Thursday, January 13, 2011

Insurrectionist Ideology?

Since it appears that the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence doesn't want to be left out of the frenzy surrounding the Tucson shootings, they released this on Monday but with their own unique spin:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ladd Everitt, (202) 701-7171, leveritt@csgv.

STATEMENT OF CSGV ON TUCSON SHOOTING RAMPAGE

Washington, DC—Those of us at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence are deeply dismayed at the horrific shooting rampage that occurred in Tucson this weekend. Our thoughts and prayers—and the thoughts and prayers of all our member organizations—are with the victims and survivors of this terrible tragedy. We hope for a full recovery for all of those who lie wounded today.

Sadly, Saturday’s tragedy was both predictable and inevitable. Insurrectionist rhetoric—which posits that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to take violent action when they believe that our government has become “tyrannical”—was once confined to the dark corners of gun shows and the Internet. In today’s America, however, it has become a “mainstream” idea that is widely promoted by movement conservatives, high-profile media figures, and even elected officials and candidates. Tucson was not unique—since the conservative wing of the Supreme Court embraced the insurrectionist idea in the D.C. v. Heller decision in 2008, there have been numerous threats and acts of violence against government officials.
Additionally, America’s weak gun laws continue to allow individuals who are obviously deranged to legally purchase semiautomatic firearms with high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Jared Lee Loughner’s history of mental illness, substance abuse and violent threats was well-known to law enforcement, the U.S. Army and his educators at Pima Community College. None of this, however, was detected by an instant, computerized background check that takes just a few minutes and involves no actual investigation of the gun purchasers.

If we are to avoid future massacres, our elected officials must institute policies that prioritize public safety and human life over gun industry profits. And they must speak out in no uncertain terms against poisonous insurrectionist ideology that threatens the integrity of our democracy itself.
Insurrectionist ideology? I guess Josh Horwitz and Ladd Everitt don't know much about history and prefer to live in their own Wonderful World. If they need some help learning history, I'd be glad to suggest some books such as the two books from David Young dealing with the origins of the Second Amendment and the founder's intent in putting it in the Bill of Rights.

3 comments:

  1. For a lot of fun you can watch this CSPAN video of Josh getting schooled by the author of "To Shake Their Guns in the Tyrant's Face," Robert Churchill.
    Money quote, "The term 'insurrectionist' gets thrown around and it gets thrown around in your book so that it refers to Timothy McVey, it refers to the NRA, it refers to Sanford Levinson and David Williams and if they're insurrectionists then so am I." (at about the 50 minute mark,

    http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/287623-1

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  2. Thanks for adding that. I couldn't remember Churchill's name but remembered his book. Great quote!

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  3. Man, I love fantasy books, movies, and blogs. This was as good as Avatar.

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