Rights are not unlimited
Last edited Mon Aug 6, 2018, 09:07 PM - Edit history (1)
Having a right doesn't give you permission to commit a crime.
For example, freedom of speech is a fundamental right. It's protected in the US by the First Amendment. The courts have interpreted that right to include things like written books or articles, movies and videos and various forms of art like music. You can stand at a bus stop and talk to people. You can hand out policy and campaign literature. You can make a video with your iPhone and post it on your page or whatever.
Some writing you can't do is writing checks your bank can't cash. That's a crime.
Firearms come with the same responsibility. You can hunt with them, practice with them at the range, collect them, use them for self-defense and probably some other things that don't just now come to mind. You can't use them in an assault.
We have laws against assault and writing bad checks. There are folks out there who believe that, while owning a pen that can write a bad check or a computerized auto-dialing system that can make thousands of calls per day leaving messages for people that threaten to have them arrested if they don't pay their debt to the "IRS" (in iTunes gift cards) should be legal, but that owning a gun should be against the law.
It's cathartic to play the blame game and rant about AR-15s and the NRA but it's not a piece of steel and plastic nor is it Teddy crappy pants which runs for office. This is a DEMOCRATIC site. I'm no longer a Republican because I determined they represent too many of the wrong sides of too many issues. Support our candidates. Pay attention to local folks doing the right things. These folks shine a light. Most of the folks running for federal offices started in local capacities. They may often surprise you. Obama worked locally. Know any good local folks you want to talk about?
I hope for the future that many DU members use their time to write about their candidates' positions on the issues that matter to them and why they've chosen that candidate.
In sports it's said that winning isn't everything. IMHO politics isn't a sport and 99% of the time winning is the only thing.
