A well-armed citizenry is necessary to protect our nations from enemies (foreign and ESPECIALLY domestic)
America is caught up in hysteria masquerading as a massive surge of enlightenment purportedly inspiring wisdom about the obvious right things to do. Two components of this are a proposed ban on AR-15 “dictator-dissuader rifles,” aka AR-15 “constitution-preserver rifles,” aka AR-15 “family-protector rifles,” and a proposed ban on high-capacity magazines.
Many peopole today are seizing an opportunity to bluster by pejoratively referring to the AR-15 as an “assault rifle,” even though the six biggest American manufacturers of AR-15 rifles do not make a model they list as an “assault rifle;” the label was fabricated from outside the industry.
I challenge anyone to provide me with one good reason for validating the idea that our own military should have better small arms than are available to us citizens who own this country.
Realizing our military is directed by our top public servants — the president, vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state, and military generals and admirals — I’m considering some facts from my life of 70 years.
In my lifetime, our military unjustifiably has been sent by people occupying the above positions to kill foreigners without Congress first declaring war as is required by our Constitution: in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq twice and currently Afghanistan. We have killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who did us no harm and who couldn’t possibly reach us.
In my lifetime, megalomaniacal tyrants have turned their own military against their own people. The troops followed “orders” and killed millions of their under-armed fellow citizens: Hitler in Germany, Stalin in Russia, Mao in China, Ceausescu in Romania, and Saddam in Iraq; more recently, Gaddafi in Libya and Mubarak in Egypt; and, currently, Assad in Syria.
In my lifetime, presidents have proven themselves untrustworthy. Through the TV they have looked into my eyes and ruthlessly lied to me: Johnson with the Gulf of Tonkin myth, Nixon with the Watergate break-in and cover-up, Reagan on selling arms to our enemies out of the White House (Iran Contra), Clinton about Lewinsky, and George W. Bush and the erroneous claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
So, is there anyone myopic enough to think we in America are exempt from an attempted internal takeover? Is there anyone insightful and adventurous enough to think they have good reason to meet my challenge? If so, let’s hear it.
Ken Kollodge is a photographer in Duluth.
