19 April 2007

To Provide For The Common Defense

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Today I come to offer way forward, not to tyranny, not to marginalization and not to discerning intent of killers. These paths have taken We the People to no good end and so must end as ways to think about Our Union. While this is about me and you as individuals, and the rights that we have that are, indeed, self-evident, they are also about this thing We hold in common: this lovely and varied Land of the Free.

An outlook to restrict rights based on actions is not one that condemns the actions nor offers recompense to society for such actions taken. No Nation that has outlawed lethal arms is free of same nor of the criminal attachment to such means of enforcing will upon others. This is not a way forward, save to the State having arms and enforcing its will upon its People.

That is the safety of the grave of Liberty.

Those that attempt to marginalize the use and utility of arms are also offering no way forward. Demeaning those that own arms and lawfully abide in their use are not violent in outlook and that respect of the law is something that should be praised for having lethal arms and using them in lawful manner. Those, however, that seek to make such right only about individuals are not helping in that they are trying to separate themselves from the greater society of the People around them. Together these that wish to demean the use of arms and sequester them only as an individual's right are leading to Anarchy and rule of the strong.

Finally, to those that idolize killers and slayers of all sorts, that emphasize their atrocities to gain audience for themselves so as to put forth any platform politically: you have decided to become the enemy of the greater Common society of We the People. The actions of evil, insane and demented individuals put forth as fodder to feed political fires is reprehensible, especially when aimed at the commonweal of the Nation. Glorifying that death and destruction is abhorrent to creating a civilized society and playing it up day-in and day-out has put forth that there is no way to combat this, nor check it. That is the way to the simple peace of slavery and submission to barbaric rulers able to kill more than we are willing to stand because limits are placed on that by those wishing to run from it.

Each of these paths has resulted in running from bloodshed, trying to forget the base impulses of people as individuals, assert that civilization is natural, and that being unwilling to defend anything is good. Anyone who seeks to put violence dead last in their list of things to do in response to tyranny, repression and death have ensured that slavery will come before it. For that fear of violence, that unwillingness to call tyranny and repression by name and denounce it and by placing any means to defend individuals, States and the Nation above slavery, then slavery and death is assured.

In the language of Our commonweal We do not speak as individuals but as an entirety known as We the People. As members of this group we now put forth what We are responsible for doing as a whole which includes All Individuals that fall under We the People. And what We say as a whole is that the following things are Ours to look after even if every thing that follows fails, as We the People are the ultimate Source of Our own Liberty and Freedom.

We the People are One in the United States.

We the People are to come together and form more perfect Union between Ourselves and Our society.

We the People shall establish Just means and methods to ensure that things done in Our voice are done equitably.

We the People shall abide by the commonweal and good and not raise up banner of Rebellion nor Discord so We may have society.

We the People shall provide for defending that common society and Nation with Our lives and through Just means.

We the People shall ensure that the Welfare of All the People is looked after so that Just society can be formed and sustained.

We the People shall secure all these Blessings of Liberty for Ourselves and pass them on undiminished to Our Posterity.

We the People put forward this Constitution for the United States of America.

Our Bill of Responsibilities set out first so that those with limited attention span can find them quickly.

Now from there we do set up various ways to achieve these things, but the final holders of those responsibilities are those very same We the People. Which means *you* and *me*. The things we set out to do will always be imperfect because we are fallible, mortal and human. We the People are to seek the more perfect Union amongst Ourselves as only Tyranny and Despotism are perfect governments. The paths I have heard by those still stuck in the rut of putting forth non-democratic ideals from across the political spectrum are, in a word, disgusting. Bar None.

Forgetting that Society is created by All of the People to have in common, means that the People shall have fullest exercise of All of their Rights using Just Means to uphold Their Responsibilities. That is the hallmark of the Constitution: Responsibilities, in full, FIRST; Just Means to uphold those Responsibilities SECOND; Rights to be used via those Means to uphold those Responsibilities THIRD. In many areas where We the People grant huge responsibilities to Government, we put down Just Means for Government to do those very few things for All of Us, and then ensure that Government gets the barest few Rights necessary to get those things *done*.

When in the wake of tragedy your first inclination is to look UP to Government for solutions, you are no longer abiding by We the People which sustains that We are First in the line of Responsibility. No Government is over We the People. It is We the People that agree to make Just Laws with Due Process to infringe upon None and yet still secure this society that We have in Common. That is, blatantly, not Government First. That is Government DEAD LAST as the least best means to do things. Government provides framework NOT control. We agree to that framework, abide by it and agree to the fullest exercise of Our Rights using Just Means to uphold Our Responsibilities within that framework. When you look to Government First you are no longer abiding by We the People that ARE the Sovereign Entity of the United States of America. We form Government to give structure and framework with agreed limits so as to have regularized recognition amongst other Nations, but We the People are *not* other Nations and will not be held to their, lesser standards.

This is extremely and highly biased of We the People and for good reason: We control Our Liberty and Freedom and are held accountable for when those less than perfect things We make FAIL. We hold the bag, not Government. When Government fails it is We the People that have failed in ensuring that Government keeps to its job and does those things necessary to be a backstop against tyranny and despotism. And because We the People acknowledge this, We agree to look to Ourselves first and foremost and use framework for Just Means and Due Process to exercise Our Rights for the Good of the People.

