Esquire owes its existence to English foppery: a perfectly dreadful combination of elitism and, uh, give me a moment would you? Shotguns (and hunting and hunting dogs and hunting clothes) are as important to the English upper class’s self-image as bumping uglies with servants is to their genetic health. So it’s no surprise that Esquire scribe Lt. Col. Robert Bateman’s five-point plan to “fix” the Second Amendment—in the sense that one fixes a dog—starts by exempting double-barrel breech-loading shotguns. “Hunting with these is valid,” he asserts, aping aristocrats who believe that an accident of birth is all the justification one needs for any firmly held opinion. Bateman’s list also exempts police from any of his gun control platform—because they work for the Powers That Be, of course. His is a vision of totalitarian hell as seen through the eyes of a champagne socialist. Scary stuff . . .
1. The only guns permitted will be the following:
- a. Smoothbore or Rifled muzzle-loading blackpowder muskets. No 7-11 in history has ever been held up with one of these.
- b. Double-barrel breech-loading shotguns. Hunting with these is valid.
- c. Bolt-action rifles with a magazine capacity no greater than five rounds. Like I said, hunting is valid. But if you cannot bring down a defenseless deer in under five rounds, then you have no fking reason to be holding a killing tool in the first place.
2. We will pry your gun from your cold, dead, fingers. That is because I am willing to wait until you die, hopefully of natural causes. Guns, except for the three approved categories, cannot be inherited. When you die your weapons must be turned into the local police department, which will then destroy them. (Weapons of historical significance will be de-milled, but may be preserved.)
3. Police departments are no longer allowed to sell or auction weapons used in crimes after the cases have been closed. (That will piss off some cops, since they really need this money. But you know what they need more? Less violence and death. By continuing the process of weapon recirculation, they are only making their jobs — or the jobs of some other cops — harder.)
4. We will submit a new tax on ammunition. In the first two years it will be 400 percent of the current retail cost of that type of ammunition. (Exemptions for the ammo used by the approved weapons.) Thereafter it will increase by 20 percent per year.
5. We will initiate a nationwide “buy-back” program, effective immediately, with the payouts coming from the DoD budget. This buy-back program will start purchasing weapons at 200 percent of their face value the first year, 150 percent the second year, 100 percent the third year. Thereafter there will be a 10 year pause, at which point the guns can be sold to the government at 10 percent of their value for the next 50 years.
6. The major gun manufactures of the United States, less those who create weapons for the federal government and the armed forces, will be bought out by the United States of America, for our own damned good.
[h/t CCW Guy]
Saw this article the day it got posted…
I don’t even have any words for this “man.” He is an utter disgrace to the country he swore to protect. He squandered his oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States.
TEXT DELETED
1) These aristocratic people that write stuff like this should remember how things went down after the French Revolution.
2) I’ll never look at seaweed the same again…
For the first time in my career as an Army Infantry Officer, I am ashamed to be a part of the same officer corps. The presence of this “man” in the officer corps lessens the value of my commission. I would bet that he is both a retired AND a service support officer.
It is not an officer’s place to use his/her position to push for pet causes… especially when those causes are directly conflict with his oath. Shameful. Awful. Power is not granted to me to disrespect his rank, but as a person he is an oath-breaker and a disgrace to the black and gold.
If he’s not retired, BO will soon see to it he’s a General
As a former Marine I took the same oath you did Bateman. I won’t refer to you as LtC because you dishonor the rank, so I refer to you as Benedict Arnold Bateman. Your a maggot and Christ will judge you! Your a disgrace to the uniform! Screw you fat a**!
Court martial, dishonorable discharge, and trial for treason for oath-breaking is what Bateman deserves. My dad fought in WW II as part of the “greatest generation” in America to defend U.S. from elitist evildoers like Bateman. Molon Labe you pusillanimous pencil-pushing pathetic pawn of an OBOT.
HAL, you are a coward because you don’t use your name, as I do.
You have no honor.
Bateman
you rock dude
Because I cannot think of an adequate non-obscene or NON-blasphemous pejorative for this response I will save the censor the trouble and repeat the above: TEXT DELETED!
Problem is, Hal, I remain.
Who determines the face value for the buy back? Sounds like this idiot thinks the 2nd Amendment was put in place to allow hunters to have guns. I guess he did not study early American history.
It’s not American history I so worried about, it’s all the other civilizations that enslaved people and committed genocide that he should study.
I think people like this have studied those cultures. That’s why they want to ban guns. It’s a lot easier to jam one’s perverted version of utopia down people’s throats, if they’re unarmed.
“Who determines the face value for the buy back?”
What is more important is the COST of the buy-back. I suspect in the majority of cases the cost to the state will be that no offer will be accepted until the weapon is empty, up until which time the price will not be negotiable.
“5. We will initiate a nationwide “buy-back” program, effective immediately, with the payouts coming from the DoD budget.”
Ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! HA!
So let’s spend money budgeted for national defense on something that will drastically reduce the capability of this country to defend itself from foreign invaders. Yup. I’ve never really understood the term “liberal logic” until just now.
Think of how many toilet seats could be purchased with that money!
And just exactly which “foreign invaders” have you worried? The Canadians? The British? The French? The Chinese? Do tell us, please,
I tried to read the original article without throwing up.
This guy reminds me of Nikita Khrushchev. (Yes, I’m that old.)
However, at least Khrushchev wasn’t ashamed of his country or his military career.
Please, share with us the highlights of your time serving the nation, in your military career…
LtCol Bateman, after very careful consideration, sir, I’ve come to the conclusion that your suggestions to “fix” the 2nd Amendment sucks.
Wargames quote FTW.
The military has lots of Lt. Colonels. Statistically speaking, a few HAVE to go off their rocker. Just like Marine Corps privates…
LOL, the U S Army probably has as many LTCs as the USMC has privates.
It would be logical to assume that if pent an entire career as an Army officer an were not promoted above the rank of Light Colonel there were many evaluating officers who did not think much of you or your leadership abilities. Just sayin’.
Just curious Jeff, what years did you serve the nation in uniform?
