Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force you are ruined... The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.
Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own self defense?
Where is the difference between having our arms in our possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of congress?
If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?
- Patrick Henry, The Virginia Ratifying Convention, June, 1788.
After waiting in line for a couple of hours and making little progress toward the police station, I gave up and went home. I worried all night that, with the new gun law's effective date just days away, I was about to become a felon.
Don't worry if they haven't arrested 12+ million illegals, thousands of child molesters, thousands of violent criminals who could be easily tracked and thousands of drug traffic jerks and thousands of other law breakers, including drunk drivers who have no license but continue to drive, I think you're safe for awhile. But there is always a chance that congress will release extra funds to law enforcers. Then I'm afraid you'll be one of the first arrested in the spirit of ridding America from gun nuts. It will be in an election year.