I’ve already got one.” He replied, “Yeah? Well I don’t see none in your hand.” I stopped. I turned to him and corrected myself, “What I meant to say was I’ve already seen the flyer.” Then, from him, “OK, well, don’t let me catch you in there.” I said nothing, just turned and walked away. I didn’t think much about it until an hour or so later - and then it hit me: I’ve just been threatened by a scumbag! And the more I thought about what these asswipes were trying to do, namely, shut down a fledgling business, the angrier I got.

Perhaps he was “joking”. Perhaps. Not likely, though. It is just this behavior of the unions, the not-so-veiled threats - the attempts at intimidation - that I am no longer prepared to tolerate. It’s one thing to have an intellectual conversation and bemoan the economic damage that excessively generous public contracts cause. It is quite another to actually be the guy with a finger in his chest being told, “Don’t go in there…or else.”

I am now determined to do whatever I can to support non-union businesses in Philadelphia.

I am, within the next seven days, going to go to Helium and spend at least $50. And I hope there are a couple of those guys out front because I’m going to tell them exactly why I’m going in. In fact, I am going to try and get a group together to go with me so I can bring in as much money for this new club as I can.

It's bad enough for an individual trying to start a business and keep down costs to be threatened like this. What is unforgiveable is to bring a city of over a million people to its knees. This the unions have done repeatedly. What is crystal clear is that for the future of Philadelphia, the big unions: Teamsters, Carpenters, Roofers, Electricians, Teachers, etc. must be systematically dismantled. Until they renounce their thuggish tactics and are brought to heel, cities like Philadelphia will continue to crumble under the fiscal weight of the ridiculously generous contracts that these unions are able to extort from City Hall.

What is particularly galling is that this behavior will not likely be stopped by enforcing law, because even if they are caught in illegal acts, like threatening people, the police (because they are another big union) often refuse to intervene and do their jobs. (In one disgusting episode in Philly several years back, teamsters beat a guy bloody while half a dozen cops stood by and just watched.) If anything is going to change it has to start with the people. Well, I am standing up now. Nobody threatens me. Nobody.

Helium Comedy Club – 2031 Sansom Street. Who’s with me?

Speaking of which..

The sad truth today is: Africa needs a strong hand that will ensure the rule of law.

It has been said that a "Marshall Plan" is what is needed.

Unfortunately for Africa, that plan only worked because the U.S. was in charge (both militarily and politically)of virtually all the West at that time.

Today, it is scarcely conceivable that any power on the planet could coordinate all the petty, vindictive despots who run the various sub-saharan African countries.

Anyone with any understanding of the recent history of Africa knows full well that the various dictators in Africa have no reason to fear World opinion...the United Nations has proven to be impotent and since 1994, the United States is also a toothless dragon.

Since 2001 (by the best estimates)almost 200,000 people have died in Darfur at the hands of the Islamic extremist government there.

In Zimbabwe, millions are threatened by the "democratically" elected president Robert Mugabe.

The fact is, the U.S. has no real "national security" stake in these horrors. So what is an "American's" responsibility?

We have a responsibility as HUMAN BEINGS!

Were the people of the World to arouse themselves and insist that Africans, as human equals to Europeans or Americans - are deserving of equivalent rights - the various governments of the World might intervene to stop the slaughter that continues as we quibble over funding levels.

And, if the people of Africa could throw off the yolk of oppression and have the power to form their own governments, I BELIEVE these people would take the ball and run with it.

All people instinctively understand the idea of the "rule of law".

Without the "rule of law", Africa is doomed.

With it, there is no ceiling to its potential.

The G8 and the World Bank MUST understand that the rule of law comes first. Without this, you're pouring money into the pocket of whatever strongman holds power at that particular time. Try to bypass him with foodstuffs...and he'll confiscate it. He'll sell it or use it to guarantee submission. This is how it has always worked.

The truth is: People are going to die. We cannot stop it today. But if we refuse to play the games of those who run Sudan and Zimbabwe and Eritrea and...you name the country...

We stand a chance of forcing - in the near term - the adoption of those rules by which a stable society is...possible.

The truth is...

If we act now, thousands will die.

If we don't act now, millions may.