[Rhodes22-list] Politics

[Roger Pihlaja]

Steve,

As one of the requirements to earn their Eagle Scout rank, Scouts must earn
21 merit badges, of which 11 are required.  Three of these 11 required merit
badges have to do with citizenship; Citizenship In The World, Citizenship In
The Nation, & Citizenship In The World.  Over the years I've been an adult
leader, I've taught all three citizenship merit badges several times each.

When I teach the Citizenship In The Nation merit badge, we have a detailed
discussion of the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill Of Rights.  Many of
my Scouts come from antigun families & just as many come from families that
are active hunters.  So, the discussion on the 2nd Amendment usually gets
pretty spirited!

We talk about the abuses in England and other parts of Europe in the 17th &
18th centuries vs. conditions in the new world that led up to the
incorporation of the 2nd Amendment.  We talk about the important Supreme
Court decisions which have interpreted the 2nd Amendment over the years.

Certainly, there are a lot of downsides to having such easy gun access in
this country, particularly these days when guns have gotten so reliable,
lethal, easy to conceal, & simple to use.  However, I make the point to my
Scouts that the 2nd Amendment is really the ultimate safeguard over all the
other liberties spelled out in the U.S. Constitution.  With only a few
remarkable exceptions like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham
Lincoln; any politician seeking the power of public office is intrinsically
not to be trusted with it.  No matter what the politician says during the
election campaign, it is very difficult to know how they will actually act
once they get elected.  The 3 stellar political examples I cited above only
get that accolade based upon the judgment of history.  The ballet box is a
very weak deterrent on the abuse of power.  But, having an entire population
armed to the teeth automatically precludes the worst excesses of any
politician's greed or extreme political ideas from being enacted into law.
The 2nd Amendment is the final guarantee that government will be by the
consent of the governed.  This is all without firing a shot.

Anyone who claims we have gotten so civilized and so sophisticated that we
don't need the 2nd Amendment anymore is either naive or has frustrated
ambitions of power.  The safeguards which the 2nd Amendment provides for all
the other liberties spelled out in the U.S. Constitution make the casualties
worth the cost.

I get a lot of angry phone calls from antigun parents.  But, I never back
down from my position & point out that their sons have a right to hear
cogent arguements on both sides of the issue.  I never tell my Scouts what
to think.  James Madison made such an eloquent original case that I don't
have to.  So far, none of my Scouts have been forced to quit over this
issue, but there have been a couple of very close calls.

By the way, I also teach the Rifle & Shotgun Shooting merit badges.  These
merit badges are all about gun & hunting safety. Both merit badges have
challenging shooting tests with a minimum required score in order to earn
the badge.  Each of my sons have both merit badges & both are are excellent
shots.  They are also both very good with a handgun.

Despite Daniel & Gary's expertice and gun safety training, all of our guns &
ammunition are locked up in a gun safe.  My wife & I have the only keys.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Alm" <salm@mn.rr.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 4:43 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Politics


> First let me say that I have a profound distrust in all politicians from
> left to right.  They all have hidden agendas like keeping their jobs,
> wielding their power and controlling the money.  I realize how cynical
this
> sounds but the laws that are passed in this country have less to do with
the
> issues and more to do with "politicking."
>
> In the past, I've gone to the polls voting for whom I think is the best
for
> the country, state, or city.  But who am I to say what's best for everyone
> else?  These days I go to the polls and vote for what's best for my own
> household. Since my wife and I are both teachers and performing artists, I
> have to ask what the conservatives have done for (to) me lately.  Well, I
> guess I'll get to keep my firearms, so if anybody wants to shoot the piano
> player,  I just might shoot back...and I suppose that should make me feel
> better about America.  Maybe I'll even get to right off the bullets.
>
> True, while Mohammed and Salvo were out sniping, we didn't hear many
stories
> about other murders.  I doubt that many of you could name, off the top of
> your heads, a single murder victim in Los Angeles in the whole decade of
the
> nineties besides the two that were killed at a certain Brentwood estate.
I
> didn't hear anything about tighter knife-control then.  I think this all
> says a lot less about the law and a lot more about the media.  I want to
> vote out the incumbent TV producers!
>
> Slim
>
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>