The Tripwire Question.

A Girl and Her Gun stumbled across a post that is designed to provoke thought about your tripwire.  I hopped over to her linked post and read through the comments.  Between A Girl and Her Gun and the comments there it’s it’s obviously about that time again.

Starting off I have previously talked about tripwires here.  More specifically the ignored lessons of the 20th century.

First up, if you’re caching weapons, the time to use them is now.  You’re assuming that you will still be able to freely travel back to your cache as well as assemble with your friends for an armed resistance.  You have no such guarantee and anyone who is attempting to disarm you is trying to pacify you.  Any claims of good intentions are false and here’s why.

  1. In the words of John Ross, “The time to fight is before you’re handcuffed in the back of the van.”  Having us volunteer our arms is like asking us to climb in the back of a van while hitch hiking and handcuff our self to the floor.  At that point, what can the driver do to you?  Anything that he wants.
  2. Any politician wanting your arms doesn’t want them for “the public good” he wants them so you have not way to fight back.  We have seen time and again the falsehood that is gun control.  So knowing that their claims are lies, why would you surrender your arms?
  3. Everyone has the right to self defense as well as the right to the best tools to do so and it is a divine right and thus not within the bounds of mankind to remove that right.
  4. As a law abiding citizen, what does your disarmament do for the government?  It serves to ensure that you have no means to fight back if you decide you disagree with a law.  It stacks the deck entirely in their favor.

So with that out of the way, lets get to the core of A Girl and Her Gun’s post:

How many stories have we read about activists that save the world while their own kids suffer.  Is the greater good more important than the individual?  Absolutely not and yes, of course it is. There has to be people who are willing to sacrifice it all for what they believe in, if not, where would this country be, where would I be?

Yes, kids will suffer two fold because of this assault on our rights.  They will suffer the first because there will be those of us who will kiss them on the forehead and never see them again.  There will be others who will have them stripped away by the government because they dare to speak out against the state.  The state is a terrorist by all definitions.  These terrorists understand the leverage provided by using someone’s family against them.  This fact is an inevitability of the situation.  We do not wish for it, but it is the beast coming to our door and he can not be ignored. Forgot to post the second: The kids rights are in jeopardy just the same as your own.  Their choices are being made for them and the worst part is they will never be aware of that fact.

There is nothing more important than my children and each of them deserve to grow up knowing they are loved and valued and they need a mommy for that, at least partially, but then again, if they are growing up in a North Korea kind of country, who the hell cares or maybe it matters even more.

There is no question in that.  See this post which ended in a letter to my future kids.  Growing up though I learned that love has many forms.  My dad never expressed it in the ways most people would expect.  He just couldn’t, it wasn’t in his nature.  In fact there were only two times he ever actually said it, one of which was just before he passed away.

My dad would have left home without thinking twice to ensure the safety of my mother, my sister, and myself.  If it was necessary to guarantee my future beyond his horizon he would fight.  He would fight not just because it was the right thing, but because he loved us and wanted the best for us. 

There is no question my dad would act against any threat against his family, he proved it.  I know not everyone who reads this blog looks upon religion the same.  I also avoid it because I don’t like forcing my beliefs on others.  However this line has a significant weight despite the religion.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

While at the time children may not understand and this applies to sacrificing time with those you love as well.  With age comes wisdom.  They will understand that the choices were the opposite of selfishness.  You fought not just for your right to have a choice, but for their own as well.  It is not only your children who will understand the sacrifices.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing – Edmund Burke

While one would want to just be with your kids to physically protect them, it provides the excuse for good men to do nothing.  There are many reasons not to fight when you consider your children.  However I can think of nothing that would put a bigger fire in my belly than the fear of evil men making decisions for myself and my children without a way to say, “NO!”

*I pulled those lessons from Joe, his post can be found here.

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About TMM

TMM is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms. Many know his private name and information however due to the current political climate, many are distancing themselves due to the abandonment of Due Process.

10 Responses to The Tripwire Question.

  1. Agirlandhergun says:

    Thanks for expanding on your thoughts. I have a lot to think about I guess.

    • There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is a serious thought experiment that centers around at what point do you fight.

