I’ve shared the image repeatedly because it makes the point as well as anything. I do not carry ( a firearm) to impose my will on others. I carry so they cannot impose their will on me.
Dan Bongino has added a corollary to that for me from his podcast. You never want to have to negotiate from a position of weakness. Ever. I modified it slightly for the title of this post.
Free People Should Never Have to Negotiate (for their lives) from a Position of Weakness. Or their livelihoods. Or their speech or beliefs or associations.
In opposition to that is the entire program of the political left — all of it.
Their entire agenda places law-abiding citizens in a situation where they are in a position of weakness from firearms to health care to taxes to retirement to the words they are allowed to use.
By design.
Life as Julia
Julia is an excellent example. Remember her? That infamous amalgam, which, under the Obama administration, is presented as living a perfect life in which she is indebted to the state for everything from the cradle to the grave. In the Left’s fairy-tale-telling, the government is there for her at every step of the way.
In reality, it’s more like the Parkland shooting. Systemic failure at every opportunity culminating in teachers and students being left to fend for themselves from a position of weakness.
The Democrat’s modern American cities, after decades of one-party rule, are increasingly plagued with joblessness, homelessness, high-taxes, crime, murder, and disease. People trapped in the circumstances created by a benevolent government.
Julia looks great in the Left’s cartoon PowerPoint political theater but is more likely to end up like Meadow Pollock or Mollie Tibbets.
It begins when you let them take away your rights. Even just a little bit.
The founders understood it. People drawn to power will immediately draw more power to themselves. They will say and do anything to ensure their safety with your sacrifice.
They insist you give up your ability to negotiate from a position of power and promise to assume responsibility for your safety. But that’s not what happens. Democrats take your power and leave you defenseless. Every. Damn. Time.
They ignore their oath to defend the constitution (and our rights) from all threats, foreign and domestic. Frequently screwing up the former and serially ignoring the latter.
It is why we have a Bill of rights. A first Amendment to ensure our right to assemble, associate, speak out and practice our chosen faith. And a Second amendment to ensure that when they come for the First, or any other natural right, that we can negotiate from a position of strength.
Which is why the first thing any tyrant ever does is come for your guns. Not to keep you safe, but so that they are the only ones in a position of strength. Ever.
To keep themselves and their power safe from you.
Now, you may have been told the NRA is evil, or that gun owners are criminals but that’s the tyrants talking. In reality, those many millions of armed law-abiding citizens with all those scary rifles and sidearms are the only reason you remain free. Free to speak, free to associate, free to choose how and when you’ll earn your living. And while you may be eager to give that up, we are not.
Because you never want to have to negotiate from a position of weakness. Ever.
Note: in an earlier version of this post the second-to-last sentence said “anxious” where it should have said ‘eager.’ This has been corrected.
