Was the Slave Patrol Doing its Work Last Night in Kenosha Wisconsin?
By Thom Hartmann A...
As I pointed out in my book "The Hidden History of Guns and the Second Amendment," the reason the Second Amendment was written and passed was to protect the slave patrols of Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.In most cases, the slave patrols were volunteer vigilante groups, drawing from the population of local farmers and other white people whose economic survival depended on the larger plantations.
In other words, they were civilian vigilantes, whose main job was to suppress any possibility of Black uprisings.
That same Second Amendment did his work yesterday in Kenosha, Wisconsin when a white vigilante shot and killed two people just after police had given him a bottle of water and thanked him for showing up.
Video shows the man walking toward the police with his hands up after the killings, still carrying the gun and used for the murders as protesters are yelling at the police that he had just shot some people, but the police ignore him and keep on going.
After all, he's just a white guy with a gun. No danger there. Must be one of us. Just move along.
The seeds of yesterday's murders were sown back in the 1970s when the NRA made a radical shift from being a sports organization to being an advocate for weapons manufacturers.
The organization, which we now know was incredibly corrupt, poured tens of millions of dollars from the weapons manufacturers into lobbying and supporting politicians and judges who would advocate their view that the Second Amendment meant that pretty much any random white man who wanted to own a gun and carry it in public was entitled to.
They wrapped the idea of carrying weapons in the flag, suggesting that an armed populace was a patriotic populace.
What we know now is that an armed population, particularly during times of political strife, is a danger to life and liberty.
Guns and other weapons of war should never be part of political protests. America needs to update its laws.
-Thom
Comments
#2
You got that right, Tom. There is no need to carry open weapons in public except to intimidate or shoot someone. The bull that they have a constitutional right is right along with the stupidity of not wearing a face mask. Right along with the stupidity that Democrats have a world wide child trafficing ring run by Hillary Clinton and eating children.
Sad deal all around, and what goes around comes around. Hatred and spreading hate gets the same in return. I'll be damned if i will turn the other cheek.
#3
Yikes, Tom! I hate to be pedantic, but after writing all your books, your spelling should be better. "Sewn" should be spelled "sown". You S-E-W thread, and S-O-W seeds. "Populace" is spelled correctly the second time you used it. It is a noun in both instances but spelled like the adjective the first time. And doesn't "advocate" get followed by the word "for"? If you "advocate" something, I'm not sure people will know what side you are on. And "yesterdays" should be "yesterday's".
#4
And the initial onlline news headline implied it was the protesters who killed people. It's just that the timing is terrible, with Trump, Pence and rest of that rotten bunch pointing to Kenosha as why (white) America needs a good dose of "law and order". Of coure one thing they won't say is that the over militization of America's police hasn't helped either. It's like the old saw that to a man with a hammer everything looks like a nail. Well for a person with a gun....
#5
You do have a point about the spelling and the occasional extra or missing word in a sentence.
I'm just thinking that he's a busy guy cranking these things out. His subjects are right on target tho.
BTW, it's "Thom."
#6
I'll take a factchecker over a spellchecker anyday.
#7
Status of the mail system. My wife for years has made purses and other craft items and sold them at art and craft shows and on Etsy (an EBay for arts and crafts). Covid-19 has shutdown the arts and craft shows. Etsy requires free shipping in its pricing. She does not get paid until tracking shows the item as received. She ships USPS as by far the best pricing. Her packages are going all over the place. She has a shipment to California and the package goes to Des Moine, Iowa. Then Nashville. What use to take a few days now is taking 10+. For the first time she has a lost package and is having to make a new craft and new shipment. All of this is cutting into her income from this endeavor. This is all thanks to the Republicans.
#8
The need to carry a gun to protect yourself is a sign of extreme paranoia.
#9
Wisconsin is open-carry, but not for 17 year olds. Illinois there is no open-carry and no firearms permits till you are 21. Both states have no stand-your-ground laws.
Every factor of this tragedy is wrong on every level thanks to the nutbags who destroy lives with their worship of firearms and who form extreme groups. I have evolved on gun issues, and it's time for decent people to stop abusing the second amendment for their own enrichment.
#10
Thom, clearly what was going on in Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, NYC, and other democrat run cities is exactly what you were pushing for years, that being urban warfare.
