I made this page to clear up some misconceptions with regard to our liberties. I also threw in a few questions
about firearms. Careful - trick questions abound.
1. The role of our national government is...
a) to protect the health and safety of the people.
b) to safeguard our liberties.
c) to pass and
enforce laws, and manage all domestic and international affairs.
d) We don't have a national government.
Correct answer: d). We don't have a national government. We have a federal government.
2. The Second Amendment...
a) does not give you any rights.
b) gives a state the right to regulate militias.
c) gives you the
(individual) right to keep and bear arms.
d) is not needed in the 21st century.
Correct answer: a). The Second Amendment does not give you any rights. Huh? See next question.
3. Our rights come from...
a) the UN's Declaration of Rights.
b) the government.
c) the Constitution / Bill of Rights.
d) our
Creator.
e) the Founding Fathers.
f) the Declaration of Independence.
Correct answer: d). Our Bill of Rights does not give us any rights; it simply says that the government won't take
them away. (BIG difference.)
Furthermore,
- The UN does not have the authority to give us rights (blasphemy!)
- Our government does not have
the authority to give us rights
- Our Founding Fathers did not have the authority to give us rights
Our rights pre-date government, and thus do not depend on the government for their existence. They can only
come from one source: God. (Or if you prefer, our "Creator.")
4. The United States...
a) is a cleptocracy.
b) is a democracy.
c) is a constitutional republic.
Correct answer: c). The United States is not
a democracy in the strictest sense. While we may dabble in it on a limited basis,
the U.S. is first and foremost a constitutional republic.
5. We are a nation of...
a) men.
b) laws.
c) constitutions.
Correct answer: c). We are a nation of constitutions. We are not a nation of laws, since some laws are unconstitutional
and/or immoral, and therefore not worthy of recognition. (Just ask Rosa Parks.)
6. The government has the right...
a) to enforce laws.
b) to protect our liberties.
c) to take away our liberties.
d) The government
doesn't have rights.
Correct answer: d). A servant does not have rights. You have rights; a servant only has responsibilities.
7. True or False: George Washington was Commander In Chief of the Continental
forces during the Revolutionary War.
False. We never had a Revolutionary War; we had
a War of Independence. Consequently, the brave men who fought for liberty
were not "revolutionaries."
8. Which answer is correct with regard to gun safety?
a) A gun should never be pointed at something you do not intend to destroy (e.g. another innocent human being).
b) It
is sometimes O.K. for a gun to be pointed at something you do not intend to destroy.
c) Guns are dangerous.
You shouldn't be allowed to have one in the first place.
Correct answer: b). Have you ever been to a gun show? Since guns are usually laid out on tables, thousands
of guns will be pointed at you as you walk around the show! But this is O.K., since no one is usually touching
these guns. (It is impossible for a gun to go off by itself.) The rule that you must not point a gun at something
you do not intend to destroy applies only when you are actively handling a gun.
9. In the U.S., guns killed...
a) 100,000 people last year.
b) 20,000 people last year.
c) 5,000 people last year.
d) 0
people last year.
Correct answer: d). There has never been a case of a gun killing a person.
10. A liberal Supreme Court could strike down the 2nd Amendment. True or false?
False. The Supreme Court cannot strike down any part of the Constitution. The Constitution is the Supreme
Law of the Land, and nothing - no person, no congressman, no court, no president, no judge, no law,
no regulation, no ordinance, no statute, no decree, no document, no order, no animal, no vegetable, no mineral - can overrule
or override the Constitution.
11. Another firearms question: How many accidental discharges occurred in the U.S. last year?
a) 0.
b) 20.
c) 200.
d) 5000.
Correct answer: a). When a firearm "goes off," it is classified as either a purposeful discharge or a
negligent discharge. There's no such thing as an accidental discharge.
12. True of false: As a patriotic American, I am concerned about losing my freedom.
False: As a patriotic American, I am primarily concerned about losing my liberty.
Liberty and freedom are not synonymous. According to Col. Jeff Cooper,
"Liberty and freedom are not the same. Liberty is a political philosophy, whereas freedom is a physical condition. Governor
Henry shouted, "Give me liberty or give me death!" He said nothing about freedom. The Preamble seeks to ensure the blessings
of liberty upon American posterity, but can say nothing about freedom, since Americans were already free. I suppose one should
not be picky about these things, but imprecise communication has been responsible for much disaster throughout history."
13. True of false: Carrying a concealed weapon in Ohio is unlawful without a permit.
False. Carrying a concealed weapon in Ohio is illegal without a permit, not unlawful. There
is a difference.