      Some have a tripwire before this, others after. I consider this the last line in the perimeter security. If it is breached we are now handcuffed in the back of the van.

      That said I think the beast is further from this fence than many make it out to be. Heller and McDonald did a lot to help secure the fence. That is not to say we should not be vigilant or unprepared, but thanks to the rush after the last AWB and the attitudes are changing. New Orleans got smacked for Katrina, though not as bad as the should have. Where were the people saying no there. No one did because it was the armed military showing up at your door. To say no meant you were going to have to fight an overwhelming force.

      There’s a lot of lessons to be learned from history regarding disarmament and the rights to arms. It bugs me when people constantly run the they’re going to ban “x” flag without anything on the table. It becomes the boy who cries wolf. The day the beast is actually there we all just say, “this again”. PDB’s favorite magazines do a much better job and that is we need reminders to remain vigilant.

  2. Old_NFO says:

    Good post and excellent points! Thanks!

  3. SeanSorrentino says:

    Realistically, all we need do is say “no.” What are they going to do, kill us all? Once the shooting starts, it’s going to be a two way shooting range with no particular rules.

    That’s the whole point of the Threeper thing. If we keep reminding them that the shooting will go both ways, they are less likely to try us. If they get to believe that they will meet little or no resistance, they might give it a try. Weakness invites attack.

    • Except they can easily get a good majority to cower in fear by “making an example” of those that defy. It will make some dig in their heals but a good majority will throw up their hands. There is no way to win a conflict purely on defense and reaction.

      If your side thinks it is hopeless to resist they won’t. You’re going to need more than just people fighting back in their homes. If that’s all that happens, the people will ALWAYS loose.

      Also, remember liberals have no problem killing all of us to create their utopia and any that die in the path to get there is nothing more than a martyr.

      • SeanSorrentino says:

        The issue is one of who starts it. Some of us will have to die before it becomes acceptable to fight back. The very “example” the authorities try to make will turn out to be a bad example. And who said “bunker down in your house and wait for them”? I just said we should tell them politely, but firmly, “No.” Once they refuse to listen, then we shoot them all, wherever they live and whatever they are doing. We just can’t start it. Otherwise we are the bad people.Of course, the authorities can just decide not to go down that path. That would be a much better outcome for everyone. Our job is to keep them aware of the consequences. Some of us might be called upon to be the tripwire. The job description “Martyr” sucks, but if they chose that path, someone will have to fill the role. My problem is with the people who pretend that they can be “grey men.” As if it is possible in this day and age for the authorities to not know who you are. They might hope that they are in a better position to counter-attack, but if they would stand up proudly and declare themselves, they make the repression less likely by making the consequences more visible.

        • Yes, but they don’t want to be a martyr.  I don’t want to be a martyr.  The object of war isn’t to die for your country or your cause.  It’s to  make the other dumb bastard die for his.

          They’re going to have a very tough time with forced confiscations period.  Read the lessons from the 20th century.  The act of passing the law is them starting it.  The soldier that shows up to enforce the law has already decided your fate if you say no.  Remember that.

  4. Joe Huffman says:

    The last link to my website really should be changed to http://blog.joehuffman.org/1997/07/04/PhilosophyQuestionForTheMonthOfJuly97.aspx.

    Some day I’m going to do some house cleaning on the web site and  lot of the stuff will disappear or be moved to my blog.

  5. eiaftinfo says:

    It will be interesting to see how the law enforcement community reacts to any orders to gather up arms from their community’s citizens.  I suspect major urban areas will see the higest rate of compliance by local LEOs.  However, in 80% of the geographic area that is the US, the government may be in for a real shock.

    The same may be true for the military.  Most officers I knew during my career and know today take their oath very seriously.  I suspect this too will come as a shock at a true left-wing government.  We may well be more secure that we suspect.

    That said, one of the many fears I see in an Obama relection is his complete lack of accountability – to congress or the voters – during a second term.  I do not see him leaving office willingly after 8 years.  Shades of Putin, Hitler, Mussolini, Ho – and many other true believers come to mind.  He’s one of the most dangerous men I seen in the WH in the last 40+ years.