Firearms Friday: What Happened To Equal Rights?

The news inundating the internet, overwhelming social media, filling the television screen, and flooding newspapers this week is horrifying. I say this not in reference to the officer involved shooting in Baton Rouge but with regard to the events that have transpired since that incident. Despite what we may think we see in the videos from that interaction, we don’t know exactly what happened and we won’t know until a full investigation is conducted. It may or may not have been justified, we just don’t know. That being said, I am still stuck on the simple question of if the known felon in question was white or Hispanic, would the county be in such an uproar? After all, white lives matter too.

That moment has triggered a resurgence in both peaceful protests as well as barbaric violence. People have the right to peacefully assemble in protest of what happened and I will continue to support that right (I would appreciate it if you would support my rights as well for a change). However, the rallying cries echoing from those masses are rather disturbing. It is true that black lives matter but so do the lives of everyone else. By focusing on the importance of black lives above all others is what incites some to commit violence and take the lives of those they deem less worthy to live.  

Now with the assassinations that transpired last night in Dallas, it is even more important that we focus on the rights of ALL people not just those who are of a certain race or occupation. Unfortunately, this will likely not be the resulting shift in mentality. After all, they have been nearly 60 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty so far this year and I have yet to see the people take to the street en masse like they have for the black lives lost. After all, blue lives matter too.

In the end, like many crimes committed in this country, there are many people (of all races but usually of one political party) that will place the blame of said acts on anyone but the individual responsible for what transpired. This ‘guilty’ verdict is usually handed down almost instantaneously. In this instance, as soon as the shooting happened, Law Enforcement as a whole was to blame when, in actuality, we don’t know which individual is to blame in this situation.

But personal responsibility and accountability are passé concepts for many these days. And what is more frightening, is that it seems as though the concept of equal rights, on life support for so long, is now dead. Value your own life, celebrate the joys in your live, and accept responsibility for your own mistakes… this is how we should all live our lives rather than always blaming someone else for the things that go wrong in our lives. Don’t blame white people, black people, gay people, straight people, immigrants, law enforcement, gun owners, or those of a particular faith. Value life… value all life!

Some Other “Political” Views

My views on firearms ownership is well known at this point, especially after my last post, but I still get questions regarding my other political views. These queries have become more frequent lately given the political climate in which we currently find ourselves. Many of my views come down to the simple facts of limited government and personal responsibility. We don’t need to legislate everything and I am not promoting the legalization or banning of anything that I discuss below. In the end we all have different view and the power should remain with the people which brings me to my first topic… same sex marriage.

Frankly, I don’t care who you want to marry but this should not be a federal issue. The local courts and states are the ones who issue marriage licenses and that is where it should stay. That being said, regardless of local guidelines, benefits should be extended to partners as it pertains to federally run agencies such as the IRS. And, as it pertains to benefits available to family members, that decision should be left in the hands of the employer or benefits provider. However, one point I want to be very clear about is that those who vilify people for disagreeing with them should take a really close look at themselves in the mirror. This can be said about another insulting accusation being bandied about… racist.

I am someone who doesn’t care what race you are, I care about the person you are. A disagree with many people not because of their race but because of their views. At the same time, I respect their opinion so long as they respect mine. And just because I don’t believe in your world view or support everything President Obama has to say doesn’t make me a racist. Is there racism in this country? Yes, without a doubt but understand that racism is not limited to a one sided equation. In the same vein, sexism, ageism, antisemitism, and many other kinds of isms are all prevalent in the world.

Modern day racism is multicultural in that demeaning practices are applied against those of every race. The two things that immediately come to mind are profiling, which does negatively impact those who are not white, and affirmative action, which negatively impacts those who are white. Like it or not, racism is a two way street. Speaking of two way streets, many of the government programs that have been preached about over the last few years are nothing more than ways to get us all to pay a little bit more every month.

Universal healthcare is a failure, forcing many to pay exorbitant rates, limiting full time positions, and putting undue financial pressure on businesses and citizens alike. I personally know people who had their hours cut to just below the 30 hour limit, people told they make too much money to qualify despite being unemployed, and those forced to pay outrageous deductibles. And, of course, it has done nothing to slow the rise of premiums. In fact, each month it seems as though there is more and more taken out of my paycheck.

