Posted on 04/28/2007 8:49:30 AM PDT by GMMAC
First, they came for the guns ?
George Jonas, National Post
Published: Saturday, April 28, 2007
Human beings live in worlds of their own making. This is true of individuals as well as nations -- even entire periods. I suppose a person couldn't help being born in the Dark Ages, but it was still people who created the Dark Ages and people who ended them. They weren't cosmic events.
If we recreate the Dark Ages in the 21st century, it will be our own doing, too. Nobody is making us. None of our Evil Empires came from outer space. The red cancer of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism may have gone into remission, but the malignancy of tyranny comes in many colours. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1940s, it came in Fascist black and Nazi brown. If it were to flare up again in green--Islamist green, environmental green, it doesn't matter --it would still be as homemade as apple pie.
What triggered this tirade? The news, needless to say. Almost any item makes one wonder about the sanity of the world, especially on or near the front page. Glancing at a photograph from Tehran. Reading a speech by Tory Environment Minister John Baird. Receiving an e-mail about a police raid in Alberta. My job is to comment on the news, but how can one comment on a nation--in this case, Iran -- choosing to live in a society where women, dressed like witches from an amateur production of Lady Macbeth, accost and berate other woman in the street for not being dressed like a witch from an amateur production of Lady Macbeth -- and they do it in 2007, in a country developing nuclear technology! It's nonsensical, unredeemed total stupidity --in short, n.u.t.s.
But for nuts we don't need to go all the way to Iran. The Green Gestapo of the environment seems ready to launch nuts right here at home. Eco-fascists share the self-righteous arrogance of Islamo-fascists, safety-Nazis and other control freaks. They're like the multicultural censors excising "Merry Christmas!" or the feminist ones neutering the word "fisherman" and substituting "fisher" as the mot juste. They're the anti-gun crusaders obliging us to register Grandpa's squirrel-plonker; they're the Victorian don't-step-on-the-grass crowd; they're our version of the Persian dress police. They're prepared to enforce a government- regulated climate in Canada, indoors and outdoors, literally and figuratively, itching to counter global warming with an economic ice age.
What will it be like? Dark and grim. Hot showers on alternate days. Cars carrying fewer than three passengers impounded. Failure to use the politically correct amount of toilet paper bringing down the full wrath of the eco-fascist state. And harbouring an unlicensed light bulb in the home, well -- that would invite consequences similar to those described in an e-mail I received this week:
"Last Monday, April 16th, 4 a.m., near the hamlet of Craigmyle, Alberta, just southwest of Hanna, John Rew, age 50, was awakened to the sound of a SWAT smoke grenade smashing through his bedroom window," wrote my correspondent. "He was thrown face down on the floor and handcuffed instantly afterward, as a second smoke grenade exploded through his TV stand in the living room, burning a hole in the floor.
"The Drumheller RCMP, Calgary SWAT, and Red Deer SWAT had come for all his firearms, in particular his registered prohibited and restricted firearms, all legally registered to him.
"Although their search warrant did not include any residences, Rew agreed to lead them across the farmyard to his 80-year-old mother's house. Her basement contains Rew's storage facility. His mother, Betty, allowed them entry and was detained for her co-operative efforts. The masked, body-armoured, assault rifle equipped [police] got what they came for. Rew was hauled away, still in handcuffs. His alleged crime: allowing his F.A.C/P.A.L [gun permits] to expire. 2:30 that afternoon he was released, promising to appear in Drumhelller court 10 am May 25th 2007.
"The authorities shut down Rew's oilfield business for the day, turning his 20 employees away at the gate. His sister was not allowed entry to tend to their 80-year-old mother who had been devastated by the events of that morning. Ironically, the next day, April 17, our government announced an extension of the long gun registry amnesty for another year."
Note to readers: I haven't edited the e-mail forwarded to me, other than to correct typos and remove some judgmental words. Preliminary research indicates that Mr. Rew, who owns and operates an oil patch located on his farm, is an ordinary gun collector who -- at worst -- may not have complied with some paperwork. Did the gun police behave as thuggishly as it appears in the e-mail? I don't know.
Note to police chiefs: Whenever it's necessary to conduct a dawn raid, invite a member of the press to come along. An independent journalist embedded with your team will make it harder for anyone to level false accusations against your officers.
Note to the Prime Minister: If we let governments continue on their regulatory binges, SWAT teams will be hurtling through our windows to confiscate our prohibited light bulbs and unregistered rolls of toilet paper. A state that doesn't stop at Mr. Rew's door will stop at nothing.
© National Post 2007
“”But for nuts we don’t need to go all the way to Iran. The Green Gestapo of the environment seems ready to launch nuts right here at home. Eco-fascists share the self-righteous arrogance of Islamo-fascists, safety-Nazis and other control freaks. They’re like the multicultural censors excising “Merry Christmas!” or the feminist ones neutering the word “fisherman” and substituting “fisher” as the mot juste. They’re the anti-gun crusaders obliging us to register Grandpa’s squirrel-plonker; they’re the Victorian don’t-step-on-the-grass crowd; they’re our version of the Persian dress police. They’re prepared to enforce a government- regulated climate in Canada, indoors and outdoors, literally and figuratively, itching to counter global warming with an economic ice age.””
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller
Community and individuality are not opposites. People cannot survive on their own. When the odds are stacked against you, you must rally with the oppressed and hated.
When a growing oppressive regime is taking hold, you must act, otherwise you will soon face your enemy alone and hopeless.
Strength of community is a strength as much as individualism, as long you are willing to face weaknesses in your own community. Ignoring slacking values will mean that you will be rallied against by those you oppress.
Niemöller affirms we must rally against unhealthy organized regimes. We must also stay vigilant with those that appear to be good natured, as all organisation attracts corruption. Niemöller also warns us that if it is you who are corrupt, then you will face a stronger combined force of foe!
Vexen Crabtree
Two words...Molon Labe.
Won't happen. They always start with the most marginalised, where nobody will object.
Nobody objected when they required convicted sex offenders to register their addresses with the police. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld this as constitutional. Then they added kidnapping offenders (most of whom are the childrens' own parents) and in various places other offenders are being required to register (meth offenders somewhere, now). It's creeping forward, albeit slowly right now.
But it's all constitutional, mind you, because SCOTUS said so.
All you need is a government with sufficient rationale and willingness to trample our liberties a bit further, and all our domiciles will be registered -- by law.
But hey, I guess it hasn't hurt the Swiss one bit so it won't hurt here.
SCOTUS has also said there is no constitutional infringement when governments designate where registered sex offender can live or work. Of course, that is nearly equivalent to saying where they can live and work; it's only a small step away.
Many here would cheer such ghettos -- actually, many advocate such, and not just ghettos but isolated/separated facilities. Not even as a condition of conviction, but after the fact.
But it's all constitutional, mind you, because SCOTUS said so.
Ain't nobody gonna rally with sex offenders. So that's perfect place to start chipping away at our rights, because nobody is going to object, especially when these destructive nostrums are being sold under the false banner of making you safer. We're doing it to ourselves.
And it's all constitutional, mind you, because SCOTUS says so.
Great line:
~~~~ It's nonsensical, unredeemed total stupidity --in short, n.u.t.s. ~~~~
‘They’ in this case was the Nazis.
Nazi’s were anti-communist party and anti-union in the day.
Marked
The canadians have people - RCMP, customs? - watching who goes into Gander Mountain sporting goods in Watertown and they report to the canadian customs people so they can properly harass and check up on them. And their counterparts in immigration just keep on rolling them a-rab terrorists into canada as fast as they can. Your tax dollars at work.
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