Napolitino vs. Napolitano on Gun Control

by Gary North
Tea Party Economist

Recently by Gary North: The Loss of Trust in Political Leaders

Think of this as an ideological shoot-out at the political OK Corral.

First, Judge Andrew Napolitano.

The historical reality of the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms is not that it protects the right to shoot deer. It protects the right to shoot tyrants, and it protects the right to shoot at them effectively, with the same instruments they would use upon us. If the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto had had the firepower and ammunition that the Nazis had, some of Poland might have stayed free and more persons would have survived the Holocaust.

Second, Department of Homeland Security head, Janet Napolitino.

I am proud to support the President and Vice President’s effort to combat gun violence in our country. In the aftermath of the tragic Newtown shooting, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), together with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the FBI have worked to identify measures that could be taken to reduce the risk of mass casualty shootings. In the coming days, DHS will expand and formalize coordination of ongoing efforts intended to prevent future mass casualty shootings, improve preparedness, and to strengthen security and resilience in schools and other potential targets. DHS will work with partners at all levels of government, to address five critical areas intended to reduce the risk of mass casualty shootings in the United States: Prevention, Protection, Response, Education, and Research/Evaluation. DHS will also work with law enforcement to refresh, expand and prioritize the implementation of nationwide public awareness efforts such as the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign. This is a critical issue that requires immediate attention and I look forward to supporting the President and this Administration as we move ahead.”

This pretty much sets forth the two positions.

I was amused to see that Janet Napolitano added TM – trademarked – to the DHS’s marketing campaign slogan, “If you see something, say something.” Joe Goebbels would have appreciated that one! He was always on the lookout for ways to influence public opinion. Here is a woman who is committed to property rights of a certain kind – trademarking – but not of another kind: reserving the right to own guns. Here is a card-carrying federal bureaucrat.

My attitude is this: the Second Amendment announces in principle the sovereignty of the armed citizen. For as long as Americans possess this right, they will not need to use their guns to revolt.

We don’t need to shoot tyrants. We only need to prepare ourselves for the day when the Feds run out of enough money to enforce their trademarked slogans. That day is coming.

January 21, 2013

Gary North [send him mail] is the author of Mises on Money. Visit http://www.garynorth.com. He is also the author of a free 31-volume series, An Economic Commentary on the Bible.

Copyright © 2013 Gary North

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