HB76 and You

SIGN THE BILL GOVERNOR HERBERT.

A bill passed the legislature this session, that sadly shouldn’t even need to be passed, but alas, we must tell the government where it’s boundaries lie, over and over again.

This bill now sits on the Governor’s desk waiting for a signature, or a veto.  I have personally called the Governor’s office asking him to sign the bill, but I have heard a few arguments as to why the state government should require a license to carry a firearm concealed. I would like to show you the fallacies of the argument that the government needs to be involved.

A great guy and good conservative sent me an email stating that while he supports the 2^nd amendment, feels that

“…all gun owners need to get a license just as for driving a car. There needs to be a test passed to show you know how to handle a gun safely just like a car. I think the NRA should provide the training and administer the test for a fee.  Then the government would issue the license.”

I really respect other people’s opinions, and I do not fault my friend for his views, however, I want to point out some things, that maybe he hadn’t thought about to the blogosphere, since others may feel the same way, and hadn’t thought about some of these things before.

Driving a car and carrying a gun are not the same at all.  Do I agree that every responsible gun owner should take a class or two (or ten) on gun safety and gun use?  Of course.  That just seems like common sense.  I would never let my teenager just jump behind the wheel of a car without teaching her how to drive, just as I would never allow my child to handle a gun without proper instruction.  But that is about where the similarities end.  Truthfully, I don’t even think a driver’s license should be necessary, but let’s save that for another day.  Let’s just pretend that I do believe a driver’s license is necessary for today’s example.

Driving a car is a privilege.  While you can argue that driving may help you “pursue your happiness”, it does not have the “right to life” attached to it.  On the other hand, your right to life, is enabled by your ability to protect yourself.  This is a right, and not a privilege.  This is fundamental to our living in a free, civilized society. And this right does not come from government, so one cannot be granted that right by government.

Some friends of mine have land up in the mountains.  They keep their animals up there.  Every day their two young daughters travel by four-wheeler up the mountain to feed the animals.  They have chickens and goats, and a few other small animals.  This mountain country, especially in the winter has been known for cougars.  These girls have the RIGHT, to protect themselves, and should carry a gun with them each time they travel there.  Responsible parents, have taught these two daughters how to shoot and handle guns.  Yes, they are dangerous if used improperly, but it is much more dangerous to leave them unarmed.  They are prepared in case there is any danger.  Should they have to get a permit and be 18 years old to protect themselves?

Guns are a part of our heritage.  While society isn’t like it was in the days of the wild west, we still have dangers all around us.  Our society will actually be safer if we are armed.  I feel safer when I see someone carrying a sidearm in public.  I know they understand their responsibility as a member of society to only use it when real danger exists, and I know they would use it if necessary, or they wouldn’t be carrying it.

I met a girl the other day at my Republican Women’s meeting.  She is a rape victim.  She now always carries a gun.  She was attacked again, and she grabbed her gun.  Her would-be attacker said, “Wrong (expletive) girl.”  She replied, “You got that right.”  Should she have to go to a class or pay a fee and get a license to have that right to protect herself?  It’s called “The Bill of Rights” for a reason.

Utah does have open carry laws, but many people stare or are even scared if they see open carry as our gun culture, sadly, is slowly eroding.  Being able to conceal carry, without the government sticking their hand in your wallet or putting you on a list, is a natural right.  You have the right to life.  You have the right to protect yourself and your family. 

It is important that we re-engage the gun culture of our society.  It is important that we not treat guns as something to fear, but as  something that empowers us, and our communities.  I live in a very rural area.  Everyone has a gun.  I love it.

I hope that Governor Herbert will do the right thing and sign this bill.  I can see no reason why he would not.  A free people, an armed people, have nothing to fear.  So unless the Governor is afraid of us, he would sign it.

Freedom can win.

