In at least my ideal world, people who aren't hurting others are generally left to their own devices while those who do hurt others feel the weight of the government descend upon them like the fiery hand of God. In short, f--- around, find out.
But, alas, we don't live in my ideal world. We're stuck with this one.
In this one, some busybody dipsticks seem to think that criminals need to be treated as gently as humanly possible, which might not be the end of the world if these same people weren't also busy trying to restrict what you and I can do, especially with regard to being able to protect ourselves from them. FAFO would still be in effect, after all, if they stopped trying to mess with us, and sooner or later, enough would "find out" that crime would sort of correct itself.
One state where this seems to be happening is Washington state, and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear arms is kind of sick of it. I say that based on this press release they sent on on Monday:
While Evergreen State Democrats now controlling the State Legislature are laboring to disarm law-abiding citizens, they should try first to explain why their former governor released a career criminal who now is accused of drug and gun law violations, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) is insisting.
The arrest of Percy Levy, 54, by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, made local and national headlines. Levy was granted clemency by former far-left Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee in 2019. But published reports say Levy is now alleged to have had more than 2,200 grams of powder cocaine, 14.7 grams of rock cocaine and 556 grams of fentanyl in his home when authorities, acting with a warrant, searched the residence. They also recovered a stolen firearm, according to a report in the Lynnwood Times. As a convicted felon, the suspect cannot legally possess a firearm. Levy was reportedly arrested during a traffic stop in the city of Everett.
“The irony of this arrest is almost beyond comprehension,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “During this year’s legislative session, Democrats at the Capitol in Olympia have been pushing a variety of restrictive gun control laws. The recovery of an apparently stolen gun from the suspect underscores the fact that their already restrictive laws have failed to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
“What is worse, and yet so illustrative of the Democrats’ misguided efforts,” he continued, “is the fact that they appear poised to pass two more gun control bills, one to add more restrictions on the lawful carry of firearms outside of the home, and the other requiring honest citizens to actually get a permit from the State Patrol to purchase firearms. What other constitutionally-protected right requires police permission before it can be exercised? These measures, Senate Bill 5098 and House Bill 1163, amount to frontal assaults on both the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 24 of the Washington State Constitution.
“Before the majority Democrats vote to adopt any more restrictive gun control laws in Washington,” Gottlieb challenged, “they better first figure out whose side they are on, the good guys or the bad guys. No honest Evergreen State citizen should have his or her constitutional rights impaired or infringed upon while Democrats—the party of gun control and confiscation—carry on their attacks on the rights of gun owners while allowing criminals what looks like a second chance to commit crimes.”
Obviously, I'm with Gottlieb on this one.
Criminals continue to break the law, even after being given clemency by the governor, all too often. Recidivism is sky-high and the kid gloves approach hasn't improved anything. It made it worse as criminals are back on the streets within hours of their arrests and, in some places, prosecutors are loathe to actually try and put anyone in prison, or so it seems.
Yet in these same states, they continue to restrict the lawful exercise of people's Second Amendment rights.
We know that these laws do nothing to criminals, especially since it won't land them in jail--yes, the big irony in many of these cases is that even gun charges don't get people prison time, all while anti-gunners continue to push for still more gun control--but it will stop law-abiding citizens from doing things that might enable them to protect themselves.
Despite claims to the contrary, none of these people support the Second Amendment. They don't respect your right to keep and bear arms. They respect nothing about you.
My question is how many good, decent people have to be gunned down before they wake up to the fact that their policies--all of their policies--are responsible for this?
I hope they can wake up soon, for everyone's sake, but let's be real. That's not going to happen. They're too busy trying to appease the criminals in this country, apparently.