Excuse me, as a servant of the people, who the hell gave you permission to ask us questions? More to the point, to make decisions for us? Report to the latrine for cleaning detail, it is something you should be adept at performing. Learn your place, plebe.
Hey idiot, your commander in chief never served a day in his life, yet you call him “Sir”. Don’t ask what I call you.
I am certain that you have the resources readily available to break into my e-mail, my Facebook account, and obtain my personal information via intelligence agencies and the N.S.A. I have absolutely nothing to hide, and the name provided is accurate. You see, I do not live under the precipice of big government ruling over every aspect of my life, and doing so under a dark veil of secrecy. I do not embrace an ideology of total authoritarianism, such as you do. Truly ask yourself, Mr Bateman…which is more cowardly? Standing up for your individual liberty, or spouting off like some out of control dictator who currently does not even reside in his country of origin and has all the resources of BIG government to bring harm upon innocent civilians. Which, Mr. Bateman, is more cowardly?
Who cares? Even the worst opinion polls for us have never shown support for anything as draconian as what he’s proposing.
This guy is a disgrace to the Army. Of course, commander Yoda Kelly (mrs. Mark Giffords) was in the Navy, so all military branches have their idiots.
Anonymous,
What units did you serve with? When? Thanks,
Bob Bateman
##yawn###.
Another careerist officer who’s bucking for full bird rank and knows what to say.In Obama’s military, this drivel is how you advance paygrades.
The only thing in dire need of fixing is the DoDs entire officer corps.Don’t let me end up as POTUS, because every non medical officer above the rank of Captain/Lieutenant would be cashiered out and I’d start from bloody scratch. As this article ably proves ,our military leadership is broken.
Speaking as a Navy Commander (equivalent to Army Lt. Col) and Submariner, we are NOT the policy making LEADERSHIP of DoD and using this particular individual to demonize the officer corps is about as open minded as MDA’s facebook page…
As for advancement, in my personal experience, competence still matters more than politics. At least up to the O-6 level. I haven’t needed to be political to make rank, and since I’m not too worried about making Admiral, I won’t need to start any time soon…
Understood but the D bag POTUS will have this guy on the same side of the teleprompter as a way to sell his coming for our guns.
Somebody should tell him the bird’s an eagle, not a chicken.
He’ll do just fine in his new Pentagon Job, getting coffee for an O-6 and shining an SES-1’s shoes..
Wow. You must have gotten adsep’d as an E-3 or something to be that bitter and uninformed.
I’m pretty sure what you’re describing is what Stalin did leading up to WWII. How did that work out for him again? Oh yeah; poorly.
Why wait until I’m dead? You obviously want them so bad, why don’t you come after them now?
I thought there was a law against the mentally ill owning double-barrel shotguns.
Apparently not because Joe Biden has one
This guy is a disgrace to the country he supposedly served, and I don’t say that lightly. He is talking about crushing the rights and freedoms that make up the American way of life.
Are guns dangerous in the wrong hands? Sure. But so is free speech.
Yeah, and to take 1st Amendment abuse a step further; look at the outright affirmative lies and lies by omission the Democrats and antis perpetually put out to hoodwink the unknowing voting public into supporting their illogical, ineffective, often damaging initiatives.
PS Yes, I’m aware of the pitfalls and the ‘chilling’ effect such sanctions might have.
If truth in politics was an enforceable obligation, the political landscape would be quite different, and the Democratic Administration in place today would not exist. Veracity in political representations by candidates and office holders should be an enforceable obligation.
If a politician or political organization knowing lies, or lies by omission, there should be effective sanctions such as political debarment and heavy fines to discourage the actions of those who knowingly perpetuate the lies. Ignorance of the truth of an assertion would be no defense.
Unfortunately, politicians have something called legislative immunity and they can practically say whatever they want from the chamber floor and get away with it. I can see why it’s useful or even “good,” but they need to be held accountable for what they say and do on the floor regardless.
“Accountability”.
That is the operative word.
It is truly unfortunate it’s such a rare phenomenon in the political arena.
Memo to Lt. Col. Dickhead. You can have my guns when you pry them from your cold, dead rectum.
Interesting that while I state my name, and give my e-mail, you hide behind a fake name. I think that says it all. Coward. Bob Bateman
Typical communitarian BS.
Go away. Just go away. We don’t want you here. I do not wish ill on you, I just wish you’d LEAVE.
And go where? I am an American soldier. Where do you want me to go?
Bob Bateman
Traitor. Unless of course by army he means Salvation Army. Even then…
I remember when we used to shoot traitors and cowards.
Those were the days. Now they represent us and lead our troops.
Really? And where and when did you serve in the US military when we did that, Mr Anonymous? You don’t even have the courage to use your name. ~Bob Bateman
I’m betting you have never seen combat. Actually, I’m betting you are some internet commando using Bateman’s name fraudulently anyhow. You both are scumbags.
I am certain that you have the resources readily available to break into my e-mail, my Facebook account, and obtain my personal information via intelligence agencies and the N.S.A. I have absolutely nothing to hide, and the name provided is accurate. You see, I do not live under the precipice of big government ruling over every aspect of my life, and doing so under a dark veil of secrecy. I do not embrace an ideology of total authoritarianism, such as you do. Truly ask yourself, Mr Bateman…which is more cowardly? Standing up for your individual liberty, or spouting off like some out of control dictator who currently does not even reside in his country of origin and has all the resources of BIG government to bring harm upon innocent civilians. Which, Mr. Bateman, is more cowardly?
LOL. Who’s this guy?!
No one of consequence.
I must know.
“Get used to disappointment.”
Oh, good. It worked.
…well, no one followed up with “OK”.
*8)
I must confess that I never heard of the guy, so I Googled him. Apparently he has a lot of spare time while serving in the Army as he writes a lot of crap for publication. And from the 3 minutes I invested in checking him out, he likes to stir the pot with inflamatory crap.
Hmm, haven’t some military officers gotten in trouble under this administration for getting too involved in political areas that are not under their purview?
Only when they disagree with the current Administration…
So Lt. Col. is not his ROTC rank?
