Houston Area Liberty Campaign

[Original article from TargetFreedom.com, story links by HALC.us staff.]

Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack read the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as Vermont’s own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere.

During his term in 2000 Maslack proposed House Bill 760 to register “non-gun-owners” and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would have become the first state to require a permit for going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun. This might look bad at first, because it would seem to be registration of gun owners by process of elimination. But there is another factor to consider: You can buy a gun for less than $500, and avoid the tax. In this way no one would have to “register”  or pay the tax. They could fulfill the duty required by the second amendment at a lower cost.

Maslack read the “militia” phrase of the Second Amendment as not only affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a “monopoly of force” by the government as well as criminals.

"By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia,’ the ’security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms’, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important." - John F. Kennedy, April 1960. Hell will freeze over before we would ever see BO in a photo of comparable awesomeness.

Vermont’s constitution states explicitly that “the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State” and those persons who are “conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms” shall be required to “pay such equivalent.” Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves, so that they are capable of responding to “any situation that may arise.”

Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver’s license number with the state. “There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is not prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so,” Maslack says.

Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along with the least restrictive laws of any state.  At that time [it was] the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Now Alaska has joined them. This combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the third lowest in the nation.

“America is at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.”

This makes sense! There is no reason why gun owners should have to pay taxes to support police protection for people not wanting to own guns. Let them contribute their fair share and pay their own way. People who go around unarmed are causing extra expense for law enforcement, who have to protect them, when they could be protecting themselves and others.

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Kennesaw, Georgia’s gun law: You are required to have one.

At one time the Mayor of Kennesaw, Georgia was Darvon Purdy.  Darvon Purdy is a member of The John Birch Society. The John Birch Society co-ordinator told Darvon Purdy that he thought it would be better, if everyone was REQUIRED to own a gun, as the law is, in Switzerland.

Darvon Purdy decided that he would introduce that legislation.

IT PASSED.

In Kennesaw, Georgia[1] every adult citizen is required to own a gun.

Crime went WAY DOWN.

Actually I would not usually suggest that government PROVIDE anything except protection.

In the case of guns and Kennesaw, I would relate this:

I attended a John Birch Society meeting in Atlanta, Georgia where Mayor Darvon Purdy read a series of letters between himself and the Mayor of Morton Grove, Illinois.

Morton Grove, Illinois had unconstitutionally outlawed firearms.  Mayor Darvon Purdy had asked the Mayor of Morton Grove, Illinois if they would be so kind as to send the guns that they were confiscating to Kennesaw, so that they could be ISSUED to the citizens of Kennesaw.

We were rolling in the aisles as we listened to those letters.

On May 1, 1982, this ordinance was passed by the city council of Kennesaw:

Sec. 34-1 Heads of households to maintain firearms.

(a)   In order to provide for the emergency management of the City, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the City limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore.

(b)   Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability, which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony.

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[1] See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1818862/posts for crime statistics before and after the 1982 law went into effect, as well as an article by Presidential candidate, Chuck Baldwin.