Montana’s 62nd legislative
session is history and during my first week home I
find myself reminiscing and shaking my head in
disbelief; our great republic is dying and so few
see it. No longer yearning to be free, today’s
Americans demand security. The principles in our
founding documents have been ignored, twisted and
tarnished to the point where today’s patriots
advocating the restoration of those principles are
ridiculed and demonized as extremists. Last week
Montana’s governor referred to us a “bat-crap
crazy.” So once again, let me explain America’s
greatest founding principle and why this citizen is
“bat-crap crazy” about our current predicament. The
spark of liberty which in 1776 drove ordinary
patriots to do extraordinary things, needs
re-ignited. Let it begin with you, right here, right
now.
By Divine Providence and in two eternal sentences,
Thomas Jefferson clearly defined what it uniquely
means to be an American in our Declaration of
Independence. “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” He explained
government’s function in the second sentence. “That
to secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed.” For 235 years, the answers
to the most complex of questions concerning the
relationship between God, liberty and government can
be found in those two sentences. Now, this balance
is under assault.
Our rights come from God, not government, and being
unalienable they cannot be taken away.
Unfortunately, we can surrender them, and sadly we
have at alarming rates. Now, let me put a face on
unalienable rights by explaining a bill I carried in
the legislature, HB271, an Act allowing for the
permit-less conceal-carry of weapons.
Self-preservation of your life, liberty and property
is a fundamental right endowed by our Creator.
Government’s obligation to secure that right is
defined in the Second Amendment of the Constitution
of the United States, and in Article II, Section 12
of the Constitution of the State of Montana. In
1919, by making the conceal-carry of self-defense
objects a crime, Montana legislators surrendered the
right of self-preservation to the law enforcement
agencies of government. (Just so you know, Montana
Code includes slingshots, brass knuckles and knives
with blades longer than 4 inches as self-defense
weapons which are illegal to conceal.) The right to
openly carry weapons remained intact, but the
tactical advantage inherent in conceal-carry was
traded away under the guise of enhanced public
safety. Yielding our rights is very easy and is
always billed in the media as being progressive and
open minded. However, earning them back requires the
blood, sweat and tears of ordinary patriots who have
simply had enough.
This bill has passed the House and Senate and is
currently sitting on the governor’s desk. He has
until May 12th to veto, sign, or let it become law
without his signature.
With Montana’s passage of HB271, we will join
Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and Vermont as states
allowing citizens to conceal-carry weapons without
first obtaining the permission of government. This
is but one small step to re-establish fundamental
constitutional principles and to obstruct this is
“bat-crap crazy.”
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