My response to this is the same as the guy who sent it in to us: Fine. Do it. Repeal the Second. If you can. Otherwise, stfu.
+1
Nicknamed Lt. Colonel ‘Master’ Bateman for a reason.
How bout LTC Bat(guano)eman, or better yet LTC Scheisskopf
“… Since I’ve been living here in England….”
Nuff said.
I keyed on that too, but it’s entirely possible he’s posted there, and has “gone native.”
I guess he’s one of the “military exchange” people. You know, the ones that are so big a pain in the azz that the military sends them to a foreign country to get rid of them. Probably in a combat field like Administration. They can keep him.
When you wrote that I was just back from a year in Afghanistan. How about you? What combat tours have you done for our nation, while we needed you?
~Bob Bateman
Who cares. Regular Army Col. who obviously got passed up because he’s either inept or his command and control is lacking. Don’t care what lower level politicians think, he’s just another POS jockeying for the approval of the current administration.
So, this guy is very good at violence, per his own admission in the source Esquire article. Oh, yeah, tough guy, where’s your Combat Infantryman’s Badge? Missing, I see. Ah, I think… a staff wienie. A “strategist”. A “thinker”.
The most important part of the Second Amendment is not the part about the militia; the operative part is about “the People”. Sorry you don’t get that, Mr. Bateman. I get very easily how anyone who progresses through the ranks in the military can get sort of elitist; it’s probably a consequence of having genuine authority over people for a long time, which makes me wonder what it must be like to be the wife of a retired general who used to command thousands. So, Mr. Bateman, the People call you on your bullshit and leave you with only a simple phrase even you can understand. Bring it.
I used to think that the ex-major who was our JROTC instructor in high school was the biggest numbskull ever produced by the US military. I now stand corrected.
Agree. Pulled up a picture of the guy and best I could tell there wasn’t much evidence on the left breast that he’d practiced his professed expertise in violence.
6. The major gun manufactures of the United States, less those who create weapons for the federal government and the armed forces, will be bought out by the United States of America, for our own damned good.
Yea – almost all of the manufacturers are looking to manufacture for the Feds. In fact they compete for the opportunity.
taxing ammunition in this manner will only make all gun owners reloaders. New and inventive means will be brought about to further this purpose as we’ll.
This garbage is not a solution at all. It only seeks to p!ss off every gun owner with exception to the fudds. That’s a great idea – p!ss off 146 million gun owners.
How do you even tax the ammunition of the ‘exempted’ rifles alone? I’m not aware of rifles with a 5 round limit magically having a different caliber than all others with more than five.
I dunno, but can do some pretty good damage with a bolt action 30-06.
as to the LTC, the original oath was to the constitution, which has morphed to this country.
If you believe the 2A is the ultimate check on government intrusion on our daily lives, he is saying what the rest of the brass believes.
We are looking at a government class that thinks they are entitled which means the proles cannot have any effective weapons.
Until we have a clean sweep, think generations here, we will not see any changes that we approve of.
What’s this “we” sh!t? Is he gonna enforce the tax? Is he gonna enforce the buy-back? Of course not! He’s going to rely on stronger, more well-armed, and less cowardly men to enact his ideas.
Hey, dipsh!t… you come get them. You! Have the courage to stand by YOUR convictions and YOU come get them!
No need. As stated, I’ll wait. Your great great grandchildren will eventually decide they are a pain in the ass and turn them in. Laughing at you all the while.
~Bob Bateman
Bateman needs to go to his own mag’s archives and read “The Case FOR Guns” in the Sept. 1981 issue of ESQUIRE. It was the cover story, as I recall.
Maybe that would nudge him back toward reality. Probably not, but it’s the story of a LA liberal (autobiographical) who gradually had to face the reality of his declining neighborhood. An excellent read.
“Letter from an ANGRY Reader – A Letter to the Editor of Esquire Magazine” from Chip Elliott Sept 1981:
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=3499
Well worth the read – pass it on.
“Letter from an ANGRY Reader” just read it, very good article, I must be about aurtor’s age. Recalled living in Dallas at the time, close to Love Field Airport, high crime rate. Was lucky to never have a violent encounter, because at that time, did not know any women who had guns. Well, 30+ years later, moved to Central Texas, and a lot women I know have guns and know how to use them. Including me and my .357 revolver with 3″ barrel
YES IdahoPete! Thank you for finding it! This is one of the most powerful essays on gun ownership and self-defense I’ve ever read. Loaned out my copy of Esquire and never got it back. Just printed it out. Thanks again and let me strongly recommend that EACH member of the Armed Intelligentsia read this essay.
Glad I could find it – I think I have that copy of the magazine somewhere – it really impressed me when I first read it. Good article to store on a backup chip.
Is there any proof that this “Lt. Col” actually was one, or if possibly…just MAYBE, he’s a liberal who is pretending to have been one?
This guy is active duty…
Just like w/ the President, I will respect his rank and /or office, but I’m not required to respect or care for him as a person.
So let me get this straight. Esquire magazine, who hasn’t yet figured out that untucked button-ups with jeans look awesome, is trying to fix the second amendment for me? That’ll work well.
I saw his name “Bateman” and what immediately came to mind was Frito on the movie “idiocracy” saying “Go Away!… I’m Batin!”
http://en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Idiocracy
Jokes aside, His solution is not to address “gun violence” but to further expand the governments power. If they take that right away – how do we know for sure that press and speech rights aren’t next?
They absolutely will be next, they have already tried. Look up DiFi’s journalism licensing bill.
I often wondered where the Einsatzgruppen commanders came from. Now, I know.
It’s at the point where I care very little, if at all, about foreign invaders. It’s those domestic terrorists, at the Federal, State and Local level, that concern me the most. And THAT, my friends, is why I choose to keep my guns.
The last time those tea baggers tried to take away our guns…….well……they didn’t get to come home to “Mum” with the same amount of holes that they left with.
Yeah go full yourself lt. Col. Shit head.
By the way, thanks to the army I’m trained to kill.
Molan labe mother fucker
Unfortunately we did not teach you what your daddy should have, to put your name where your opinion was. See, being anonymous is, well, as your daddy should have taught you, being a coward.
