“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it” is a phrase widely attributed to British statesman Edmund Burke (1729-1797). That statement is proven true each and every day, as leftist after leftist, and avowed socialist after avowed socialist, attempt to foist their already debunked regressive worldview on the whole of society.
As Americans head to the polls this fall, my brethren to the south would be well-served to take note of how gun control has metastasized within my native country of Canada. Allow the sad fact that Canadians have no real freedom under the law to defend themselves with a firearm to be a cautionary tale that drives Americans to both vociferously defend the second amendment, and vote for politicians that will do the same.
Here in Canada, the powers that be deem gun ownership a privilege, not a right. The terms God-given or unalienable might as well be stricken from the Canadian lexicon, as only the government leviathan, in all of their supreme wisdom and knowledge, can confer rights upon the masses.
For example, it is illegal for pretty much everybody, even those who have gone through the onerous process of obtaining a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL), to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense purposes in Canada. Moreover, it is also dubious whether a Canadian, even within one’s own house, could shoot a home intruder without being arrested, forced to spend copious amounts of money to defend oneself, and potentially serve jail time.
Gun control advocates make it seem like all of this gun control means that there is minimal crime and gun violence in locales where anti-gun legislation is passed, which is simply not the case. Despite the University of Sydney’s gunpolicy.org already listing Canada as having excessively restrictive gun control policies in place, crime still occurs. Yet our political overlords continually call for even more gun control.
Yes, because each previous iteration has proved so very effective, it makes perfect sense that this time will be different.
Mark my words: Until there is a flat out ban on the ownership of civilian firearms in Canada, the calls for gun control will never stop. Americans, this sad fact concerns you as well. While you were able to elect Donald Trump as your president, please do not think that the battle has been won. If the Democrats manage to take the house in November, they will undoubtedly vote to impeach President Trump, which will serve to derail and counteract much of his agenda, including defending the Second Amendment. We will see the rabid anti-gun left assailing gun rights at every turn, while at the same time, refusing to confirm conservative, pro-second amendment judges (if the Democrats were to also succeed in taking the Senate).
In the Federalist Papers, Number 46, James Madison writes that America, unlike almost every other nation on earth, is blessed with the advantage of having an armed citizenry. Just ask the British, who were defeated by George Washington and an army of mostly armed citizens, rather than professional soldiers. Just ask the scores of would-be murderers and rapists that have, one way or another, been prevented from accomplishing their dastardly deeds by armed citizens, even in the 21st century.
President Ronald Reagan once stated, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
Please, my brothers and sisters in the United States, do not let the fire of freedom, that makes you the shining city on a hill in this world, be extinguished. Madison warns in Federalist 46, do not allow your government to become one that does not trust the citizenry with firearms.
Mark George is a Canadian citizen who has undergone the process for obtaining a firearms license and he is a guest columnist for “Down Range with AWR Hawkins.”
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