Get your hands off my guns, you damn dirty Apes!

Everyone has their day in court, or so the saying goes. For those of you who have been living in a cave, on Mars – with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears – The Supreme Court began to hear arguments today in a Washington DC case that challenges the classic question of the Second Amendment – whether the right to own a weapon is a individual or state right.

Overall the news I have heard so far is fairly positive on the pro-gun side, but knowing how screwy things are right now, I am sure that can change fairly quickly.

In either case, and in honor of this momentous occasion, I have to give a plug for the controversial and wonderful Unintended Consequences by John Ross. It was recommended to me by one of my hunting buddies and its a great novel about how gun control got started in America and where it can lead if it goes out of control.

Here’s an overview. I am sure some would consider it to be fairly alarmist, but it gives some background on how gun control started in this country (post-reconstruction to keep guns out of the hands of the recently freed slaves) and how ridiculous some of the gun control laws are vs. the amount of crime they are actually preventing.

I think it stands with Boston’ s Gun Bible as two of the best books for the shooter who is interested in self-defense and wants to know more about

Also – while researching the web today to get the latest on the case I found this great deconstruction of the most common arguments against the Second Amendment.

The article breaks down 5 arguments against the individual right to own a firearm – even getting into the details of what it would actually mean if we limited private ownership of firearms to the actual weapons around at the time of the Constitution.

I won’t spoil the fun, but let’s just say we’d be limited to around 1820 or so, when the percussion cap replaced flintlock ignition as the new standard. High tech!

Here’s an excerpt:

The Second Amendment’s basis lies in the natural right of self-defense. For the Founding Fathers, the Second Amendment was not a dispensable exercise in “what if?” They had confronted an oppressive government with personal armaments and succeeded in securing liberty. The Second Amendment is a provision ensuring that citizens would always have the necessary tools for physical resistance to future tyranny.

Whether or not you are a gun owner, hunter or recreational shooter, pay attention to the news and watch what happens with this case. The old Chinese proverb May You Live In Interesting Times will go double for the next few months as we’ll not only be deciding which two shysters will be running for President in the fall, but also seeing how the Supreme Court does at deciding a real case – with ramifications that could shake our Republic down to its very core.

Ok – too dramatic?

Does this put it into perspective?

More information
Gun Owners of America
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
A Human Right