Coward.
Bob Bateman
It’s always amuses me when high ranking officers get into political discussions, it very fitting.
Because anyone who has served one day in the military knows that most high ranking officers usually get to that position by being politicians and kissing brass- not from being battle hardened commanders, with ice water running through their vein.
As an E-4, I got into a screaming match with some know it all, pompous O-3 trying to pull rank with some crap he had no idea about. He was some rich ass, college boy with a music degree from Dartmouth, attempting to tell me how do the job I’ve been trained to do, and was doing everyday, for 4 freaking years.
I’m not saying all officers are dbag, there are some great ones out there, but this guy probably fits in the dbag category.
The Lt Col here probably had too many people calling him sir and kissing his ass, now he thinks his shit doesn’t stink. Well, brass doesn’t equal intelligence, sir.
“Watch it! Don’t you realize that you are addressing a superior officer?”
“No… Merely a higher ranking one.”
Since when did guns have politics?
Last I checked guns were pieces of metal. Pieces of metal don’t have politics.
Bob Bateman
I’ve read some of Bateman’s other screeds as background. Judging by his writing ‘style’ I am left in doubt as to his level of education and maturity, not what one expects from a staff level officer. For a man who puts himself at the center of every article he writes (We know he contributes to the ACLU) Bateman say’s very little about his military career one would think he’d be proud enough to at least drop a hint as to his curricula vitae, but no.
So the question lingers: Is this ma fraud?
I wish more people like this man would write articles like this and that all patriots would read them. This sh*t is going to hit the fan sooner or later and I figure the sooner it happens the less mess to clean up after. If enough new world order freaks like this guy come out of the closet and spew crap like this we can get it over with.
The English have never been free (only a few years under Oliver Cromwell were they given freedom and a better standard of living, Today the English have a red hot hate for Cromwell and Liberty), The English Love their king, and LOVE Socialism big time… And Americans better learn to stop all this following of the ways of Europe, George Washington writes to us about not fighting the wars of Europe , and about not having Titles of the Lords and Kings etc.. We are the government in the USA and all the one’s in government service WORK for US. The Bill of Rights is the LAW OF THE LAND .. no higher powers here.
Sounds about the same as most military personnel I’ve met.
This asshole Bateman has an article entitled “Why I Defend The Westboro Baptist Church.”
If Google image search is any indication he is a troll in the most literal sense and has made a career out of the unfortunate circumstances of his birth, which likely occurred under a bridge.
Which explains his tour counting paper clips in the UK. I hope we got some sharp NCOs in trade from them.
“Thereafter there will be a 10 year pause, at which point the guns can be sold to the government at 10 percent of their value for the next 50 years.” — a suggestion from Lt. Col. Robert Bateman on how to “fix” the Second Amendment
This is awesome because their (“forbidden” firearms) value will likely be upwards of $50,000 in Lt. Col. Bateman’s scenario. I would be quite tempted to turn in several firearms for $5,000 each.
Oh, and another highlight of Lt. Col. Bateman’s plan: assuming that citizens turn in 200 million of their firearms at that time (at $5,000 each), it will only cost the government a TRILLION dollars (yes, that is correct) to purchase all those firearms. Of course this is also in line with Lt. Col. Bateman’s communist goal of bankrupting the country even further.
I thought of this article when I first noticed the Esquire piece:
http://www.starvingthemonkeys.com/articles/Colonels.html
Great link; right on the money!
Thanks for providing it.
As a former Marine I took the same oath you did Bateman. I won’t refer to you as LtC because you dishonor the rank, so I refer to you as Benedict Arnold Bateman. Your a maggot and Christ will judge you! Your a disgrace to the uniform! Screw you fat a**!
Come and get me wimp.
I love the caption under Scalia’s picture. It’s like they didn’t read the dicta, only counted the words…..
I find that I quell the “it’s for the militia” indignation when I explain that SCOTUS arrived at its ruling not simply because Gura and Cruz’s arguments sounded better but because there were supporting historical and linguistic documents illustrating the intent of the framers.
Stupidity knows no bounds…..
And now for a serious question:
If I published a plan calling on our nation to criminalize all blond-haired people who owned televisions (and thus requiring them to turn-in their televisions) how is that not conspiracy to deprive blond-haired people of their civil rights?
Dear Komrade Bateman,
I normally have respect for men who have served in the military, but you can FOAD.
When I was an undergrad, like all others with my medical aspirations, I did research for formal academic credit (and the experience and chance at a contact).
The person I worked for was the head of the Epidemiology dept at the med school at my college. And she was married to the Chairman of the Admissions Committee at said med school.
When I was applying to med school, I met with her to talk about the application and interview process. In particular, I wanted to get a sense about tough and controversial questions that may come up in interviews and how to handle them. One of the topics I breached was ‘universal healthcare’ and the pros and cons of it. Having grown up in such a utopian society, I indulged some of the nuanced “con” points.
She cut me off very sternly and lectured me that we must have universal health care and that we will have it – “whether people like it or not”.
That was in 1991….
Nice how he argues that the Supreme Court deliberately ignored part of the Second Amendment in their Heller ruling, then he goes on to ignore the part of the Militia Act of 1903 that identifies the Reserve Militia as all able-bodied men between 18 and 45.
His argument that legal, responsible gun ownership has anything to do with the moron who shot someone over a stupid dispute following a football game is ludicrous. Trying to implicate the nation’s 80 million gun owners for the acts of criminals is like trying to convict anyone who has a penis of being a rapist. How about instead, we hold the GUILTY accountable for their acts and let the INNOCENT live in peace? Isn’t that what the whole idea of due process and rule of law is all about?
Also, his argument about muzzleloading firearms not having ever been used in crimes is incorrect. At the time when they were the technology of the day, they were used by good and bad alike. On a very tragic day in 1764, they were used to carry out the first school massacre in this country, the Enoch Brown School Massacre. If the Lt. Col. had ever bothered to pick up a history book, perhaps he’d have read about this. Still, that doesn’t matter, because before guns were invented people were killed with knives, axes, arrows, spears, clubs, and the jawbone of an ass. At the end of the day, bad people will kill your ass deader than hell with whatever they have at hand. Whether you’re mentally and physically prepared to do anything about that or not, accept it, because that’s how it is. No shade of rose-colored glasses will change that reality.
