Godwin's Gun-Grabber Salon

Salon’s Alex Seitz-Wald parses Brown University historian Omer Bartov to attack American gun rights advocates as being ignorant of history when it comes to Hitler and gun control:

“Bartov added that this misreading of history is not only intellectually dishonest, but also dangerous. ‘I happen to have been a combat soldier and officer in the Israeli Defense Forces and I know what these assault rifles can do,’ he said in an email. 

He continued: ‘Their assertion that they need these guns to protect themselves from the government – as supposedly the Jews would have done against the Hitler regime – means not only that they are innocent of any knowledge and understanding of the past, but also that they are consciously or not imbued with the type of fascist or Bolshevik thinking that they can turn against a democratically elected government, indeed turn their guns on it, just because they don’t like its policies, its ideology, or the color, race and origin of its leaders.'” 

Bartov’s Appeal to Authority notwithstanding (AR-15s are NOT “assault rifles,” professor), the intent and basic math of the Second Amendment should be revisited: 

James Madison, Federalist #46: 

“The only refuge left for those who prophesy the downfall of the State governments is the visionary supposition that the federal government may previously accumulate a military force for the projects of ambition. The reasonings contained in these papers must have been employed to little purpose indeed, if it could be necessary now to disprove the reality of this danger. That the people and the States should, for a sufficient period of time, elect an uninterupted succession of men ready to betray both; that the traitors should, throughout this period, uniformly and systematically pursue some fixed plan for the extension of the military establishment; that the governments and the people of the States should silently and patiently behold the gathering storm, and continue to supply the materials, until it should be prepared to burst on their own heads, must appear to every one more like the incoherent dreams of a delirious jealousy, or the misjudged exaggerations of a counterfeit zeal, than like the sober apprehensions of genuine patriotism. Extravagant as the supposition is, let it however be made. Let a regular army, fully equal to the resources of the country, be formed; and let it be entirely at the devotion of the federal government; still it would not be going too far to say, that the State governments, with the people on their side, would be able to repel the danger. The highest number to which, according to the best computation, a standing army can be carried in any country, does not exceed one hundredth part of the whole number of souls; or one twenty-fifth part of the number able to bear arms. This proportion would not yield, in the United States, an army of more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men. To these would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million of citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties, and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence. It may well be doubted, whether a militia thus circumstanced could ever be conquered by such a proportion of regular troops.” 

Madison trounces the current day “‘Gun Control Now!’, he cried…” media/political Kabuki. 

The Second Amendment is safe. There will be no bloody rebellions necessary. 

Perhaps Salon et al.’s zeal and the NRA et al.’s vigilance have simply overlooked Mr. Madison’s uncomfortable mathematics while distracted by polarizing (yet sexy) Godwin’s Law cliches. 

BREAKING: Guns are sexy and sexy distractions sell in the media… Film at 11. 

Now, let’s all just calm the hell down and do the right things, shall we: post armed security personnel in vulnerable “gun-free zones”, relax concealed carry laws, fight and hold accountable school districts that violate or are lazy in implementing best mental health identification practices under IDEA, etc. 

We the People must focus our energies on the real issues that threaten America as founded: an imperial presidency, federal government over-spending, crushing national debt, fiat currency, cultural degradation, unemployment, a nuclear Iran, China’s blue water navy, the weakness shown to the Enemy by the attacks in Benghazi, etcetera etcetera etcetera. 

Saddle Up!

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