From the SeattleTimes.com:
Misstep in gun bill could defeat the effort
One of the major gun-control efforts in Olympia this session calls for the sheriff to inspect the homes of assault-weapon owners. The bill’s backers say that was a mistake.
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Seattle Times staff columnist
Forget police drones flying over your house. How about police coming inside, once a year, to have a look around?
As Orwellian as that sounds, it isn’t hypothetical. The notion of police home inspections was introduced in a bill last week in Olympia.
That it’s part of one of the major gun-control efforts pains me. It seemed in recent weeks lawmakers might be headed toward some common-sense regulation of gun sales. But then last week they went too far. By mistake, they claim. But still too far.
“They always say, we’ll never go house to house to take your guns away. But then you see this, and you have to wonder.”
And I tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that you knew bills of this kind were coming, no matter what any Demorat, Leftist or Progressive claims to controvert. The final path in the mind of Demorats and Leftists does unequivocally involve, first, forcing the government into your home and, finally, outright confiscation of firearms.
Even our northern friends in Canada warn: “gun registration means confiscation.”
Of all places and sources, the San Francisco Examiner actually writes:
NRA: Obama Justice Dept. memo says registration, gun confiscation necessary
According to a short video produced by the NRA, a Justice Department memo says that an assault weapon ban would not be effective without mandatory gun confiscation and that universal background checks would only work with federal gun registration, Jim Hoft reported at the Gateway Pundit on Monday, citing a blog post at Guns Saves Lives.
“Make no mistake,” the blog post said, “an assault weapons ban of any kind, even with a grandfathering clause is a step towards gun confiscation.”
The post also says that universal background checks are “just the first step” in implementing federal gun registration, which will ultimately lead to confiscation.
But here, ladies and gentlemen — HERE — is where the rubber meets the road:
Democrats in at least two states — Missouri and Minnesota — have already proposed legislation that if passed into law, would require law-abiding gun owners to surrender rifles, shotguns and pistols deemed to be “assault weapons.” A proposal being considered in Washington State would require local sheriffs to inspect the homes of those with “assault weapons” to ensure they are secure.
So when anyone says, no, it “can’t happen here” —
It IS happening here.
Up front: you can only do what you can do, when you can do it. Or not do it.
The “not” part goes like this: I will NOT be “inspecting” the homes of lawful gun owners at the behest of ANY bill, nor will I allow my troops to “inspect” the homes of lawful gun owners — absent a singular warrant of arrest acquired by a presiding judge in a state court, or a singular search warrant issued by same based only but upon probable cause in its affidavit. I am an OATHKEEPER. I am a Guardian of the Republic.
Frankly, I don’t see more freedoms “breaking out” anywhere in these United States; oh no. Quite the reverse: I see national freedoms lost month by month, year by year.
But I am also ever the pessimist. I don’t see columns of citizens standing hand-in-hand with American soldiers and American law enforcement in their wholesale denial of home inspections, insurance regulations requiring home inspections by civilians, or outright confiscation by the American government.
Because, after all, that is the common goal of the Demorats, Leftists and those GOWPs who are brain-dead, uninvolved and unaware of their surroundings. In LE we call this “situational awareness.” The bulk of Americans completely lack this skill.
I wish I were as positive in my thoughts as Texas Fred; alas, I am not. And these movements indicate why.
BZ
I am desperately wanting to believe that our troops and officers will NOT take up arms against citizens and disarm them…I really do. However, I can NOT 100% believe that it will not happen. That a majority of officers and soldiers will refuse or be able to refuse an order to go after gun owners if they are ordered .
I am a law enforcement officer and have been so for 13 years. Many of my family are law enforcement as well. I know many cops , and I see a huge difference in how they all think. There are some older officers that want power and position so badly, they will do whatever they are told if it means bars or oak leaves on their shoulders. On the flip side, there are the younger guys that are so willing to prove themselves, they will follow any order from anyone with those bars and oak leaves, if it can prove they are worthy and get them a good letter in their file or a commendation. These young officers have blank moral slates just waiting to be filled in by whoever they look up to. When power grabs become the name of the game, there are just too many officers that I feel will do ANYTHING. Then, there are those that will do what they are told, even if they do not agree with the order, out of fear they will be cast out and become one of those that will be pushed around and no longer have job, or any power or position, and no longer a means of providing for their families.
I know I could never fathom my turning my gun on another citizen and disarming them for no other reason other than they have a gun, and I also know many cops who feel as I do. But, I know that my beliefs are not that of all officers. Now, I don’t know every cop in the world, and I can only base my opinion on the limited number of officers and agencies I have worked with, known, and spoke with. To be honest, I think 75% may be high. Then again, my basis of opinion is limited to my small tiny universe of law enforcement.