Brian Aitken comes to Park City, Utah this Friday, March 25

Gun rights are fundamental to our country’s liberty.  We have the right to protect our property, and ourselves and the second amendment was put in place to keep governments from becoming too oppressive.  Now our Congress is being made irrelevant with the continuing regulations put forward by the likes of Cass Sunstein to regulate our guns.  Brian Aitken experienced first hand, how a government can use laws to put law-abiding citizens behind bars, and more.  I think you should meet him.

Brian Aitken is coming to Park City, Utah on March 25.  He will be at the Prospector at 6:00 p.m. for an event sponsored by members of The STAR Forum.  This event is free and open to the public.  Brian is bringing copies of The Law by Bastiat, and other free goodies from his new employer, The Foundation for Economic Education.

RSVP on Facebook here:    http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=199811843378383

Or on our meetup site here: http://www.meetup.com/TheSTARForum/events/16569951     

Brian Aitken has a unique story from which we all can learn.  After being arrested, he set himself on a path to discover liberty. He found himself at the Foundation for Economic Education started by Hazlitt, a student of Von Mises.  His parental rights were stripped from him.  He was later jailed by a judge who didn’t give all of the information to the jury, and then released by Governor Chris Christie.  Now he fights to have his name cleared.  Brian has been seen on Judge Napolitano’s Freedom Watch, Fox & Friends, and many other news stations.  See our post earlier here.   

The events of Brian’s life can benefit all of us if we choose to learn from him.  This could have been you.  Come and learn with us.  Most of the problems we are now facing are economic, including our illegal immigration problem.  It is time to have a strong grasp of the economic system we are currently in, understand the lies behind that system, and learn how an Austrian economic way of thinking helps our country prosper. 

Through education, freedom can win!

Governor Chris Christie is a Hero, and so is Brian Aitken

Yesterday, the tough on unions’ governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, was a hero to all who believe our 2nd Amendment rights must be upheld. 

This is an amazing story. It is a story of courage, injustice, despair, hope and triumph. Brian Aitkin was moving, and had to transport his guns across state lines. Brian was moving from Colorado to New Jersey. After a dispute with his parents, a mother, worried about her son, called the police.  Rather than protect and serve, they searched and arrested.  He did everything he was supposed to do to make the transport legal. Guns were unloaded, and locked in his trunk. However, he was charged anyway. 

COURAGE: Brian did something courageous. At 27 years old, 

Brian Aitken

 

he didn’t cave to pressure to plea bargain. He knew, down deep, he had done nothing wrong. He knew that somehow justice would prevail. He has no prior record at all. So, he let the case go to trial. 

INJUSTICE: But then something unexpected happened. A judge did not give the jury all of the rules that gave exemptions for possession and transport of firearms and ammunition when you are moving. With what the jury knew, this man seemed guilty. 

DESPAIR: Jail. Unbelievable. A man who had no prior trouble with the law is in jail. No one was injured, no property had been damaged, no one had been threatened, no crime had been committed, but there he sat. Brian was jailed on August 27, 2010, to serve a 7-year prison sentence for possessing 2 firearms, which were legally purchased in another state. 

HOPE: Governor Chris Christie is the hope. Seemingly, the only person in America lately that understands how to say, “Enough” to the bully’s of the world, Governor Christie was Brian’s hope and our hope as well. Thousands of people called, emailed and wrote to the governor asking him to commute, pardon, or grant clemency to Brian. Brian was our hero. This was huge for Brian, but this was also huge to millions of gun owners across America that believe their 2nd Amendment says it all. 

I wrote to Brian just about 2 weeks ago. I received a letter last week from him. He seemed in good spirits, but he also was very worried for his family, and what they were going through because of this sentence. 

TRIUMPH: December 20, 2010, Governor Chris Christie becomes a hero. He commutes Brian’s sentence. Brian will be home for Christmas. Justice, although slow, prevailed. 

For a more detailed article on the events before his commutation visit: http://www.the-912-project.com/2009/07/26/brian-aitken-follows-new-jersey-gun-laws-and-now-faces-7-years-in-prison/