FWIW though, I don’t really care that the author feels that hunting rifles, breechloading shotguns, and muzzleloading firearms are “valid” for sporting purposes and should be “allowed.” I can’t even explain to you how little I care about his opinion… because I can read and understand the plain English of the Second Amendment and I can also read and comprehend the Supreme Court’s decision on Heller. The Law, both old and new, is on my side. And though I’m sure the LTC would love it if his word was law, it isn’t.
That was a fun read. Great stuff. Hilarious.
Damn Ri-Ri is hot.
The “face value” of my custom built AZEX custom built AK47? I’d prolly put it somewhere around the $10,000 range if they wanted “Face value” as determined by -me.- Considering this is a one of a kind, custom built rifle, built to my own personal specifications.. After all.
Otherwise I’d prolly say somewhere around $1200-1300 for those gun owners that actually appreciate AK47s and know what I have. Hoho.
Esquire’s cable channel was recently added to the lineup here. I couldn’t stand more than a few minutes of it. So many betas who have firmly convinced themselves that they are the end all, be all.
I think it’s an excellent idea. Yes, when the government attempts to tax the citizenry’s rights into oblivion, that always ends well.
“c. Bolt-action rifles with a magazine capacity no greater than five rounds. Like I said, hunting is valid. But if you cannot bring down a defenseless deer in under five rounds, then you have no fking reason to be holding a killing tool in the first place. ”
Does Telephone Colonel know that the Remington has produced a semi-automatic hunting rifle since 1908. That was more than 30 years before the Army actually began equipping troops with such weapons?
Does Telephone Colonel know that people hunt other things besides deer that require a larger magazine size and semiautomatic capability for safety and/or effectiveness. You know like the herd of wild swine that you ecounter in Texas, or coyotes that are ravaging you livestock?
Does Telephone Colonel know that rounds like the 6.8 Grendel and 300 blackout are available for the AR platform that are perfect for deer hunting?
Probably not, which is why he never rose beyond the rank of Telephone Colonel.
This man is a dumbass of unimaginable proportions, if this is how he thinks then he should grab his buddy Piers and live in jolly old England with the rest of the God save the queen socialists.
He’s obviously terrified of an armed citizenry, I’d love to further instill the fear of God in him. It’s too bad lynching has gone out of vogue but all fashions cycle in popularity so there may still exist hope.
Ya gotta hand it to Bateman. He’s figured out a way to turn us all into insurgents, kind of a home made Taliban without that icky Muslim component. Perhaps, some day, we’ll pry his pension from his cold, living hands when we end his career as a welfare queen with a uniform.
I question this man’s understanding of economics more than his feelings about private gun ownership. His plan is completely ineffective for the following reasons:
1. He has no way to enforce ownership of only certain classes of weapons. Even in European countries, which have strict private gun ownership laws, illegal firearms outnumber legal ones by several orders of magnitude.
2. He again has no method of enforcing his demand that private arms be turned over to the government upon death. He would first need to register the overwhelming majority of private guns in existence, and then he would have to confiscate them. The most successful modern gun confiscation scheme in Australia had an estimated less than 20% rate of compliance.
3. Not a big deal IMO.
4. NYC’s taxes on cigarettes are pretty high. But an estimated 65% of all cigarettes in NYC are smuggled from out of state. I also question if the writer has ever been in the military. He should know about handloading/reloading ammunition. He cannot enforce the tax.
5. Compliance is generally very poor for gun confiscation programs. Over the years, many (not all) registration programs have led to some form of confiscation. People factor that into their calculations when new registration schemes are proposed. Australia had a 20% compliance rate. It is estimated California’s mandatory buybacks had less than 10% compliance. NY has a less than 5% compliance rate with respect to the SAFE act. This ridiculous plan would probably see almost no compliance.
6. Nationalization of the gun industry? Pakistan’s gun market is run by teenage workers who assemble firearms in conditions reminiscent of 19th century industry. Pakistan also has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the world. It’s not that hard to make your own gun. Nationalizing the gun industry wouldn’t change much at all.
Point of fact, I think that nationalizing the gun industry would strip away the control that government does exercise over firearms manufacture. Right now, manufacturers must comply with a heap of laws and serial number every gun they make for resale.
If you make it illegal, then production becomes clandestine and you don’t know about most of it.
For instance, marijuana and moonshine. Both are sold to consumers in spite of the fact that they’re illegal (mostly) to make/grow. If guns were made illegal tomorrow, guys would set up shop in abandoned barns, warehouses, and coal mines and produce them anyhow. And people would buy them, and the government would know about even less of them. And if all guns are illegal, why not make machine guns? Why not make RPG style shoulder fired rocket launchers? Anyone who thinks harsh laws are going to get guns out of the wrong hands has to be huffing some serious spray paint.
Au contraire, if all guns are illeagal, they will be pushed into the right hands.
Asymptote??
As fewer and fewer guns are available (Supply) and the realization of the approach of tyranny increases (Demand), (as with the post SH shooting) the slope of that “face value” price curve approaches near infinity.
KCK
BS Economics
University of Wisconsin
Class of 1981
The Government would have to resort to taxation without representation, I mean confiscation without compensation.
His steady state theory requires that the “people” accept this and be ignorant of the source of the following words:
”
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness…
… when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
“
LTC Bateman, all ad hominem feelings aside, is begging for a boot on our collective neck. I am curious as to the motive for his article. Is he fishing for an Executive branch boost up the promotional ladder or merely indulging in some some acutely masturbatory exercise as some child needing any, even bad, attention?
Most of my career in the Navy was spent either in operations underway, repair, or training other ops personnel. Most of the non-asshat folks I worked with paid their dues and knew they did what they did to prevent those who would see our great nation brought low. I just never thought I’d hear that sort of thing from some one wearing the uniform. I am disappointed. Still, it’s a mostly free country.
