A Case for the Right of Revolution

George Rebane

[This piece appears as my column in the 16jul22 Union (here).  It is a response to the latest in the newspaper’s thread of Second Amendment debates that started with my response to ‘Read it yourself – A well-regulated militia’ by a local leftwing gun controller.  To this I responded with ‘The Many Ways to Regulate Militias’ published in the 14jun22 Union (and here)  This was responded to by another leftwinger’s 21jun22 column, ‘The role of a well-regulated militia’.  Just to pile on, yet another anti-gunner’s column ‘This July Fourth, enough with misguided patriotism’ taking me to task, was published in the 30jun22 Union.  The piece below seeks to put paid to my 2A critics, but unfortunately only those who have some claim to critical thinking.  I invite RR readers to examine the comments of those who lack such a skill in my column’s comment stream.  It is witness to the dominant sign of our times.]

In his 21jun22 column Mr Dick Sciaroni limits the 2nd Amendment, arguing that in our nation’s founding and the establishment of its republican government, “it defies reason that (the Founders’) focus would include condoning a revolt against that very government.”  Were Mr Sciaroni to expand his historical studies, he would quickly discover that it was exactly that focus which inspired, nay demanded, the inclusion of the “right and duty of the people to alter or abolish a government that acts against their common interest and/or threatens the safety of the people without cause.”

The Founders were learned men and students of Aquinas, Locke, Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, Samuel Johnson, et al who taught the ‘Right of Revolution’ against governments gone rogue.  Our nation’s birth came about through the exercise of that right against its then government gone rogue.  History is replete with numerous justified revolutions against governments turning against their people.  Our Founders were very aware of that and enshrined their sentiments in our Declaration of Independence – “when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce (the citizenry) under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government.”

Our Constitution contemplates and provides for two distinct ways to change our government – an orderly process through amendments and constitutional conventions; failing that, then through armed revolt with the means provided the citizenry through the 2nd Amendment.  The Founders were neither hubristic nor naïfs when they gave us “a republic if (we) can keep it.”  They were sufficiently wise and humble to know that they had not created the perfect government incapable of going rogue, so they provided us, under law, with the ultimate means of redress.

Comments

[Steve Stanley]

Great book by Eric Metaxas, “If You Can Keep It”. A must read.
Stevo

[George Rebane]

re SteveS 1139am - Here's a summary and critique of Metaxas' book.
https://www.acton.org/pub/religion-liberty/volume-26-number-3/eric-metaxas%E2%80%99-golden-triangle-freedom

[Scott O]

We notice that the Dems advocate winning by "any means necessary".
Violence and property destruction are openly supported by elected Dem officials - when the violent are lefties.
But we conservatives are to sit on our hands no matter what. One of the commenters hoped we would not overthrow "his" government. Telling.
The Constitution IS the law and the govt.
Any conglomeration of humans that are parading as our govt while they deny us our rights are not our govt, they are our oppressors and we reserve the right to violently overthrow them to re-establish a Constitutional governance. Yes - that is subjective and open to various interpretations. But if there is a coalescence of thought and agreement by enough of the citizenry to carry out such a revolt against tyranny then the 2nd A affords such people the ability to carry out what the forefathers had planned for. I have no desire to kill anyone in govt or not. I have no desire to see the God-awful carnage that a civil war would result in. The idiot panty-waists that continue to call the riots of Jan 6th an "insurrection" have no idea of what they are talking about. But if our so-called rulers continue to act in the manner of which they are heading, an awful and bloody revolt will occur. The current crop of Dems and lefties are opening bragging that they are trying to beggar our nation and crush the middle class. At the same time they take money and orders from our enemies. How much more of this do you think the populace will take?

[rlcrabb]

So it's prison or the graveyard for those of us who won't swear fealty to the new regime. Scotty has one thing right, January 6 could hardly be called an insurrection. The hearings have only proved the numbskull conspirators in the White House couldn't take over a daycare center, much less the US government.
And while you "patriots" are blowing up what's left of the constitution, Russia and China will have overrun half the world.
The only thing the new order will be able to do is empty the nuclear arsenal on the heathens. Since you are convinced you are going to your great reward in heaven, burning the planet shouldn't cause you any pangs of guilt.
See you in the streets, Yankee Doodle.

[rlcrabb]

Anything here sound familiar? https://getpocket.com/explore/item/george-orwell-s-1940-review-of-mein-kampf?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[Bill Tozer]

“No matter how cynical you get, it’s impossible to keep up.” That Lily Tomlin gem is a useful guide for analyzing politics in an era marked by heated polarization and growing violence.

[fish]

So it's prison or the graveyard for those of us who won't swear fealty to the new regime.

I had something longer but decided against it. This comment is like every bad dream you’ve had for the last five years puked out as one long disjointed thought in a difficult to follow text block.

I got nothing….

[Scott O]

"And while you "patriots" are blowing up what's left of the constitution, Russia and China will have overrun half the world."

I suppose an intelligent person would give a few examples of conservatives "blowing up the Constitution", but we'll just have to settle for wiping the spittle off from what was spewed by that hysterical statement.
Russia and China should have no problems taking over as the Dems and RINOs seem happy to help them in every way they can.
It was Trump that actually DID something of substance to take on the threat of China and Russia but the swamp took care of him.
See me in the streets?
Hardly - I'll leave the idiot rioting and looting and arson for your buddies, Toon-boy.

[Scott O]

re Crabb 7:16 - familiar?
Yep - the current admin is certainly using some classic tactics from the NAZI playbook.

[Gregory]

RL, you have it exactly backwards. We are living in an illiberal one-party state, and blackshirts *are* the new brown.

Read this from 2018:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/a-warning-from-europe-the-worst-is-yet-to-come

[Gregory]

My former, fair weather friend RL has been losing his sense of humor steadily in the last few years.

In his circles, just sayin' blowing up the Constitution would be accepted and applauded without examples. The 'toon version drawn up by Roe v. Wade is a case in point... even the notorious RBG knew they'd gone too far but RBG didn't know how it could be fixed without a constitutional kerfuffle. So we have a kerfuffle and it's thrown back to the states to figure out.

The gun issue, another one misunderstood and oversimplified by the Village Idiot, is covered by the 2A and the 'friscoid revulsion at guns being owned by private citizens was a prime target. The Taney court did summarize the rights held by citizens (the white ones at a minimum) on their way to refusing them for Dred Scott:
"It would give to persons of the negro race, who were recognized as citizens in any one State of the Union, the right to enter every other State whenever they pleased, singly or in companies, without pass or passport, and without obstruction, to sojourn there as long as they pleased, to go where they pleased at every hour of the day or night without molestation, unless they committed some violation of law for which a white man would be punished; and it would give them the full liberty of speech in public and in private upon all subjects upon which its own citizens might speak; to hold public meetings upon political affairs, and to keep and carry arms wherever they went".

I want those rights, too.

[Gregory]

"I want those rights, too."

Meaning I have those rights but do not relish being arrested and jailed by Gavin's minions were I to exercise some of them.

[George Rebane]

Bob Crabb's somewhat confused comment, nevertheless, did convey enough of the mindset under which the nation's grassroots leftwingers labor. Its reading inspired a timely redux of what we all are up against in this year of our Lord (or Common Era if you insist) 2022. I call your kind attention to -
https://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2022/07/the-perennially-confused-grassroots-left.html