Then, there is hitler. I am a WWII buff and have read tons of books on the subject. Not just on the war itself or specific battles, but books on the men who were at the heart of the war. I am still amazed, intrigued and dumbfounded on the atrocities that were carried out in the name of a radical idea. An entire country of once great men, turned insane.
hitler ruled by making everyone afraid and paranoid. The fear that you could become one of the tortured prisoners you now command over combined with the paranoia that ANYONE, even your supposed best friend, would turn you in, if you so much as even commented on an order given in a negative manner. This overwhelming control from above forced men of morals to do the most shameful of acts. So much so, that these horrible deeds became the norm. After a while, murdering citizens was just a job. These soldiers and officers followed orders and dispatched lives as if it were nothing. I am sure many German soldiers’ souls grew black as stone and after a while, no longer could tell right from wrong. They did their jobs as ordered, and if it bothered them, they just did whatever it took to drive away the pain of what they had done. Schnapps sales were probably at an all time high. Men who must have known they were going straight to hell and could do nothing to stop it. Hell, they probably got to the point they would welcome the torture of eternal hellfire over the numbing task of killing millions of innocents…but what could they do…what could they? That was what hitler was able to do. And we all know that hitler was not the only one. History is full of men like him. Heck, history is full of men that would make hitler look like Mother Theresa by comparison. We all know the names of these men and a single google search will give you dozens of leaders that did what hitler did or worse.
What I have to believe at one time, were decent German children, who grew up to be decent men and woman, somehow became soldiers and pro-nazi citizens, who all committed atrocities that would (and did) make tough men cry. Men who would put babies in an oven for the sheer torture value of it, but still wear a belt buckle that says “Gott Mit Uns” (God is with us). How did these men call themselves “of GOD” and still do what they did? I don’t know the answer, but the fact remains, it happened and could again. These were soldiers and officers who I am sure at one time, thought it their duty to protect the citizens of their country, and before too long, ended up killing millions of them. If this could happen then, it could happen now. In fact, I have often wondered why so many jews stayed behind when the writing on the wall of what was happening appeared before them. I can only think that they to, never thought in a million years that their fellow country men, and the soldiers of their beloved country would ever turn on them. Hell, jews who fought in WWI for Germany were not immune to the horrors of Hitler and many of them were sent off to the gas chambers just because an ambitious insane man with power ordered it. Millions had faith that their leaders would not harm them and had faith that no soldier or officer would ever carry out such incredible and unthinkable orders, but history proves that notion wrong.
Men, solider and officers, that would kill millions of innocents and for what reason? Some out of fear of disobeying orders, some for the simple reason they were only following orders, and some for sadistic joy of doing it. Pick your reason, but way too many did as they were ordered. An entire country gone insane. I am sure there were some that refused to not to follow these outrageous orders, but I bet they soon found themselves on the front-lines of the next major battle and soon dead, if not in prison.
Human kind has been killing each other since the beginning of time. I bet we will be killing each other hundreds of generations from now as well. I have nothing but the best of hope for humanity, but I am a realist. I know what man is capable of. Even good men if they are pushed too far or placed in fear for themselves or even more so, their families. (Look at the movie 48 hours. I know it’s a comedy, but it’s point is well made and not far from the truth.) I think this may be true for many men. Good men can be made bad and vice versa. In every man, there is a hero and a sinner. Either one can be brought out of them.
Finally, there is NOTHING more dangerous than an ambitious man with no moral character. For he will do the unthinkable if it benefits him. Men are programmed to survive. And if survival means taking out the guy next to you, there are more than a few that will oblige.
So, I HOPE and PRAY that there are men like me, who took their oath seriously. However, I am a rare breed. I am not motivated by money, or by power. I am able to walk away and support myself by other means if necessary. I will always be okay. However, there are not many other officers who know how to do anything else or could make a living even close to what their current jobs offer them, if they could not remain in law enforcement. They love the power they have, and will do, unquestioning, anything they are told, as long as it means a good report in their file and a continued bright career ahead of them.
We have all seen the video of the asshole cop abusing his power and showing the world what a tough guy he is. These guys make me sick. However, there are quite a number of these guys out there. The only thing keeping others who think like them in check is the fear of losing their jobs (and sometimes that doesn’t even work), or other officers and superiors that have a moral compass to guide them and halt their bad behavior before it happens. Now, imagine if we change the leadership of an agency. Just a few of the guys at the top with ambitious men who seek power and approval from those above them. Imagine if those at the top start to reward “bad” behavior. Write up the guys who refuse to follow EVERY SINGLE order, and place them in IA for everything. They will end up, one by one, gone. Either they will eventually be fired, forced out, quit, change careers, or fade into the background, never bucking the system again, or even just retire out. Combine this with the way they hire new recruits. A new recruit is examined from every angle, including a psychological testing that is quite accurate and thorough. They know who will follow orders and who has a sadistic streak and who will do what is right all the time and who will not. It would not be too difficult for those in leadership with ill intentions, to hire enough of those that are predictable followers and psychopaths, and mold them into the modern equivalent of the SS. An agency of unquestioning followers would soon result. It would not be too much of a stretch from there to convince an entire agency that it is quite okay to fire upon citizens, without question. That is MANKIND…it has been done many times before and it can be done now…even in America. America is NOT immune to the lessons of history. I am not saying it will happen…only that it can if someone with enough power wants it.
