By Budd Schroeder

When it comes to politics, perception reigns.  The old saying “you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time,” is probably true, but it doesn’t seem to deter the liberal media.  At least they give fooling most of the people a good try.  The disagreements between the liberal left and conservative right seem to favor the left because they are the ones who control most of the media and the educational facilities.  A former dictator had the saying: “If you tell a big lie often enough, people will believe it.”  If one side of an argument gets most of the exposure, that one has the best chance of being believed.  This is well defined in the issue of gun control.  The anti-gun crowd consists mainly of people who control electronic media, newspapers, entertainment and a significant segment of government.  The people in charge are the ones who set the tone for the liberal agenda of one world government, socialistic programs, and the insistence that big government is the best government.  They keep pushing for more government control over the lives and the rights of the citizens.  Some have accused them of trying to turn citizens into subjects.  It has been a battle for centuries. When America fought and won the battle for independence from the King of England, it really shook up the normal structure of that time.  Most of the civilized world was run by dictators or royalty.  It was so ingrained, that kingdoms were formed by “divine right.”  To pose that argument was to go against the Will of God.  People believed it and it took several revolutions in kingdoms to dispel that slogan.  Some royal families were smart enough to modify the monarchies and they became symbols as the people then had the power to make laws.  In countries run by dictators, those who didn’t have the power of the military to stay in power and keep ruling as a family business, were changed by revolutions and uprisings. The Founding Fathers in America were well aware of the potential for reverting to those unacceptable provisions and as a safeguard, wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  When writing the Declaration and Constitution, they created a government of laws, not men.  The leaders were elected and replaced by the will of the people who voted.  In the days following the emergence of a new country and new government the whole focus was on government of the people, by the people and for the people.  Those in power were replaceable. If the people were no longer satisfied by the way the government was being run.  The politicians of that era “did their duty” and served short terms in government.  When they were satisfied that they served to make the country better, they stepped down to go back to their farms or businesses.  Others were simply removed by elections and new people replaced them.  As one would expect, from the beginning of any government, there were people involved in power plays and ambition would lead to battles in the government proceedings as well as elections. Some of the disagreements led to duels and deaths.  From the beginning of governments, from any perspective, there were people who wished to get more power.  History is filled with the stories about the motives causing change, but it seems to have a common source.  Someone wanted more power and money.  A few wanted better government.  Those ambitions are still prevalent in government today.  Corruption is still a major factor in most government agencies and could be eliminated by intelligent voters.  The fact that most politicians look at government as a career path, rather than “doing their duty,” as been, and still is, a major problem in America.  Some elected officials have served in office longer than many monarchs and dictators.  The elected officials have passed laws that are extremely beneficial to the incumbents.  New York is a perfect example of that equation.  It has better than a 90 percent reelection rate. The districts have been wonderfully gerrymandered by the people in power to keep the people in power, remaining in power.  The political parties are focused, not on the best government, but the best method to stay in power.  Power first.  People second.  People are the necessity to win elections because they are the voters.  It has been said that some people are so dedicated to their party affiliation, they even vote after they have died.  Some districts have been reported to have more voters in an election than people who are registered. So, how does this affect the issue of gun control?  The Second Amendment was put in the Constitution to prevent the government from becoming too powerful. The amendment has been likened to a keystone on an arch and, if it is destroyed or removed, the whole arch crumbles. That is why it plainly says, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”  A definition of infringed is “violated.”  Keeping and bearing arms is not only for personal defense against individual harm, but as a defense against permanent marshal law or a takeover by individuals who seek to change our Republic into a different form of government, like socialism.  Those who wish to disarm the populace, gun by gun, should be looked at with skepticism. They will look at any tragedy as a means to infringe on the rights of the honest citizen.  The semi-automatic rifle with a threaded barre that they ban today can easily pave the way for banning a pump or lever action gun the next time there is a shooting.  The liberal politicians refuse to address the real problem because it is difficult to solve.  Their slogan “Gun Violence” should be replaced by a more accurate description like, “Criminal misuse of firearms.”  However, this is a really difficult problem for them to solve because CRIMINALS DON’T OBEY LAWS.  It is much easier to keep repeating a lie than it is to solve the real problem.  Don’t forget to vote this year.