JPFO Alerts
Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership, Inc.
P.O. Box 270143
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone (800) 869-1884
Fax (425) 451-3959
December 15, 2005
Irony is Alive and Well
It's Bill of Rights Day today, the day when we honor our precious national heritage, the Bill of Rights.
Yesterday we released a 2-part article on the benefits of a Bill of Rights culture (www.jpfo.org/borculture.htm). In it, we described all of the freedoms we might expect in a society that truly understood and adhered to the Bill of Rights.
Unfortunately, the US in its present form does not qualify as such a society.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to renew 16 provisions of the Patriot Act that were set to expire at the end of this year. With the over-used cry of "It's for the terrorists!", our "representatives" voted to extend for four years two of the Patriot Act's most controversial provisions - authorizing roving wiretaps and permitting secret warrants for books, records and other items from businesses, hospitals and organizations such as libraries.
For gunowners this is _particularly_ dangerous, as firearms purchase records (form 4473) are among those records eligible to be seized. Gunowners of America (www.gunowners.org) hit it on the nose when they stated, "These records would be obtained from gun dealers, who are required by law to keep the gun purchase records .... Thus an anti-gun administration could then easily compile gun owners registration lists - an enterprise which has often been a prelude to gun confiscation."
Indeed.
President Bush (having apparently failed to _read_ the Bill of Rights -- particularly Amendments 4, 5, 9, and 10) urged against any delay of Senate action on the renewal, claiming "The Patriot Act is essential to fighting the war on terror and preventing our enemies from striking America again." (http://tinyurl.com/8k9rd)
Ironically, less than a week ago, Bush proclaimed December 15 "Bill of Rights Day." (http://tinyurl.com/9lv88). At the same time, however, he also declared December 10 "Human Rights Day" and the week of December 10 (_including_ Bill of Rights Day!) as "Human Rights Week". This is specifically a commemoration of the U.N. General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948.
In other words, the UN Declaration of Human Rights -- which does NOT include a right to bear arms, the right to a speedy trial, or virtually _any_ limitations on government power! -- is being commemorated and honored by our administration to a far greater degree than our own Bill of Rights.
While shocking, this should not be surprising. After all, nearly all our freedoms are being unConstitutionally curtailed –- from the right to travel or speak freely to the right to have our homes secure against violent invasion by military-style police. In light of the current administration's predilection for shredding our rights, allegations of the President's referral to the Constitution as "...just a G--d--- piece of paper!" gain a degree of credibility. (http://tinyurl.com/9d8fw) Bush apologists (sometimes referred to as "Bush's bootlickers") would do well to realize what kind of boots they're licking.
The situation is grim, no doubt, but there IS hope.
Increasingly, the general population is beginnning to realize the dangers we now face from our own government. Dozens of cities are celebrating Bill of Rights Day each year, with more to come. Disparate groups, from gunowners to librarians to anti-tax and anti-war protestors, are standing side by side to protest the Patriot Act. And the town of Killington is actually attempting to formally secede from the state of Vermont due to the outrageous property taxes Vermont imposes on its residents!
It's a tiny spark, we'll admit. But that it exists at all gives us hope. On this Bill of Rights Day, we ask everyone to commit to fanning the flames of a Bill of Rights culture. Spread the ideals and perhaps someday we can live in the society our forefathers intended.
Have a happy Bill of Rights Day.
- The Liberty Crew