I am of the steadfast and resolute opinion that America’s 2nd Amendment is the canary pigeon in the mine shaft of freedom. If you are unaware of the analogy of the canary pigeon and a mineshaft, let’s run through that first. As late as the 1980’s, miners operating in the depths of the earth would place a small canary pigeon in a cage to warn of toxic gases or carbon monoxide. The premise was simple. If the pigeon died or became ill, it was time to evacuate the mine before humans were killed. It was an early warning sign that something was terribly wrong and though the pigeon would pay for it with it’s life, it meant humans would live. The 2nd amendment is the one amendment that safeguards all the rest. This is the reason for the second amendment and why the founding fathers put it right after the freedom of religion and speech. Should it ever falter, the toxic gases of tyranny and oppression would rise soon enough to kill the rest of the amendments and liberty itself. When the 2nd Amendment goes, so goes the rest of America and that’s why the 2nd Amendment is my red line. It is the canary pigeon in the mineshaft of freedom and all eyes should watch it closely in the years to come if we truly want liberty to live on.
But Europe Doesn’t Have a 2nd Amendment
Fortunately, I’ve been writing about the 2nd Amendment for sometime now and I can anticipate the first argument to come my way. “But Europe doesn’t have the 2nd Amendment and they are free” is sure to be the first argument to come my way. Well, to those people I would simply say that we define free quite differently. A quick internet search of European hate speech laws will show you that freedom of speech is quite limited in Europe. Now, I don’t support hate speech, but I am of the opinion that the best way to fight bad speech is with better speech.
Humans should be free to say atrocious things as the light will always overwhelm the dark if the light is free to speak. In Europe, freedom of speech is remarkably limited. Did you know that in Germany, it is illegal to homeschool your own kids? In 2006, a German family was fined several hundred Euros for homeschooling their children. They moved to France where homeschooling was legal, but found it difficult to find work. So they moved back to Germany and when they did, the German government took their kids. This is the Wonderlich family case and you can look it up as well. There was no abuse or neglect. The family just wanted to educate their own children and the government took them.
My friends, Europe does not have a second amendment and they are far from what I would describe as free in the truest sense of the word. The U.S. Declaration of Independence makes it clear that men and women are granted certainly inalienable rights by their creator. Among these are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If these rights are inalienable and they are indeed gifted by a creator, then European citizens have those rights as well. Those rights are simply denied them by a government that knows it’s citizens have no means to resist. Erosion doesn’t happen overnight, but the erosion of liberty never stops when there is no means to stop it.
Liberty and Tyranny are Locked in an Eternal Battle
The battle between good and evil, heaven and hell, yin and yang, never cease so long as humankind exists. Locked in an eternal struggle, neither side has won and as such, neither side will ever relent. I’d like to suggest that the battle between tyranny and liberty are enumerated among those eternal struggles. We are either becoming more free or more enslaved by the moment. That’s why even in modernity to see nations like China become more tyrannical with each passing day.
It would seem that any generation of men have but one chance to be free. For China, it was in 1989 at Tiananmen Square. It seemed that the Chinese people were on the brink of freedom until the tanks rolled in and over their own citizens. For Hong Kong, it would have been this past year where thousands of citizens took to the streets to push back against mainland tyranny. In both cases, the people failed miserably because they did not have the means to resist. Hong Kong will never be free in our lifetime. They are done. It’s over. In America, 0ne could say that gun control and the second amendment are themselves locked in an eternal struggle.
The 2nd Amendment versus the United States Military
The next argument I typically encounter while passionately supporting the purpose of the 2nd amendment is that a citizen with an AR-15 has no chance against drones, tanks, and jet aircraft. To those people I simply say that the Taliban don’t seem to be doing too bad in the mountains of Afghanistan and I think you’d find the mountains of Idaho or Montana no different.
The main functionality of the 2nd amendment in modernity where the government possesses such technology is not necessarily that the people would march on D.C. Rather, the 2nd Amendment ensures that D.C. can’t march on the people. There is a sort of mutually assured destruction that exists between the people and our government. When the 2nd amendment goes, that agreement is null and void.