To say that our current batch of officers and soldiers could be forced to turn on their own fellow citizens RIGHT NOW…TODAY, I would say “Never Happen”. Too many good guys in the bunch that would stop it. But, if the requisite steps were to be taken to change the attitude and dynamics of an entire law enforcement agency, or a battalion of soldiers, I bet it would be only a matter of a few short years, before I could made to rethink my opinion.
Just like all of those young German children in the 1930’s, they became hitler’s goons in the early 40’s. These children grew up and became soldiers for Hitler who no longer thought for themselves, knew not of right from wrong, and did as they were told, unquestioningly. Whether it was by fear, sense of duty, or sheer joy, they committed those acts, because that was how they were raised (programmed). Thank God the Allies stopped them. Hell, I am sure that many of them that survived the war, eventually came to their senses and truly regretted the horrors they had committed. But, that does not change history or what they did. The time of hitler (and stalin, pol pot, lenin, mao zedong, kim jong ill, etc. (and I am not even going that far back in history to come up with what could be an extensive list) IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.
Again, I know what I would do and I know what quite a number of my other compatriots would do as well. But I can not speak for every single officer or soldier. I have seen many a cop turn on their own just to save their own skins, so imagine these same officers with power over people they don’t even know. Combine this with the majority of Americans that voted for obama. We have to remember, that the half of this country that voted for obama, also have half the jobs in our military and law enforcement agencies. So believing they will do the right thing all the time is difficult for me to accept. I know MAN is a complex beast capable of great good and great horror. I also know that good does not prevail over evil. I also have a good idea of what obama and his minions want for the future and I think there is nothing they will not try in order to accomplish their goals. I do not feel as confident about our future as long as we are controlled by ambitious men with evil minds. I can only hope that good triumphs.
So, I want badly to believe that a majority of the men who are supposed to protect us, will not take action to disarm us. But I know enough to believe that a majority may be asking too much. That maybe, just maybe, there might be enough men in uniform willing to do what is ordered of them to make obama’s wishes a reality. I will not be one of them, and so to will many of my brethren not take part in any task of this type. But again, we are not in control and we are not the majority.
History has taught us that horrible things happen and America is not immune to history. It could happen. I have little faith in humanity when ambitious men with power are in control.
This is one of the most thoughtful and well written opinions I can remember reading.
I love to fish and most times I take my weapons with me. Wouldn’t ya know it, one day my boat flipped over and I lost all my firearms to the bottom of that lake!! 😉
To dekare: We do have a certain peace of mind knowing, that ultimately, Hitler and his minions lost most of their battles and finally lost the war.
Yeah that’s true but he killed millions before he was finished. Let’s just hope we don’t go there.
+1 on dekare, and yes, the ‘truth’ slipped out on that one… I, like you, have MANY concerns, and I’m beginning to wonder how we will travel legally with weapons from state to state??? Will Fed pre-emption still exist? Or will states go NY on us???
Dekare: thank you so kindly for the insight into the topic. Welcome aboard, and thanks for taking the time to comment.
I too think things could crash. I am not the eternal optimist.
I try to influence things as best I can, in my own part of the world.
BZ
Well BZ and dekare, we civilians are counting on you and I am proud to have the likes of you two in law enforcement. The true Obama is surfacing and the fact he was re-elected gives me very little faith in my fellow American.
Here’s an excerpt from yesterday’s Omega Dispatch. We are now living in a country that has the makings of another Nazi Germany. The likes of Bill Ayers are now running this country and let’s not forget some of the things he was thinking about decades ago.
“Finally. Remember the civilian army Obama spoke off years ago, that he said must be as well equipped and trained as the US military? Well, he has that army now. It’s called the DHS. They’re armed with everything from Tanks to Armored Personnel Carriers to battle rifles, to bullet proof check points, and billions upon billions of rounds of man-stopping ammunition. THEY are ready for an uprising. In fact, they are EXPECTING an uprising.
The question is: Will Americans resist? Frankly, I don’t know, anymore. I just don’t know.”
The Democrats propose, and the whole world, and normally well reasoned bloggers go to hell in a hand-basket..
This shit might happen in New York, California, Oregon and Washington, maybe, but it WILL NOT HAPPEN in places like Missouri… It’s your blog man, but I am seriously thinking you need to broaden your horizons and stop reading and using InfoWars, Prison Planet and Alex Jones as references…
As you can see, the sources are the SF Examiner, a Canadian source, and the Seattle Times. Not particularly what you would call Rightist or Conservative or conspiracy sites.
I simply have my doubts. I will keep up MY end of the log; but I have doubts about many other Americans. Of course, this does NOT include yourself or our circles.
BZ