Posted on 12/14/2007 6:08:54 PM PST by T.L.Sink
Our Founding Fathers insisted upon including the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights because they recognized the fundamental human right of self-defense, whether against government tyranny or individual criminal aggression. To left-wing activists, that notion is a quaint remnant of a long-bygone era. Such ideologues ignore events as recent as the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when Korean shopowners defended themselves against murder and mayhem amid the absence of police protection. Now, the tiny isolated town of Aguila, Arizona provides the latest evidence that the right to keep and bear arms remains critical. The community of 1,064 has found itself victim of a methamphetamine-related crime surge, with police protection almost nonexistent since a sheriff's substation 25 miles away closed. Today, the nearest substation is some 60 miles away. The crime wave has already left two residents dead. In addition, literally every single business owner reported multiple burglaries during the past year. The Arizona Republic reports that community residents don't even bother reporting crime or calling 911 anymore. "We've called 911 for assaults, and 24 hours later, they show up," said Fire Chief Bob Edwards. Even Aguila Elementary School found itself victimized... As noted by the federal appeals court that recently overturned Washington, D.C.'s [third-rated city in the U.S. for violent crime] firearms ban, "the importance of the private right of self-defense is hardly surprising when one remembers that America lacked a professional police force until the middle of the nineteenth century..." The Founding Fathers insisted upon inclusion of the Second Amendment because the right to keep and bear arms PRE-EXISTED the Constitution and "shall not be infringed."
(Excerpt) Read more at cfif.org ...
One of the problems is that Aguila is 80 road miles from down town Phoenix. It is in the NW corner of Maricopa County. Aguila has a population of around 3,700 folks putting them pretty low down on the totem pole for services.
I feel sorry for them....
Bang
Great point! I’m a Florida resident who owns a firearm, although not CCW. I’ll add another observation to yours. When FL was hit with one of the recent hurricanes, my county was devastated. We had no power, no phones, etc. The police were nonexistent. The destruction was widespread and the roads completely impassible. WE WERE ON OUR OWN! For me, this situation went on for more than a week. I had my gun to protect myself from any looters or other criminals. And guess what? There was virtually NO serious crime during this catastrophe. And the reason is that the potential criminals knew that many Floridians were armed. Compare that with the anarchy and criminal warfare of New Orleans, a liberal and anti-gun Mecca. By the way, I can tell you about a personal experience that illustrates the difference between an extreme anti-gun state and Florida.
I don't know about you, but in 9 minutes I can raise a lot of hell. I expect someone assaulting a loved one would be able to too. Therefore I think we all need to be able to defend ourselves.
The police are there to defend society. ie. they will eventually capture and put the bad guy behind bars. However, that my not help the individuals. (ie. me and you) Therefore, everyone needs to be able to control a situation for, oh, say, 9 minutes... Grin, in 9 minutes I can take care of business (armed or not), and have time left over... The bad guys had better realize that there is a growing grass roots movement to kick-a$$ first, and ask questions later, if at all. Out west here, we get the job done, as the female security guard at New Life proved beyond a doubt.
3,700 people. CCW the community and send the bill to Arpaio. Problem solved. He’ll pay the bill and show up with the check.
Bang!
I’ve heard it said that the Swiss are required to be in possession of a firearm. And there are more homicides in one ward in Newark, NJ than in all of Switzerland! Not only did Hitler disarm the civilian population but it was one of the main objectives of the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution.
Police are historians. The show up after the crime and document what happened. luckily our our department is good at solving and apprehending the perpetrators. New Life Church shows who really stops crime.
Hey, don't insult my man-purse; you try Florida heat with a .45 slappin' against yer naughty-bits ;o)
Most people think of New Jersey as a densely populated, urbanized state. But in the southern part of it there is a vast tract of land (about a million acres) known as the Pine Barrens, or Pinelands. There are some fantastic hiking trails and I took my young son there to hike one of those trails. I won’t go into all the dramatic details but we were attacked by a pack of wild dogs. We barely made it to our car in the nick of time. Otherwise, we’d have been mauled to death. Before that the idea of getting a gun never crossed my mind. However, after that horrendous episode I swore I’d never be defenseless in such a situation again. Thus began my ordeal. I went to the local police station to apply for a permit. I was photographed, fingerprinted, and subjected to investigation by state and federal agencies. I was given three forms to be completed by non-relations. These forms involved very personal questions about employment, personal habits, and psychology. And I was told by the local police chief (who actually laughed as he was talking) to forget about a handgun. SO - after 13 months(!!!) - I was given a permit for a Ruger 22 rifle. Later, when I relocated to Florida, I went into one of the local retailers and decided to purchase a .38 Special. They did a complete computer background check in 15 minutes and I walked out with my revolver! I was so shocked at what had happened that I kept expecting a squad car to stop me and confiscate my gun! I should add that every day during those 13 months when I read the Newark Star Ledger or the Asbury Park Press, I saw endless accounts of criminals who used firearms to murder, rob, and rape. Meanwhile, there I sat as a law-abiding citizen waiting for permission to be able to defend myself. I discovered the hard way that the old cliche is true - that laws prohibiting Second Amendment rights only disarm the innocent, not the criminal.
Whoa! When was this? Without a previous firearms-related offense, and with a fairly clean legal background (including the mandatory permit training), you should have been able to get a concealed-carry permit without any hassle. I’m not too familiar with the laws in Jersey, however.
BTW, the Pinelands are historically known for Jersey Devil sightings, correct?
But it was a respectful laugh, right?
Yes, the Jersey Devil! One of the great Garden State legends of the Pinelands. A guy named McPherson wrote a book about these legends, includig the “Pineys,” an allegedly murderous and incestuous group who added to the fear of this mysterious land. I’ll tell you something that’s true and also added to this sense of drama. When I was a kid, people from Philadelphia or the Camden County area of New Jersey used to take Route 70 on their way to the great Jersey shore. Often when they had car trouble they would venture into the woods seeking some help or a phone which (being urbanites/suburbanites) they were certain couldn’t be too far away. They were NEVER seen again. I needn’t tell you how easy it is to become hopelessly lost when you start roaming around in a wilderness. This wasn’t anything unusual and we kids were sure that the “Devil” or the “Pineys” got them. Anyway, I’d rather be here in FL than back there - especially since so many tell me things are really going from bad to worse there. Besides, as I said before, there are so many of us here in the Sunshine State I sometimes feel I never left!
It was respectful but I guess he couldn’t help laughing at my naivete! Today, I can’t help laughing at myself either!
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