What you are seeing is more people taking up arms, be they fake militia's or just home and business owners fed up with the "peaceful protest" bullshit and this ain't going to end well. The soy latte boys and wannabe gangsters are going fo find themselves on the wrong end of the muzzle.
You, pushing the buttons of these "peaceful protesters" is not beneficial at all but thanks for helping Trump get re-elected.
Remember, it is estimated one side has something over a trillion rounds, the other side can't decide which bathroom to use. Guess which side your actions have placed the police.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
#11
Thanks for the corrections, Suze. Thom clearly had an off day. Not so sure about the advocate one, but I've corrected the others. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advocate
#12
Whatabutt is clearly promoting violence. Typical Fox, right wing radio, brainwashed Republican.
#13
DJT and his swarm of republican senate have attacked our democracy like wasps delivering debilitating sting after sting till we lay nearly lifeless. Meanwhile djt is reveling in his victory, rolling his knee on the neck of the country shouting death to the unworthy hoards who defy him because they know he is the enemy of all this country stands for. Electing him is choosing his ideology, through ignorance, over democracy. I am extremely disappointed with the Democrats and their ineptitude to rise up to protect and defend us. Is all hope lost?
#14
Thom, Here is what your tacit support of these "peaceful protesters" and "defund the police" bullshit has brought us.
911 calls going unanswered in major democrat run cities, Devastating delays in fire responses because all fire calls are accompanied by cops and if the cops don't go, neither do the firefighters.
Comments like the Kenosha police made to armed citizens Tuesday night and the Minneapolis police last night are becoming the norm rather than the rarity.
And then there is this Sherriff of Polk County FL.
You have a mic, use it wisely.
#15
Welcome to the new third world country
Naturally run by a dictator
#16
George Washington, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and other elites of the day railed against King George III who they felt was not provided sufficient troops to force the Native Americans off their lands to that these men could claim the land and sell it for profit. George Washington has alread sent a surveyor secretly to survey a vast tract of land held by the Indian tribes. The King in 1763 issued a proclamation prohibiting European settlement west of crest of the Alleghenies. This more than any other factor was what led the land speculators to revolt against the crown.
The state militia were formed to take the place of the British soldiers to continue to force Native Americans off their lands for the profits of white elites, which is a practice that continues to the present day with the Keystone Pipeline passing over tribal lands and the displacement of Indians in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado to exploit their lands for uranium, gold, and coal.
#17
Time for ALL the rhetoric to end, and for the rebuilding of the U$A to begin. Enabling the underclasses, by commiting to an increase in the minimun wage, and an infastructure upgrade, would be good programs to start with. An infusion of cash, by way of these upgrades would create millions of new jobs, and hopefully empower the poor.
But, of course, neither party has a platform that calls for either.
Just chanting "BLM" won't get it done. Neither will chanting "law and order".
#18
"Law and Order" by the way, our new Fascist party's latest chant, is funny, considering they're the most law ignoring party in the history of this country. Starting with DJT's ordering his lacky's to ignore lawful subpoenas, something if done by rank and file Americans, would land them in jail. And the ignoring of our Constitutions Emoluments clause, to name only two.
To support a known and proven LIAR, IMO, makes one the same. But hey, money can make people believe water isn't really wet.
#19
I'll believe a bit of change is coming when Colin Kaepernick, an above average Quarterback, can find employment. The PTB in the NFL, despite their inclusive and patronizing rhetoric , still refuse to employ a ball player that is clearly better than 50% of others at his position. The stats prove it.
That's the REAL America. Step outta' line, and you're punished.
Time for the rhetoric about America to end, and actions to begin.
ALL because he "took a knee"....
#20
Hey Thom, I think it is time we listen to George Lakoff again and choose our words wisely. Calling people who have AR-15s as being part of a militia is giving them credit they do not deserve. They are gangs. They are always called gangs when they are blacks with guns, so why give them the title when they are white. According the the 2nd amendment and constitutional lawyers, ir is the state's duty and responsibity out of neccessity to maintain a well regulated militia. Let's just start callling these cowards and traitors gangs is all I am suggesting. As a veteran, I find it offensive to give these POSs any credibility at all. Have a great day and stay healthy. Peace, Just Sam
Ouray, Colorado
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You can update laws all you like Thom
Guns are an illegal drug in America
Try taking away and you will get withdrawal symptoms
It will not be pretty
Needs to be done though!