That then gets us to the latest tragedy in Virginia. This is not a failure of a *system*, it is a failure of the People of the Commonwealth of Virginia to make something more perfect for Ourselves that will ensure the domestic Tranquility. A deranged gunman that should have had oversight by society did not as that society failed HIM and Ourselves. By being unwilling to recognize that derangement is a danger and to address it properly, we have not made the deranged more free, but endangered them and Ourselves by that neglect. When it was decided that the institutions that had housed the violently deranged and insane were not up to snuff, and that those with lesser forms of such should be re-introduced to Society, NOTHING was put in place to ensure that these individuals could, indeed, orient to society and learn social norms. The institutions were bad and abusive. This is *worse* as it endangers society as a whole and is unwilling to call derangement and address it properly.

In larger context, even if the system had worked, we have seen tragedies like this over decades, of individuals who are, apparently non-violent but not partaking of society suddenly going on rampages. We the People cannot force individuals into society nor can the totality enforce passivity and peacefulness by mere law. Purchasing of weapons is not demonstration of intent to use them to a social ill. Trying to judge intent is something beyond us, as mortals, and even if it could be done the path to thought control by such is abhorrent to anyone who considers themselves to be Free. Removing arms does not remove the danger since the danger is in the person wielding arms, not the tools themselves. Some items are dangerous enough that accidental discharge can have disproportionate impacts, but that is not restriction of knowledge and even those liking such things can get permits and identified places to enjoy the use of these arms. Only those that serve no purpose save in warfare alone is there restriction. And in this day and age the enemies of civilization take up THOSE arms against We the People.

To utilize arms in defense of society is something that is not restricted to Armies and Police as We the People are the Sovereign *over* these more public functions. We the People ensured that this concept of an armed Citizenry being a bulwark against tyranny and as a necessary part of enforcing the domestic Tranquility through Just Means and Due Process and to defend this common society by force of arms held by the People. Arms without social context are Anarchy and society without arms is one aiming for Tyranny by the strong over the weak. We the People refuse both of those and ensure that proper and Just Means are laid out so that We may come to the defense of Ourselves, Our Society and Our Nation. The Nation requires Nation State framework and We provide that via the Constitution so that other Nations will recognize that We Mean What We Say.

We the People provide for a wide array of things that can be used to Address Our Enemies so that they may learn that fact. Diplomacy as given to the Executive as well as all Foreign Policy venues save some minor ratifications of Treaties and personnel by Congress, are set there for a reason: So that We the People may have Stated outlook upon Other Nations and the World.

We the People provide that Congress has powers to back Our Word and speak them for Us. We the People hand Congress the great power of Declaring War for Us. We hand them the Responsibilities, as Our Representatives to ensure that those that take up arms under the Banner of the Union shall *win*. When Congress sees that the failure of its scope of outlook is too limited it is *not* to quiver in fear at a dangerous world, it is to then utilize its Powers that We handed to them to give framework for the People to join the fight. That is not only conscription and that has been rare for the Union. That *is* putting forth means and methods so that Citizens can take up War with Just Means and Due Process to fight for the Republic. At that highest of Levels this Nation is failing itself. That failure is the path to disillusion and tyranny if we continue down it.

When the Federal part of this Nation fails We the People, the place to first look is *not* at the Government but at Ourselves. If We wish to form more perfect Union and sustain Our society, then We must recognize that We do not place all Power in Government, but within Ourselves. Our Forefathers that created this Constitution had a very bad time of it because the Articles of Confederation failed the States completely. They had NO trust in higher Government than the States, and only gave the Federal those few things necessary to keep the Union together and working in a regular way to the benefit of All. They recognized the problems of a Federal Government that would either be too weak or too strong: both are a danger to the States. A weak Federal Government will not be able to hold the commonweal together and slowly break down into factional fights. A strong Federal Government would seek to overpower the States and the People and return Us to a Government of Tyranny and Despotism. Thus, language was placed in the Constitution to carefully allow the States to order themselves and defend themselves and the People to do the same.

It is the very last sentence in the Congressional Article I, and goes thusly:
"No State shall,without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay."
The States agree to abide by all of the wonderful things laid out, but reserve the Sovereign Right of negating all of them when invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay. That is the great 'Escape Hatch' against those things that would put the States, severally, at risk. The States withhold being supine and submissive. The States withhold Federal agreement when the Federal Government fails to protect the States. And as All of the People live in States, We the People agree to JUST THE SAME. As the True Sovereigns of this Nation We the People shall NOT sit idly by when all else We have created fails Us.