As an aside – Anyone heard from Professor Diggler recently? Maybe I’m not checking every thread, but he’s conspicuous by his absence.
Blackpowder weapons have been used in the commission of crime – even as far back as the ‘original car jacking’ – stagecoach bandits. Maybe not a 7-11, maybe not in the last 150 years, but blackpowder guns have been used for crime. A gun is a gun. A bad person using a gun is still a bad person. A good person using a gun is a good person. Doesn’t matter what century the gun was made in. And modern production replicas are even better than the originals.
One could argue that entire countries have been stolen at gunpoint of blackpowder guns. Talk about high crimes and misdemeanors! So much for the “flintlocks were the good old (safe) days” myth.
Like I have said the Col needs cashiered from the USA and given a Red Coat.
He is a traitor to his oath, Country, and The people.
Lt. Col. Bateman, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
What? The 2A is about HUNTING? I think not. Somebody needs to school this idiot on that old rag the Constitution, the one he swore to uphold. Didn’t the scotus once even rule that sawed-off shotguns were illegal because they lacked military purpose? (though they were wrong, of course). The constitution is a literal document. Do not read “sensible exceptions” into it.
Bet this Lt Colonel Robert Bateman was a POG, a pencil pusher who was never on the front lines of a battlefield. Someone I would love to meet in a dark alley
He’s the type of respected officer who would have a grenade rolled under his bed 40 years ago. By a junior combat officer.
I can’t help but notice most modern chiefs/generals/admirals/whatevertheheckchAirforceIdontcare don’t seem to give 2 sh*** for the freedom of citizens. Its almost like its a prerequisite for advancement to the upper ranks. Personal responsibility and freedom are just an obstacle to mission completion for them.
That is the “professional” military that our founders feared would emerge from maintaining a standing army.
It mildly terrifies me that the only hope right now is for guys who believe in rights to lay low until they are at the top. And there is no telling where the top is in an administration that has been keeping tabs on every screw up you’ve ever done so they can drop you when you become inconvenient.
What does not make a country free (sports, music shows, TV news, and a few clothing stores) the English view of a FALSE FREEDOM. The English only had a Republic for a very few short years under Cromwell after the English Civil War. To understand the English race to day you must go back to their Civil War.. Oliver Cromwell was a English farmer who sold his farm and packed his bags and waited for a boat ride to America (the land of many freedoms)the people wanted him to help and stop their EVIL KING..(Charles got his head cut off) . Cromwell kept giving the people Liberty (a republic) but they could and would not do it right. After his death they put his body on a pole in public to rot… Shows the sick mind set the English have for true Liberty…The biggest holiday in England is about the stopping and killing of the man who was going to kill King James 2ND. and set the people free………See the twisted view they have!
The vast majority of the world is incapable of self determination. They’d rather a mullah or an ayatollah or a king tell them what to do or think. The very idea of being responsible for their own decisions and actions terrifies them. Its why Cromwell failed, its why Marxism failed, and its why we are where we are at. We want some system in place to tell us whats right. When people peek out the window and see the price of freedom it freaking terrifies them. The great American experiment was the only point in history that a people stepped up and said “this is ours.” They owned it, warts and all. And it looks like a big chunk of America has recoiled in terror at the responsibility for the last 2 or 3 generations and tried to put in place a “system” to take the heavy choice and responsibility away. We (millennials) will either be the hero generation or the generation that the American experiment fails. There won’t be any inbetween.
Robert take special NOTE: Oliver Cromwell the Puritan was the First to give the Jews freedom of worship and safety in England.. and He is also the first in history to want the people to have our 1A and 2A…. And as I say they do not teach history in our public education in America today … and I stand by that, our public schools are a socialist hell holes. a people that do not know the past have no future!
I never even heard of Cromwell while I was in school. The only reason I know of him is because I read a ton.
Wasn’t there a taxi driver in Northern England who went on a rampage and killed something like 12 people with a double barrel shotgun?
I thought it was a flamethrower.
I think it was a .22 rifle and a double barrel shotgun.
see, this is why it’s wrong to always presume police and/or military are on our side when it comes to gun rights.
Then after we take all your guns we will line you up naked over pits and shoot you in the heard and you will like it .HEIL HITLER!
IN YOUR WETDREAMS ASSHOLE!
We, The People of The United States, who have granted the Sir with his commission within our Army, hereby decree that Lieutenant Colonel Bateman fuck off AND die.
This man pleasures himself over the Orwell book ‘1984’.
I’m really glad you guys put down the [Not Shown] tags, otherwise this would be confusing.
The rank of Lt. Col. must as been self appointed or maybe Air Force by how he writes it. I met a lot of fucking idiots of the LTC rank when I was active duty and non of them would have been this stupid. Maybe he took a .50 Cal round through the head. Hope he didnt breed, there’s enough stupid people in the world now.
Say hello to Blue Falcon Actual.
I have actually been engaged with a back and forth with Lt Col Bateman via email. He included it at the bottom of his article. I encourage everyone to give him a piece of your mind.
[email protected]
I come back a day later and checked out the comments on his article.. He is literally running around like a chicken with its head cut off, talking smack to nearly all commenters, telling them that their opinions are useless in comparison to his because they didn’t join the military, don’t have a cool MOS or appointment like he does, or never reached the same rank, etc. What a bunch of BS. He thinks the shit he writes is gold, and he sure does have a lot of free time to defend it by leaving bitchy comments in response to people criticizing his article.
Guns for me but not for thee. What he is proposing is a de facto police state (guns in the hands of the police and military but not the citizenry). Does he really believe that the Founders, who were more than familiar with the tyranny of the state, intended the 2nd Amendment for HUNTING?
The man is a Clear and Present danger to our Country.
Proud to read all the positive comments from 2A supporters here!
When they come for your guns give them the bullets first!
Sounds like this turd Bateman’s angling for a special seat at the next SOTU lie-fest. But, that’s the way the military is leaning these days….purging of flag officers and promotion of queers.
Oath Violator !!
