Of “Red Flags” and “Compromises”

And so here we go again. Another barrage of calls to “do something”, to “compromise” and to enact “common sense gun laws.”

Also as per usual in these situations, “reasonable” lawmakers “agree” to “talk” and come forth with proposals to enact laws that will achieve absolutely nothing except further limit the rights of our nation’s citizens, further erode that already unrecognizable right to due process that once we had and, of course, allow the lawmakers to bathe in the sweet, narcissistic glow of “having done something.”

Now, to some people, “red flag laws” might seem perfectly reasonable and innocuous. After all, haven’t all of those horrid mass murderers had a history of “weird, anti-social behavior” and of being, in general, a few marbles short of a full bag? Wouldn’t it then make sense to swoop in and take their weapons of mass murder away from them ahead of time before they can do something heinous?

Well yes, yes it would, provided that anybody, ANYBODY can come up with a 100% sure-fire, fool-proof, objective, 0% false positive way of predicting the future behavior of human beings.

Then we can talk.

Until we reach that particular milestone in our march to a Utopia that will never exist, we’ve got absolutely nothing to talk about.

Nothing.

Because until such a time, all we’ll get from those “oh-so-sensible” red flag laws is a tsunami of innocent people being robbed, at gunpoint (by law enforcement, no less. Savor the irony) of their G-d given rights without evidence and due process and with extremely murky definitions of how or if they can ever get their rights, properties and good names back.

What happened to “innocent until proven guilty?”

What happened to “security in your possessions?”

What happened to “due process” and “being entitled to face your accuser?”

Tell us, o concerned and so very reasonable citizens, do you REALLY want the raging, rampaging mobs of Twitter and Facebook to decide whether or not you get to exercise your right to defend yourself and your family?

Because that’s what you’re going to get if any of those laws pass.

One wrong word, one mad neighbor, one pissed off girlfriend or boyfriend filing a “petition” against you and you’ll have a couple of armed uniforms ringing your doorbell, telling you to hand over what might very well be your only way of defending yourselves from violent predators.

Oh, you can challenge it, of course, go through weeks of delays, filings, red tape and G-d only knows how many legal fees and then maybe, maybe you can have your rights back.

Until next time.

Thing is, the moment a petition is filed against you, the moment somebody anonymously reports a “disturbing joke” you made, the moment you hit a certain number of bans on Twatter and Faceberg, the list goes on and on, that moment you’re GUILTY, and it’s up to YOU to prove that you’re NOT a violent psychopath.

Sounds like fun?

Ask any survivor of the Soviet Union how much “fun” that is. They’ll tell you.

Oh, but it’s only “the severely mentally ill” and such. You believe that, we have a nice ocean front property on Mars we’d like to sell you. Besides, who gets to decide what “severely mentally ill” or even “potentially dangerously disturbed” means?

Spoiler: It ain’t you.

Another spoiler: The guidelines, if any are even established, will be redefined on a regular basis, depending upon who happens to be in control of them at any given point in time, and we can guaran-TEE you that they’ll NEVER be “defined down.” That ratchet only goes one way. Once again, ask that survivor from the Soviet Union we mentioned before if you need to know more. You’ll absolutely LOVE what he or she will have to say on the subject.

As to the politicians of this nation, you’d do well to not touch that third rail of politics, unless you really are sick and tired of your jobs and don’t want another term under any circumstances.

Compromise?

We’ve got your compromise right here (click to embiggen), courtesy of LC & IB LawDog:

(Also, check out LC readerjp’s comment here).

Thatisall.

http://nordilinga.de/bin/ohne/index.html%3Fp=1458.html