A ten year old ban on assault weapons in the US lapsed today after little resistance. The ban came after several shootings using such semi-automatic and automatic weapons left many innocent citizens dead. One such incident was a shooting spree at a law firm at 101 California right here in San Francisco. Family members of the 8 dead were some of the most vocal supporters of the original ban, and now the most disgusted at the apathy of lawmakers at all levels. Mr. Bush has voiced support of the ban, but has placed no apparent pressure on Congress to extend it. The NRA is going ape shit about it, claiming victory for gun owners everywhere.
This made me think about why we have the right to bear arms in the first place. The airwaves this morning were full of callers talking about the need "to protect ourselves". I agree, but I think I have a different take on what we need to protect ourselves from. The framers of the 2nd Amendment ("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.") were primarily concerned about the ability of individuals to form groups and arm themselves for the purpose of defense of the state. Many citizens today are so wrapped up in the idea of protecting themselves from "evildoers" and "criminals", that they've forgotten the law's primary intent.
We are at a point in history where there is a significant threat to the state. However, it's not coming from "terrorists" or "Islamic fundamentalists", but from within: It is in the form of a systematic erosion of our liberties, justified by fear of "the enemy". While the tough guys in Washington are making us feel safe from the dark man (who is somehow compelled to do horrible things with no provocation whatsoever), we're slowly surrendering our precious civil liberties to a few elites. And public opinion has been manipulated to make most believe that this sacrifice is simply the cost of living in a changed world.
I'm going to keep a close eye on this threat, and think more critically about the good reasons to arm ourselves in the face of our current situation as a country. While I don't think automatic weapons in the hands of those who would oppress is a good thing, maybe we need to have the right in order to defend ourselves... from ourselves. George Mason said during Virginia's ratification convention in 1788: "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people...to disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."