So let’s start out with the easy things, ok? I’m a tenther. That indicates I think that the federal government should exercise only those powers that we individuals entrusted to it in the constitution — and nothing more. For instance, no Obamacare requireds, no bank bailouts, and absolutely no federal gun laws — period.
Question. How many people here own a weapon, or manufacture or offer guns?
And the number Benefits Of Medical Marijuana’s For Pain of you are proud felons — meaning, when the federal government makes rules to limit your right to keep and bear arms, you just overlook them due to the fact that they don’t have the authority to do so?
HEMPCON
I recently went to an event called Hemp Con down in my part of the state — Los Angeles. This is a big event at the LA convention center — with loads of vendors and businesses from every angle you can think of in assistance of the cannabis market. There were house security business to help protect your weed, solar power companies to assist you grow your weed, doctors giving out medical cannabis cards to essentially anybody with $80 and an hour of time. There were even shipment services — you can get your cannabis delivered to you 24 hours a day … in 30 minutes or less. The pizza business have absolutely nothing on these guys! It was amazing if you think of it from an economic perspective — this was industrialism, the free market — working its wonders around an industry.
What’s the point?
Virtually EVERY single one of those companies was either directly breaching federal law, or assisting somebody else in doing so due to the fact that cannabis is prohibited, according to the feds — but not the constitution — in all circumstances. In 2003, Tommy Chong was apprehended for simply selling pieces of glass — pipes that could be utilized to smoke cannabis. And today, 7 years later on, we’ve got what appeared to be the WalMart of weed in Downtown Los Angeles. And guess what — no ATF or DEA hooligans shut the place down. Business worked, individuals did what they wanted to in liberty, which was that.
FREEDOM TO TRAVEL
Another fast story.
In 2005, the Bush administration got the REAL ID act passed, which was — in the eyes of numerous — a brand-new kind of a national ID card. We were cautioned that if this act wasn’t followed, individuals wouldn’t have the ability to travel, go into federal structures, get on airplanes, and the like.
Much of my sweetheart’s household resides in Missouri, a state that’s not in compliance with the Real ID act. Her loved ones do a little taking a trip from time to time. They get on aircrafts and show their non-compliant Missouri motorist’s license. No federal agents stop them and prevent them from boarding an airplane.
Well, many state DL’s — consisting of those in Missouri — do not abide by the Real ID Act. That law is still on the books in DC — it’s never ever been reversed. It’s never ever been challenged in court either. But — due to 25 states refusing to adhere to the «law» — in much of the country that Real ID act is practically null and space.
Here in California, the state constantly appears to be on its knees, asking the feds for something. Well, other than on cannabis. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that state medical cannabis laws were illegal. At that time there were 10 states that had such laws. Do you know how many were repealed? Zero. And today, there’s 14 states defying Washington DC, and getting away with it.
Today, we see the Firearms Freedom Act movement growing along these lines — it’s currently passed in 8 states. Following that lead, 5 states have passed laws stating no to Obamacare mandates too.
THE LESSON
What’s the lesson? This is the blueprint — when adequate people state no to unconstitutional laws, regulations … and mandates … and adequate states pass laws to back those people up — there’s not much the federal government can do, however slowly and consistently withdraw. There’s no tanks rolling into Los Angeles to close down the dispensaries, and there’s no jack-booted thugs requiring individuals to get brand-new chauffeur’s licenses in Missouri. This is far from perfect, however it can work, and it is working today.
So here’s the last question — and the big challenge to you today.
The next time you begrudgingly follow some federal «law» that restricts your right to keep and bear arms — or the next time you hear about a gun rights case that will be chosen in 2, or 4, or 6 years — with the hope that some judge will provide you permission to exercise your rights, ask yourself this question:
Do you … weapon rights activists … have as much guts as the pot smokers?
For the sake of liberty — I hope you do — since I think that we the people need to exercise our rights whether they the federal government wants to give us «consent» to or not!
This is reprinted from the Tenth Amendment Center.
September 30, 2010
Michael Boldin [send him mail] is the founder of the Tenth Amendment Center.
Copyright © 2010 Tenth Amendment Center. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is happily approved, supplied full credit is provided.