Wanted to pass this along for anyone this watching. According to this blog, this guy is not a military officer at all.
http://bearingarms.com/the-military-officer-who-attacked-the-second-amendment-in-esquire-is-a-pretend-soldier/
Yup. Here’s his LinkedIn page. Seems he’s part of the New York guard.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bob-bateman/a/252/ba2?_mSplash=1
So, he’ not even a POG.
LTC Robert L. Bateman is an active duty US Army officer currently serving in England on an assignment with NATO. There are a couple other Robert Batemans out there, but the Esquire author (and author of dozens of other articles in his career) is indeed active duty. As much as he likes to talk about his combat credentials, he has not served in a combat capacity in many years. In the middle of his career he changed to what we call a Functional Area. He is an historian and a strategist. He still gets to wear his infantry insignia, but make no mistake that he hasn’t done anything with the infantry in about a decade.
Convenience stores have been held up with a LOT less than a double-barrel shotgun. Also, the majority of violent crimes don’t involve a firearm. Why not campaign to ban anything sharp too? Finally, the entire invention of, creation, and operation of a “firearm” has been around long enough that your average joe with access to a hardware store and the internet can craft his own firearms.
I am old enough to know the time that anyone over 21 could order ammo , any pistol or long gun mail order, NO QUESTIONS but are you 21 or over and know what we had 300 % less crime than today….So if Lt. col. Bateman wants our guns be sure and give him all your BULLETS first….
There is a firearm behind every blade of grass waiting for the day. We know who the true aggressors are and we know what they are looking to achieve – totalitarianism. We all must unify, and be well prepared ahead of time. Violence and irrational behavior are not our weapons of warfare. Unity, preparation, information, training and communication are all critical elements to defeating this menace. We need to be active, assertive and aggressive at the same time. Am I suggesting an armed revolt? Absolutely not. Such an act would require a very well organized, nationwide plan with intelligent leadership. Otherwise, we become even more divided and broke up into factions. That’s when things get ugly. In my honest opinion, our best bet right now is to become activists, get out into the streets with members of your community, link up with like minded individuals. Get to know people, hold rallies at your Capitol or join in on a Nationwide protest. Remember, we ‘rally’ to those who think like we do, but still haven’t come out of the woodwork to join us. A unified, Nationwide alliance of American patriots, well armed patriots, will successfully stand against any Federal attempt to implement large scale firearm seizures…should it come to that, and I’m confident it will. In the mean time, use your head, be a responsible American, be peaceful, and resist!
I went through ROTC with Bateman at University of Delaware. He was an arrogant punk then, and he’s an arrogant punk now. If I remember correctly, he had an extensive drug history in High School and still managed to land a 2 year Army Scholarship.
This guy is, and always has been, ALL about HIS career, he does not see American civilians as the owners of the country- his ego is way too big for that.
Bateman: Shut up or a whole bunch of bad news releases are going to be coming your way.
I have been reading some of his essays. He certainly is an interesting character. As you read his material, you really begin to understand that Lt. Col. Robert Bateman is helping to pave the way for a systematic transformation of our current model of government. A transformation that omits checks and balances and empowers the Executive. A transformation that eventually phases out our long lasting Constitution.
Regardless of whether Bateman is an Army officer or just a liberal with an honorary title like Kentucky Colonel, the fact remains he is entitled to his opinion. But he can never enact any of his ludicrous, elitist attitudes against guns–the only way to successfully legislate the things he wet-dreams about is to pass repeal of the 2A, and that would take 37 states worth of ratification, and that will never happen. Off the top of my head I can name 27 states that would never pass such a ratification, and easily half of them would never even vote on it.
As an active 2A supporter and practitioner, I can assure Bateman that he is on the wrong side of the American people who really matter in the debate…gun owners. We are in the decided minority, but our rights are Constitutionally-protected, as of this moment anyway. There are those in positions of great power who wish nothing more than to disarm us. Make no mistake, anyone who uses the phrase “We will pry your guns from your cold, dead fingers” and then follows it with “because I’m willing to wait until you die, preferably from natural causes” is speaking from both sides of his neck–he means the first; he distracts with the second. The first is his gleeful aim.
Diligence and vigilance on our part is required to protect from the destruction of our rights–and that means ALL of them, not just 2A rights.
I am surprised that no one has thought to have us gun owners designated a protected-class minority–we are fewer in number than the rest of Americans, we have Constitutional protection of our rights, and we vote. Someone should bring a class-action lawsuit against the Federal and 50-states’ governments seeking protected-class status. That would add an iron-clad defense against assault on the 2A rights our Founders wisely included as a protection against domestic governmental tyranny (see Federalist #46 for proof of their actual intent).
Here’s what I wrote to him, he included his email address in the article. I emailed my Congressman and Senators, this man should be brought up on charges. It’s sedition, really.
Dear Lt. Col. Bateman,
After reading your op-ed piece in Esquire, I have to wonder where you acquired your law degree. Where did you practice? Did you do a clerkship somewhere? You make no mention of this in your article, yet you presume to know more about Constitutional Law than the entire United States Supreme Court. Perhaps you took some online or correspondence courses.
That aside, as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, you are sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United Stated of America – not some of it, not just the parts you agree with, but ALL of it, as it is written into law. Again, I feel compelled here to remind you that you are a commissioned officer in the Army, and not a politician: you are leading soldiers, and you are subject to follow the U.S. Code. This includes 18 USC 2385, 2387 and 2388. Your op-ed piece certainly seems, to me, to be in direct violation of these sections of the U.S. Code. Perhaps your intensive study of the law failed to include this.
Adolf Hitler had men like you among his ranks. They disarmed the populace “for their own good” prior to exterminating millions. In the end, however, it did not work out well for those with evil intentions for there are always more patriots and heroes than can possibly be imagined. The disdain that you harbor for the citizenry you feign to defend is as subtle in your writing as your lust for blood. I fear you, sir, may be a lunatic about whom we read in the headlines soon. Is this op-ed piece a cry for help, a warning sign not to be missed? It seems extremist to me.
