So if I understand all these fascinating news stories that have been posted this morning, California is going to ban guns and THEN give itself special emergency powers before a crisis? Remember your "red neck" friend or "gun nut" brother in-law who used to "rant" about how once they take away your gun rights they will take away the rest of your rights? Well, call ol' Green Teeth up and say "Gee, I didn't think it would happen so quickly that I could read about both shoes dropping in the same news paper!"

This is your Constitution. It enumerates all your rights.

And now

It's gone.

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), July 14, 1999

Answers

"Those whom tyrants would enslave, they would first disarm."

-- A (A@AisA.com), July 14, 1999.

It is OK.

BJ Clinton feels our pain.

The Dow is above 11,000.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), July 14, 1999.

a@aa Can't stop them from coming...But can arrange for them to limp a little when they leave...Chuckle Shakey

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), July 14, 1999.

Above 11,000 for just a l i t t l e bit longer . . .

-- Cashed Out (cash@inthesafe.com), July 14, 1999.

Notes on the State of Virginia, from Thomas Jefferson, 1781: "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that HIs justice cannot sleep forever."

"Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." ~John Adams, 1798

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions...upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." ~ James Madison, 1778

"The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained." ~ George Washington, 1789, Inaugural Address

"Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." ~ Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835

"Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." ~ United States Supreme Court, 1892

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), July 14, 1999.

"America is great because America is good ..."

Hmmm, now, lesseee..... was that before or after the Trail of Tears massacre (undertaken by "good christians", natch)?

-- alan (foo@bar.com), July 14, 1999.

" ... the world's great civilizations averaged a cycle of 200 years. Those societies progressed through this sequence:

" From bondage to spiritual faith.
" From spiritual faith to great courage.
" From great courage to liberty.
" From liberty to abundance.
" From abundance to selfishness.
" From selfishness to complacency.
" From complacency to apathy.
" From apathy to dependency.
" From dependency back again into bondage.

"As the United States has passed its 200th birthday, and in view of the recent epidemic of immorality, I wonder how your readers would assess America's current position."

-- William W. Quinn, Lt. Gen., U.S. Army (retired)
August 21, 1998

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-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), July 14, 1999.

alan...Can you say..Big Picture? History is full of Trail of Tears victims, horrific cruelty and unthinkable wickedness. Take off the black and white glasses and try to see in Color.

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), July 14, 1999.

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services in California is suggesting Y2K prep in this document:

http://www.oes.ca.gov/OESHomeP.nsf/Images/Y2KNewsletter/ $file/Y2Kn'ltr.pdf

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), July 14, 1999.

Funny. Y2K is boring and no problem, but CAlifornia wants you to prepare. Hmmm. Thanks Linkmeister.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), July 14, 1999.

A quote from a past Decretary of Defense and Congressman fits in here very well. I don't think there will ever be such a quote from any Cabinet Secretary in thie current Administration.

"It is easy to take Liberty for granted when you have never had it taken away from you." - Dick Cheney

I am now very afraid that the die is cast and we will see more government entities attempt such measures. And I am even more afraid that America's citizens, who have become very lax in their understanding of what it takes to be free, especially that they must sometimes suffer and fight to be free to enjoy their liberty and freedoms, are going to be given a harsh reminder.

May be come through this upcoming mess with our freedom and liberties intact and a new realization of what the words "...guard them jealously..." meant to the founders who used them in writing about our globally unique Constitutional rights.

And God help the politicians and beaureucrats who're behind such unConstitutional manuevers. Given a few months or so of "education" about how precious liberty and freedom are, the populous may deliver a terrible lesson upon the ones reponsible for not only turning a blind eye for Y2K in the name of temporary poll numbers. But also for for placing the citizens into even greater harm's way by such disarmament schemes at the very moment ownership of arms is likely going to be so crucial to survival.

If there is one stock exchange left functioning after Y2K, I want to buy as many shares of Amalgamated Rope as can be had for a case, no make that two cases of tuna and a fifty-five gallon drum of water.

WW WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), July 14, 1999.

Mumsie:

Even as a devout agnostic, these words ring very true. There is no other true type of discipline save self discipline.

-- Jon Williamson (pssomerville@sprintmail.com), July 14, 1999.

Alan...

My folks were on that trail.All the way to Oklahoma.What was done then,need not be repeated. We all learn from history. At least I try to,What history tells me is to be on guard for the next "Trail of Tears" and do not think that it cannot happen again.

Shakey

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), July 14, 1999.