That, then brings Us back to this horrific incident in Virginia. We the People do not depend upon others to take care of Us. We are not submissive. We are not incompetent nor incapable of seeking our own ways to address problems. We agree to defend this Society to the death and ensure that Just Means are put forward in that defense. We the People ensure that this can be done via Amendment II which states as follows:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Coming from those that had just been through 7 years of the Revolution and the voluntary formation of the Armies then, and then through 5 years of near chaos under the Articles, this Amendment is necessary for the enforcement of Just Means to keep society together by the People at all levels. At the National it is essential for the Armies of the Union and the establishment of those State branches that allow State input into that National Army. It is necessary for a free Nation to do this. And as the States have put forth that when Federal Government FAILS the States, the Right to Bear Arms is also necessary for the States to establish Justice and defend themselves internally and separately from the Federal Government. And as the States may not raise Armies outside of the National Army support framework, the States then look to the true Sovereigns of their States and the Nation: We the People.

We the People *are* the Sovereigns of this Nation and We agree to uphold and protect it together. We now live in an era when arms of all sorts are cheap and unregulated globally, because the Federal Government refuses to assert that Enemies of the Nation should be targeted so as to make things difficult for them to get such arms. That is the Congressional Warpower of its Commerce regularity power with Foreign States and its Letters of Marque and Reprisal to target individual types of Commerce with stated Enemies. The Armies of the Union cannot be trotted out to address every single, solitary ill of the Nation lest we fall into Military Dictatorship. Nor can we rely or even depend upon other parts of Government to address those seeking to wage illegitimate war upon Us. And we do not depend upon civil police to defend Us when the People are attacked within Our States. Thus it is We the People that must be given means to get Warrant and handed Letters to duly go after Our stated Enemies and deny them of succor of trade and means to attack Us.

We do hand some of these things to Government to do so as to keep things down to a dull roar. When that cacophony is more than the People will put up with, but not something that the Nation can address through its granted Powers, then the place to look for solutions is NOT up to Government but to Ourselves as a People. We can do things to join with Our States and give rise to orderly and open use of Arms and ensure that We know how to use such and give proper framework to such use. This cannot be forced upon the People as We are the Sovereigns of this Nation. We are enjoined to seek a more perfect Union, and in that We are to utilize Our Rights to uphold Just Means and Due Process so as to defend Ourselves. Whenever We see a lack in actually addressing Enemies, be they Nations or deranged individuals, and that is often hard to tell apart in this day and age, Government can only do so much as We designed it that way.

Here are places where We the People have Failed in these recent years:
- Addressing the scope of the Armed Forces that are fighting to ensure that Tyrannical governments do NOT return to places that were seen as a threat to We the People. Congress gave scope and outlook and authorized such things and then refuse to do their job so as to make sure they get FINISHED. And as these things may take a decade or five to sort out, like Japan and Germany, actually figuring out the scope and depth of such problems is something that needs be done by the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government We designed as limited.

- Addressing those that are No Nation that will still take up the means and methods of warfare to attack the Union. Congress is given large ability to have the Executive Name the Names of such Groups, Associations and Individuals and then to utilize their High Seas, Foreign Commerce and Letters of Marque and Reprisal powers to help We the People take up Arms under Just Means and Due Process and let Our Enemies know that We do not like them and wish the to end their attacks, else We shall harry them to the Ends of the Earth forevermore until they STOP.

- Addressing Our Enemies at the State level so as to form internal associations amongst We the People to *respond* when other State forces and Federal forces cannot get to Us. We cannot depend upon bureaucracies to save Us. To do that means that We must get off of Our High Horses and put Our Right to Bear Arms to the good utility of All of the People, not just for personal use. With knowing lethal arms comes responsibility not only in the Just Use of them but to ensure that the society is protected by them. And as We the People must do that with Just Means and Due Process, that does mean we must look to Our States to help this and give oversight. But ultimate control in times of Danger rests with We the People, and We acknowledge that and will take responsibility for Our Actions in the common defense of Ourselves and Our Society.

- Addressing derangement, insanity, and those that would prey upon the weak and defenseless and calling them by Name and ensuring that they do NOT harm the commonweal. That cannot be done by *just* police, the courts, the 'mental health community', asylums, institutions and counseling groups. Because ALL of these are devised to find *intent* they will ALWAYS FAIL US. We are mere human and cannot look into the human heart, the human soul to define *intent*. But We must ensure that the ability to take actions where there is great enough arousal of fear and suspicion is done. Even then there are only more perfect solutions and the ability of derangement to outwit any bureaucratic system has been demonstrated throughout history. To that We must be vigilant, not in fear but in knowledge. And that requires that We the People actually understand that the use of arms by the People to defend individuals and society is Just. These spontaneously deranged and insane that are a threat to themselves and others will appear No Different while their actions are ongoing from those that are No Nation but still targeting Us as groups and individuals and because these are actions that are indiscriminant and illegitimate ones of War, so shall they be treated by the People who are armed in their Own association with the other People of their States.
These Actions must be put to an end so that We the People can have a Society.

We the People must acknowledge that We have failed in wanting mere organs of government to safeguard Us.

That has not worked.

And as the true Sovereigns of this Nation We place Our trust in Ourselves to come together and form more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty for Ourselves and Our Posterity. We hold the bag on all of that. And We are the only guarantors of it.

If you can't trust your fellow Citizens in this, then NOTHING We create will ever work to ensure that Liberty.

That lack of trust is the path to Tyranny.

And it is the path We are currently ON.

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