You concern yourself most with the first 13 words of the Second Amendment, but the final 14 words are always to be remembered “…the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” as upheld by SCOTUS, D.C. v. Heller (7-290), and McDonald v. City of Chicago (08-1521). It is your SWORN DUTY to defend that, like it or not. If you disagree, perhaps it is time to retire your commission, sir.
Sincerely,
A. W.
You are absolutely spot on, Amy.
What a bunch of garbage from a blowhard. Wanting a command from the traitor in the W.H., Bateman?
As a woman, I spit on you. Thank God you’re not protecting me….you might decide that perhaps my cold dead fingers did not deserve protection as it might hold my .22.
This low down scum needs to keep his nose in England now since he left the USA he has turned his back on his own country, esp after being a Lt Col in the service. Nothing better would be good except to see this lowlife Piece of S–t face a firing squad. He is a traitor to his own country and he has no say so what happens in this country now.
I think that he should be brought back to the states and tried for treason and then hung by the neck while the wind blows. Worthless as he is I guarantee that he is well armed as well and is just using this to cover up his true intentions. Most of what he is saying is just a big cover up to me. Once a traitor always a traitor and he deserves to be hung or face the firing squad.
The second amendment was put in place by our forefathers to protect ourselves from criminals and any form of tyranny from the government which we are facing today. Time for the American People to take back our country and get rid of the dead beats in office.
I’ll even help you spit on him and see how he reacts then. This piece of garbage has now made many a enemy and if he ever comes back to the USA I am sure someone will take him out of the equation. GOD BLESS THE USA and the rights for us to bear arms
Well, at least you lost the all-caps.
“Hunting is valid”? Well, that YOU very much, Col. Bob. How generous.
Except that the Second Amendment has about as much to do with hunting as the First has to do with playing Scrabble. Which is to say, nothing.
I think it’s about time for you to find some honest work in the private sector. But thanks for playing.
Lt. Col. Robert Bateman : SINCE YOU ARE NOW LIVING IN ENGLAND YOU HAVE NO CITIZENSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY NO MORE. YOU ARE A TRAITOR TO YOURSELF. YOU ARE A LOW DOWN PIECE OF CRAP THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN ALL THE WAY OUT OF THE EQUATION . TODAY WE HAVE ASSHOLES LIKE YOU TRYING TO TAKE OUR WEAPONS AWAY FROM US. WE HAVE OUR WEAPONS SO WE CAN PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST ASSHOLES LIKE YOU WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION. THIS MATTER IS NO CONCERN TO YOU ANYMORE SINCE YOU NO LONGER LIVE IN THE USA. THEREFORE I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU KEEP YOUR BIG FRIGGIN MOUTH SHUT.
YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE AMERICAN UNIFORM AND TO THE COUNTRY. YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEAD AND GRAB YOUR EAR AND THEN TAKE YOUR LEFT HAND AND GRAB YOUR OTHER EAR AND YANK YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS.
YOU HAVE NO SAY SO IN THIS MATTER SINCE YOU LIVE IN ENGLAND NOW. YOU HAVE TURNED YOUR BACK ON THE USA WHEN YOU LEFT. THEREFORE YOUR COMMENT DOES NOT MATTER AND IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO PRY YOUR WEAPON OUT OF YOUR DEAD COLD HANDS IF NEED BE. SCREW YOU AND THE GROUND YOU WALK ON
I believe your take on “citizenship” is somewhat incorrect.
“Taken all the way out of the equation” how, exactly? You first.
Changing the Constitution is legal, and there is a mechanism for it. I think you meant subvert or ignore the Constitution.
Finally, you want to screw the ground?
YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE: With this post we are officially full up on crazy, so if anyone else wants to get rid of theirs, please do it elsewhere. I recommend HuffPo or WorldNetDaily.
Here is Batemans email address if you’d like it.
[email protected]
Wimps. You talk big. Come and get me, cowards.
Bateman
I’m sure you are always armed and ready to defend yourself, the very thing which you detest when it comes to law abiding citizens carrying to protect themselves and their families. Don’t preach to me about gun control.
I am certain that you have the resources readily available to break into my e-mail, my Facebook account, and obtain my personal information via intelligence agencies and the N.S.A. I have absolutely nothing to hide, and the name provided is accurate. You see, I do not live under the precipice of big government ruling over every aspect of my life, and doing so under a dark veil of secrecy. I do not embrace an ideology of total authoritarianism, such as you do. Truly ask yourself, Mr Bateman…which is more cowardly? Standing up for your individual liberty, or spouting off like some out of control dictator who currently does not even reside in his country of origin and has all the resources of BIG government to bring harm upon innocent civilians. Which, Mr. Bateman, is more cowardly?
RockOnHellChild – I hope I spelled your name right – you crack me up.
“Four freaking years” at your job, the job you were so good at you could go to to toe with a Captain (Assuming you’re pretending to have army service) but, in all that time, all you could make was E-4?
Real rate-grabber weren’t you.
I only made E-4 during my four years active Navy (1972-6) but I was a screw-off.
I did make Sergeant during my later seven years with the ORANG.
I’m simply agog with curiosity. Please, enlighten me on the disposition of the Article15 you received after your courageous stand. I’ll bet precedent was set and Speedy-fours were put in charge from then on.
Col. Bateman. Mass respect, sir.
Lot’s of Call Of Duty vets here.
Robert Bateman:
“A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves … and include all men capable of bearing arms.” — Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on “militia” in the 2nd Amendment
& what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that his people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. — Thomas Jefferson, letter to Col. William S. Smith, 1787
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government” — Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – — Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.
“One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offense to keep arms.” – — Constitutional scholar Joseph Story, 1840
Men trained in arms from their infancy, and animated by the love of liberty, will afford neither a cheap or easy conquest. – — From the Declaration of the Continental Congress, July 1775.
“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.” — John F. Kennedy
The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.” — Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story of the John Marshall Court
“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” — George Washington, in a speech of January 7, 1790
False is the idea of utility that sacrifices a thousand real advantages for one imaginary or trifling inconvenience; that would take fire from men because it burns, and water because one may drown in it; that has no remedy for evils except destruction. The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. — Cesare Beccaria, as quoted by Thomas Jefferson’s Commonplace book