Armed autodefensa members stand guard after taking back control of the community La Huerta, in state of Michoacán, Mexico, from cartel members, on Jan. 17, 2014.
Photo by Hector Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images
The AP reports that “ ‘[s]elf-defense’ groups confronting a drug cartel in the western state of Michoacan have agreed to join government law enforcement forces after months of firefights with gang members.”
Armed vigilante groups have become more common in Mexico since last year, particularly in the western state of Michoacán, parts of which had fallen under the control of the Knights Templar drug cartel. The vigilantes had often operated with the tacit approval of the authorities, who have evidently decided it would more productive to work with the armed groups rather than attempt to disarm them.
As an International Crisis Group analysis last year noted, the issue of vigilantism in Mexico “is complicated by the fact that many communities, particularly indigenous, have a centuries-old tradition of community policing.” However, many of the recently formed, well-armed autodefensa groups are not comprised of members of these communities, and some may even by fronts for the cartels themselves.
The government of Mexico—a rising economic power and in most parts of the country, a fairly safe and stable one—understandably bristles at talk in Washington of a “failed state” south of the border. But given that monopoly over the legitimate use of force is generally considered one of the primary definitions of a functioning state, the presence of self-organized armed groups providing security in areas where the government has failed to do so definitely doesn’t look good either domestically or internationally.
Keating ignores that both America and Switzerland are functioning states WITHOUT a government monopoly of force. Even in Israel soldiers are required to keep their primary weapon at home because if war breaks out, there might not be time to go to the armory.
As a friend pointed out, “with the DEA arming drug cartel and giving them a pass to sell drugs where they want I guess it would make sense that Mexico would do what is unthinkable to them and allow citizens to have guns for protection.”
Here in Tennessee the Chattanooga Times Free Press attacked our pro-gun legislators in an editorial entitled “Redneck reality TV has nothing on the Tennessee General Assembly”. Amazing, isn’t it? The same stupid liberals that demand sensitivity and political correctness would use “Redneck” as a negative. Well, I wonder what they will think of Florida and their pro-gun bill.
State Rep. Dane Eagle (R-Cape Coral) introduced HB733 the Second Amendment Protection Act, which declares that no agent of Florida state or its political subdivisions “may participate with or assist federal agents in the enforcement of federal firearms laws, or provide material support of any kind to federal agents in the enforcement of these laws. The law would stipulate that state agents and/or contractors who knowingly participate in or provide support for the enforcement of federal firearms laws would be subject to dismissal.”
“The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution expressly provides that all powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states. Time and time again, Florida has proven that we have the best solutions to our own issues, whether it be healthcare, education, or our balanced budget, which is accomplished without raising taxes. When it comes to protecting our fundamental Second Amendment rights guaranteed by the Constitution, I believe it is best left to be handled by Floridians for Floridians,” Rep. Eagle said
Source: http://www.albanytribune.com/27012014-florida-lawmakers-seek-end-cooperating-obamas-gun-dictates/
Now I don’t know if this bill will pass, but I’m glad they’re taking a stand.
The mainstream media wants people to think that our “gun culture” of gun shows, NRA events, gun auctions, etc, is responsible for the murder rate, yet in a long article on America thinker, statistics proves what we already know. Criminals like to shoot other criminals, and vote for Obama.
Headlines that blame a “gun culture” for the high rate of firearm- related homicides in the United States are not too difficult to locate (e.g., here, here, and here). The need to eliminate this “gun culture” is then used as justification for restriction of 2nd Amendment rights. What goes unmentioned about the so-called “gun culture” is its pervasiveness, or lack thereof, throughout our society as a whole. Even a casual reader of local news headlines should not be shocked to learn that firearm-related homicides are more prevalent in some neighborhoods than others. However, what may be shocking is the near exclusivity of firearm-related homicides to a small subset of neighborhoods; neighborhoods that vote predominately for Democrat candidates.
“Gun control advocates believe in mandatory mental health screening for those who purchase guns, something the NRA fully supports.” With a false statement like that, it is a wonder why Andre Zollars thinks Democrats get a bad rap for being anti-gun. Please source where that came from. I can’t find where the NRA believes this. Democrats have a well-deserved reputation for being anti-gun, however. They continually prove it every time this subject comes up. They claim they just want a few “common sense” laws, meaning to give up your right to own a gun or freely use your Second Amendment rights.
Senator Tester says the same thing. He claims to be pro-Second Amendment, but then votes for the Manchin/Toomey bill (leading to gun registration) and helps pass an extension on the so-called plastic gun ban law. When I asked him why he voted for the gun ban, he responded that it has been used to ban many plastic guns from being made so they can’t pass through airport security. Since he must have access to much more data than I do, I asked for a list of those gun designs that were banned. It has been a couple months, but I am still waiting for the list. This is a feel-good bill that does nothing.
These are just a couple of examples of the many ways the Democrats have a well deserved reputation for trying to destroy the Second Amendment.
Much of Ms. Zollars’ letter is positive, but as a Democrat she may have served her point better if she had acknowledged her party’s history of trying to limit our Second Amendment rights.
Young gun haters contradict themselves, on one hand, they reject their elders and betters, they see themselves as superior, yet when it comes to their 2nd Amendment rights then suddenly they admit being rash, stupid, and untrustworthy. look at how their tune changes:
Dangerous weapons have no place in a volatile environment in which first-year students are experimenting with alcohol, dealing with complicated relationships and battling stress. And according to the University of California Berkeley, one in 10 college students has considered suicide, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college-age students. Adding firearms to the mix simply doesn’t make sense.
Source: http://www.alligator.org/opinion/editorials/article_fffddb84-87d5-11e3-ae3a-001a4bcf887a.html
If the poor little darlings can’t cope with Real Life, maybe they should stay at home and let mommy and daddy supervise them. What a whiner, I’m sure the 17-year-old who’s doing his basic training with the Marines is battling far more stress than some pussy in a college dorm, and unlike Private Pyle from Full Metal Jacket, he won’t don’t end up shooting his drill sergeant and then blowing up his own brain. Besides, if removing guns prevented suicide, Japan would have the lowest suicide rate instead of the highest. The Nipponese are quite adept and severing arteries with knives, yet I don’t see Japan banning them.
Florida already has absurdly loose gun laws: Although you need a permit to carry a handgun in Florida, anyone aged 18 and older doesn’t need a permit or license to purchase a handgun. Gun owners in Florida also aren’t required to register their handguns
Wrong! You have to be 21 to buy a handgun (federal law), you can be in possession of a handgun at 18, but you can’t purchase the handgun yourself. You also have to be 21 to get a concealed carry license. As for registration, you’re right, we’re not required to register them because in Florida you’re not treated like a criminal for owning a handgun. That’s the way it should be all over America.
Source: http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/p/gunlaws_fl.htm
Many students may not feel comfortable sharing a room with a stranger who owns a gun, and the reality of college freshmen acting rashly during times of stress or anger looms as a possible danger.
Tough, when I went to college I had to change roommates occasionally, as for acting rashly, grow up.
Here’s Why Guns do belong in College Dorms:
1. It’s a right. Just like Free Speech is not restricted to those who are mature, the 2nd Amendment assumes you are law-abiding, if you break the law, you get punished
2. Most criminals are young and they prey on college students. Nobody should have to die, get robbed, get beaten, be raped, etc, because some gun hater was afraid of an inanimate object
3. Even if the duty of the cops was to protect you (it isn’t), most colleges have unarmed security guards who fight crime by calling 911. So you’re better off carrying a gun
If you can think of other reasons why guns belong in college dorms, let me know.