One of the things that I try not to think about when I look at my paycheck is how much I would be making if I converted my salary to an hourly rate. I make a decent salary but also work a lot of hours. In the end, there are some months when it breaks down to about $15 per hour. I work hard for that money and I have the motivation, drive, and work ethic to improve my life. Someone should not be starting at the local McDonald's, without motivation, without aspirations, and expect to earn the same amount of money. Stop expecting to be paid a wage that is not commensurate with the position! If you want to make more money put forth the effort, improve your life, and stop expecting others to do everything for you.

There has been a lot of news this year about another waste of money, Planned Parenthood. While many of the practices are barbaric and even heinous, there are valuable services that they do provide to many communities but it should not be funded by tax payer dollars. I previously held the belief that life begins at conception and now being a father and going to all the appointments prior to my son’s birth I am certain of that view. I believe that abortion is wrong and I would not support it but, at the same time, I do not believe that I should tell others what to do. All I am saying is that I don’t want to pay for something I am so adamantly against.

As for government programs in general and specifically as it pertains to welfare and unemployment, I believe that there is a place for those programs and many people should receive that support. I know that unemployment helped me a few years ago. However, I believe that drug testing should be required in order to receive funds and unemployment should be limited to those actively searching for a job. I agree with offering support to those trying to do the right thing and I would even support doing more to help those individuals but we should not blindly hand out money to everyone regardless of their efforts.

And when it comes to benefits they should be limited to citizens of this country. We are a country laden with tremendous debt and can ill afford supporting those who won’t even take the time to come into this country legally. The immigration system it undoubtedly flawed but it is the law and those who do not follow disregard these guidelines should be treated as any other criminal who breaks the law. There needs to be a better semblance of control of those coming into this country and we should know who is crossing our borders.

While by no means comprehensive, these paragraphs do offer opinions on a broad range of topics. I don’t expect everyone to agree but I don’t expect everyone to disagree either. And if you really want to make sure that something changes or stays the same it is a rather simple process… make sure you vote! The options aren’t great but it is what we have to work with right now. Vote for whom you agree with most but, more importantly, know where you stand on the issues without relying on the opinions of others. Of course, bring your ID because this uncertain, unrestrained, and illegal free for all has got to stop… I wonder who Reagan voted for in the last election.

Firearms Friday: Really Joe?

With the Pope coming to the United States this week, his visit was the topic of discussion in pretty much every corner of the media and public life. The visit also prompted questions regarding an individual’s faith as well as their political views and how the two influence one another. It should be no surprise, given both the Pope’s visit and the recent videos from Planned Parenthood, that the subject of abortion was one of the primary topics of discussion, debate, and, as in the case of the Vice President, confusion.

Biden, a practicing Catholic, was recently interviewed by America Magazine when he openly talked about the Papal visit, his faith, and his political views. Most notably, he is quoted as saying the following:

“Abortion is always wrong… All the principles of my faith, [which] I make no excuse for attempting to live up to — I don’t all the time. But I’m not prepared to impose doctrine that I’m prepared to accept on the rest of [the country].”

While the “pro-choice” crowd has been up in arms about his statements, I find it a little disturbing for a completely different reason which is why this is being posted on Friday.

As he states above, he is “not prepared to impose doctrine”. While this may be true regarding his faith it by no means applies to the rest of his views as he has made it very clear during his time in public office that he will do everything in his power to impose the doctrine of the Democratic Party on the people. This has been evident during his time as Vice President when he, along with President Obama and the party in general, has tried to strip us of our second amendment rights.

Time and again, gun owners have been attacked for exercising their right of ownership and to defend themselves and their family. However, this does not fit into the doctrine of the Democratic Party so Joe “Double Barrel” Biden and the rest of the party members have made every effort to vilify those who don’t subscribe to their world view. Of course, most of the world and the media in general don’t pay attention to this but what if he acted the same way with regard to his view on abortion?

So, in the end, the Vice President has admitted in this interview that he refuses to impose his religious beliefs on the country but his actions have clearly demonstrated that he is willing, if not eager, to impose his political beliefs on every single man, woman, and child in this country. I guess, according to Biden, people are only allowed to have certain rights so long as he agrees with them. And just think, some people want him to run for President.