Now, I should point out that I am as Patriotic as any American. I’m a United States Marine veteran who fought in Iraq and I want nothing more than for America to flourish. I love the United States of America. I’m just saying that when my government tries to roll over me with a tank, that relationship becomes complicated. The 2nd Amendment means the government has limitations and limited government was the very dream of our founding fathers. The history of the 2nd amendment was never relegated to hunting or personal self-defense. It was always very much about keeping the government limited. This is precisely the reason for the second amendment, regardless of what gun control advocates will tell you.
I Will Protect the Second Amendment on Your Behalf
One can look at the current season of American history and realize just how fragile our liberty can become. Government lockdowns are bankrupting businesses, churches are being told when and how they can gather, and sadly, socialism has entered into mainstream American politics. I’m not a conspiracy theorist as I think COVID-19 is real and prudent public health measures are reasonable. I’m not an anarchist as I think the government does play a role in life. However, these are all early warning signs of danger.
Wearing a mask in public is not my red line. That a few socialist get elected to congress is not my red line. That a President I didn’t’ prefer got elected is not my red line. Friends, the second amendment is my red line. It is the canary pigeon on the mineshaft of freedom and when it goes, so goes us all. That is why I am so passionate about it’s defense.
I realize that some of you are less than passionate about the 2nd Amendment and many of you feel you have no personal use for an “assault” style weapon. That’s why I’m willing to be passionate on your behalf. If I saw the pigeon in the cage laying dead, I would come warn you. More than warn you, if you resisted because you didn’t understand what that meant then I would pick you up and carry you out of the mine on my back. What cruel and selfish man would see the dead pigeon and run for his own life without warning others.
Tyranny Doesn’t Happen Overnight
At the core of our DNA, there is nothing different about modern humans than any people group that has been subjected to tyranny. If Germans in the 1930’s can be manipulated to embrace fascism, then so can Ameicans of today. Just because you look around and you don’t see an immediate need for the 2nd Amendment does not mean that we are not one generation away from oppression. Tyranny doesn’t happen overnight.
I’m sure there are plenty of Chinese people who thought the Communist Party was trying to work for the greater good of the people. Now, that same party is running concentration camps in the southwest of China and a social credit system determines who travels, works, and lives. I would venture to guess that many in Hong Kong thought the Chinese government would honor the 50 year special autonomous zone agreement put into place when the British handed the region back over in 1997. Now that deal is over as journalists are being arrested and people are being extradited to the mainland for “reeducation.”
So yes, I’m sure you believe that Joe Biden wants to make schools safer by banning AR style weapons and he’ll likely try it with some mandatory gun buyback program that seems “fair” to you. I’m confident that you see the wealth gap in America and think socialism will bring more equity of outcomes. You look at the real and grave outcomes of COVID-19 and think that assuredly the government must have the authority to say who can make money and who cannot. Yet, if it is true that liberty and tyranny are locked in an eternal struggle then there will always be a second move after the “reasonable” government overreach. History proves to us that power is never satisfied with the status quo.
The 2nd Amendment is the Firewall
While I’m concerned about many of the events I described to you above, I’m not overly worried so long as the 2nd Amendment is still in place. That’s why I say the 2nd Amendment is my red line. Look, I’m not a member of a militia and nor do I have any wet dreams of revolution and civil war in America. I think there are many of our pro-2A brethren who are a bit too eager for the cultural conflict to go hot and I am not among them. I’ve seen war and I want none of that for the streets of America.
However, nor do I want to live my one life that I get to live under tyranny like China. If I want to educate my children at home, then I feel that I have the right to do so. I want to live my life in a peaceful and free United States of America for the rest of my days. It’s just that I understand that this is only possible because of the 2nd Amendment. It must exist for the rest of our days and the days of our children they too are to remain free. The 2nd Amendment is the canary pigeon in the mineshaft of freedom and I will watch it diligently for all our sakes.
The 2nd Amendment is my red line and it should be yours as well, whether you recognize its utility or not. That’s why I love seeing my fellow American wear patriotic gear and pro 2A merchandise. It reminds me that I am not alone. Here at Tactical Pro Supply, we help Americans remind one another we are many, the majority, and with the 2nd Amendment intact, we are the harbingers of liberty for the next generation. Grab your gear today and encourage your fellow American that the future is in good hands.