Precedents, a lesson from History
I find this scary.
"In 1883, Congress used its constitutional power to 'lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises' to heavily tax imported smoking opium. That abuse of the tax provision of the Constitution was the foot in the door. What followed was a wedge of misuses and abuses of power that not only tore the door off the hinge, it ripped away the entire front of the house. Once taxation was used to act on a popular but inaccurate belief (in this case that the Chinese were debauching the youth of America by enticing the innocent young into their opium dens), the die was cast. The power to tax, then, was no longer what the founding fathers had intended—a way to raise money—but had become a way to legislate 'morality' as well." -Aint Nobody's Business If You Do
Today, we're fighting a "war on drugs" that politicians and absolutely wrong propaganda tells us is the moral thing to do. (For the record, I do not support drug use, have never used drugs, and do not intend to anytime soon. But that doesn't mean I think it should be illegal for everyone else.) It is totally unconstitutional. None of Congress' enumerated powers is to legislate morality or outlaw substances considered dangerous by some, and it is therefore expressly forbidden by the tenth amendment.
Let's just replace a couple words in it.
"In 1934, Congress used its constitutional power to 'lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises' to heavily tax supressors for firearms. That abuse of the tax provision of the Constitution was the foot in the door. What followed was a wedge of misuses and abuses of power that not only tore the door off the hinge, it ripped away the entire front of the house. Once taxation was used to act on a popular but inaccurate belief (in this case that restricting gun ownership makes us safer), the die was cast. The power to tax, then, was no longer what the founding fathers had intended—a way to raise money—but had become a way to legislate 'security' as well."
Someday, we'll be fighting a "war on guns" that politicians and absolutely wrong propaganda tells us is the moral thing to do. It is totally unconstitutional. None of Congress' enumerated powers is to legislate firearm posession just because it is considered dangerous by some, and it is therefore expressly forbidden by the tenth amendment, and the second.
Stockpile your guns today, because they'll last 100 years and 100 years from now we might not ever be allowed to have them again. Or we might be fighting. Can't tell. Better safe than sorry, no?
"In 1883, Congress used its constitutional power to 'lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises' to heavily tax imported smoking opium. That abuse of the tax provision of the Constitution was the foot in the door. What followed was a wedge of misuses and abuses of power that not only tore the door off the hinge, it ripped away the entire front of the house. Once taxation was used to act on a popular but inaccurate belief (in this case that the Chinese were debauching the youth of America by enticing the innocent young into their opium dens), the die was cast. The power to tax, then, was no longer what the founding fathers had intended—a way to raise money—but had become a way to legislate 'morality' as well." -Aint Nobody's Business If You Do
Today, we're fighting a "war on drugs" that politicians and absolutely wrong propaganda tells us is the moral thing to do. (For the record, I do not support drug use, have never used drugs, and do not intend to anytime soon. But that doesn't mean I think it should be illegal for everyone else.) It is totally unconstitutional. None of Congress' enumerated powers is to legislate morality or outlaw substances considered dangerous by some, and it is therefore expressly forbidden by the tenth amendment.
Let's just replace a couple words in it.
"In 1934, Congress used its constitutional power to 'lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises' to heavily tax supressors for firearms. That abuse of the tax provision of the Constitution was the foot in the door. What followed was a wedge of misuses and abuses of power that not only tore the door off the hinge, it ripped away the entire front of the house. Once taxation was used to act on a popular but inaccurate belief (in this case that restricting gun ownership makes us safer), the die was cast. The power to tax, then, was no longer what the founding fathers had intended—a way to raise money—but had become a way to legislate 'security' as well."
Someday, we'll be fighting a "war on guns" that politicians and absolutely wrong propaganda tells us is the moral thing to do. It is totally unconstitutional. None of Congress' enumerated powers is to legislate firearm posession just because it is considered dangerous by some, and it is therefore expressly forbidden by the tenth amendment, and the second.
Stockpile your guns today, because they'll last 100 years and 100 years from now we might not ever be allowed to have them again. Or we might be fighting. Can't tell. Better safe than sorry, no?
posted by Keti 'Kotaree at 1:24 PM
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