A Rant

We have been busy with seeing people and dining here and there, even going to see “Once Upon a Time . . . Hollywood” on film and watching Bathtubs Over Broadway on Netflix – do watch it. My head has been buried in politics and questions of Free Speech and “2nd Amendment” rights. I need to get some things off my chest so either close this post right now or come along for the ride.

I will not quote the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States here, it is readily available. I have never owned a handgun, rifle or shotgun and have no intention of doing so.  I do not oppose any one owning and using these weapons. I understand the pleasure of target shooting, I even get the desire to hunt. Some people need rifles or shot guns to protect themselves from wild animals or even to euthanize wild animals that are injured. All of these needs can be fulfilled with weapons that can fire at most 6 shots on a reload (I am basing that on the 6 shot revolver). I see no purpose in high capacity magazines, upwards of 200 rounds! other than engaging in a fire fight with similarly armed people or to commit mass murder. We must start  by banning the possession of  magazines greater than will fit within the body of the weapon. By that I mean anyone possessing such magazines will be first subjected to fines and then to imprisonment for subsequent offenses. Put this together with the bumpstock ban and we have a start. Background checks are nice, but don’t solve a thing nor do Red Flag laws. Bad guys with evil intent will find their way around those because there are already so many weapons in circulation. 

As an RVer who often boondocks and camps amid other RVers who I don’t know, my only safety concern is the paranoia of a fellow camper with a high powered weapon who fires it and misses leaving his missile to pass through the walls of my RV on its way to oblivion. My only weapon is a 380 horsepower diesel engine ready to start and be underway out of Dodge in minutes.

End of 2nd Amendment rant – for now.

Free Speech; I may have bitten off more than I realized, but here goes.

I am not looking into laws abridging freedom of religion or the press also significant aspects of the First amendment. “Congress shall make no law . . . or abridging the freedom of speech . . . ” This limits what Congress can do, not what private parties or states can do. Further many states (I have not researched this fully) have similar clauses in their constitutions. As I understand this there is no way under Federal law to ban or punish hate speech. Anyone can stand in the public square and proclaim whatever hateful ideology they choose so long as they to not incite violence. If they can find a publisher willing to print it, they can  have it printed and distributed by those willing to distribute it. Let’s give Facebook and YouTube and 8chan the benefit of the doubt that they are “the press” and thus are free to distribute what they choose in hate, porn, lies. They are also free to refuse to publish. We are free to refrain from supporting them by refusing to use their service. It does seem a stretch, but if several million people abstained from Facebook for a week they might take notice. 

I do not have any great hope that I will see the day when any of what I propose will actually happen. We are divided and afraid, we have been raised with hate for the “other” and when I note I am driving through El Paso I hear from friends and readers that it is dangerous because it is so close to Mexico. One not so small fact; the white folk invaded Mexico and carved out the state of Texas which had a substantial local population also New Mexico, California and Arizona. We are the invaders! 

I warned you. 

4 thoughts on “A Rant”

  1. Paul,
    Write on! We agree 100 %. Thanks for having the guts to say it.
    Brian & Chris Byers
    AZ boondockers from WA.

  2. Paul,

    Ellen and I agree with you on these issues. Thanks for giving us a voice.

    Lonnie and Ellen

  3. Hi Paul,
    I generally do not get involved in political discussions. However, I think you presented unusually rational approaches to two important issues in today’s world. Overall, I agree with your positions and suggested remedies. While I am loathe to prohibit restrictions on guns, we must remember that the guns allowed by the 2nd amendment are different from today’s weapons. The limiting of magazine size is probably the one thing we can do which can probably survive a constitutional challenge. No matter how you argue the point, bump stocks create what are, effectively, machine guns which are largely prohibited (Federal licences are available for collectors and some others), and are unnecessary for any purpose, including national defense.
    As for freedom of speech, it is the most abused privilege of all those we enjoy. The social media allow its abuse more than they should, but attempts to correct this often lead to the stifling of this freedom when unpopular or politically incorrect opinions are expressed. Here we must be careful.
    Again, kudos for your comments.

  4. Enjoying reading this, Paul. I agree completely with the 2nd amendment comments. Free speech also sounded very well articulated; don’t know enough to follow it thoroughly. Thanks for taking the time to share.

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