Honest Answer Time

 

Honest answer time:  What's the first thing you think of when you see the Confederate Battle Flag?

The vast majority of the people will invariably think that the person displaying it is a racist.  We can thank the KKK for that piece of bullshit.

Some folks will think that the person displaying the Battle Flag supports slavery, something else that we can also thank the KKK for.

But ALL of these people will think that the person displaying the Battle Flag is nothing but an ignorant redneck.

And all of these people will be WRONG.

What they don't know (and don't care to know because it conflicts with their unfounded opinions) is that most of the people who fly this flag do so to honor the sacrifice and courage of their ancestors.  They also fly it simply because it's an internationally-known symbol of the South and the Southern way of life, and we're proud of that.  (These are the reasons I fly it, as I've stated before.)

Sure, we know the history of the Confederacy and that seven of the eleven seceding states specifically stated that one of the reasons (if not the main reason) for their secession was the preservation of slavery.  (And the reasons for that is purely economical, not racial, by the way - something else that people don't know.)  But we also know that's not the reason that most of the Southern soldiers fought.  (Note that I said 'most' and not 'all.')

There are two main reasons that the average non-slave holding Southern man fought.  The first was stated very simply by a Confederate soldier who was captured by Union forces after a battle down South when he was asked that question by one of his captors.  He said, "Because y'all are down here."

What that means is that he was fighting to protect his home, that home being the South, from what he considered to be an invader.  It's also the reason why Robert E. Lee turned down command of the entire Union Army just before the war - he knew that Lincoln would use that army to invade the South, and he wanted no part of it.

The second main reason was portrayed in the movie "Gettysburg" when Lt. Tom Chamberlain asked a Confederate prisoner why he was fighting.  The Confederate's reply was, "We're fighting for our rights."  Now while this scene may or may not have really happened, it's an accurate portrayal of why a lot of Southerners were fighting.  And the rights that were being referenced was the right for each state to choose its own destiny just as the 10th Amendment says it could.

Yes, we know that the right of which I'm referring was the right to own slaves.  I don't know of a single Southerner who would support that particular cause, but all of them would fight to protect their homes.  (And if you want to talk about how a country treated a section of their society like shit, then let's first talk about how the nice folks up North treated the Irish immigrants, and then we'll talk about how the Federal government treated the Native Americans.)

And oh, yeah, before I forget - while I will admit that "Gettysburg" is one of my favorite movies about this war, I will be the first to tell you that while it was pretty and inspiring and insightful, that speech made by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain about the war being "a war to set other men free" never happened.  It was a total figment of Michael Shaara's imagination.  (He's the guy who wrote the book "The Killer Angels" from which the movie was made.) 

If you want to read a very good book that will tell you the actual reasons that soldiers on both sides fought, then I suggest you read "For Cause and Comrades" by James M. McPherson.  It's available on Amazon, and is a collection of letters, diary entries, and official reports written by men on both sides of the conflict.

I love my country and I'm proud of America despite its flaws.  No country is perfect, and the USA is certainly not an exception.  I'm also proud of the South and my three Confederate ancestors who fought for their homes and country.  Am I proud of the Confederate government?

NO.  Just as I'm not proud of the US government, either.  But a part of being proud of something or someone is recognizing the flaws and that no person or government is perfect.

And then being proud anyway.

So let me ask you now that you've read this:  What's the first thing you think of when you see the Confederate Battle Flag?

Deo Vindice

IHC

 

  

National Reciprocity Permit - Yes or No?

First and foremost, no, that's not my pistol.  I sure wish it was, but unfortunately it isn't.  

Moving on...

In case you haven't been paying attention - and unless you're a gun owner, you haven't been - the Trump Administration is solidly behind the 2nd Amendment, going so far recently as to take the unprecidented  steps of actually suing two states (California and Virginia) over their most recent gun control laws, citing them as being unconstitutional.  And trust me, when this one hits the Supreme Court - and it will, I assure you - and the SCOTUS returns an opinion that yes, those laws are unconstitutional, that's gonna pretty much end the liberal left's attempts at any form of gun control.  It's also gonna make liberal heads explode all over the nation, and THAT is gonna be funny as hell to watch!

Another item that Trump supports is National Reciprocity for concealed carry permits.  This means that your concealed carry permit will be valid in every state in the Union, just like driver's licenses.  He also supports national open carry as well, which is not a bad idea.

When it comes to national reciprocity for concealed carry permits, I'm on the fence about it.  I absolutely see the sense in it - after all, if a driver's license from South Carolina is good in all 50 states, then why shouldn't my Concealed Weapons Permit be good in all 50 states as well?

The first thing that liberals will say is that it's not the same thing because guns kill more people than cars annually, which is true, but what they won't admit is that the majority of those deaths were SUICIDES in which a firearm was used.  Anywhere from 55-62% of gun related deaths in 2024 (the last year for which full stats are available) were the results of suicide.

What the liberals also won't acknowledge or take into consideration is the statistically proven fact that concealed carry permits holders are the most law-abiding citizens in the United States.  So why should you be worried about a law-abiding citizen being able to carry nationwide?  Noooo, let's not talk about that!

While I think that National Reciprocity for concealed carry permits is a good idea, the ONLY reason I can't get 100% behind it is because of the 10th Amendment.  For those not familiar with it, here's what it says:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

So now the first question will be, "Why are driver's licenses good all over the nation?" And the answer is because all 50 states signed the Driver License Compact, which is an agreement stating that the signees will recognize the driver's license from all other states and will assist those states in tracking offenses committed in their state by someone with an out of state license.

And THAT, friends and neighbors, falls squarely within the 10th Amendment.  The individual states got together and agreed on something, exercising their authority as invididual states to do so.

If the individual states ever got together and signed a Concealed Carry Permit Compact, then concealed weapons permits would be good in every state just like a driver's license.  But considering that two states are now being sued by the Feds for their anti-gun laws, I don't think you'll ever be able to get all 50 states to sign such a compact.  The topic of gun control and gun control laws is THE most heated debate in the nation, and I don't ever see a concensus on this being reached.

Trump thinks so too, which is why he's floating the idea of a federal law requiring National Reciprocity for concealed carry permits.  But like I said, the bad thing is that such a law would fly right in the face of the 10th Amendment, and the ink wouldn't even be dry on the document before California, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Washington, and a few other anti-gun states would file suit against the federal government.  

And I can tell you right now that such a lawsuit would win, because IMHO any national reciprocity law violates the 10th Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional.  I'm also 99.9% sure that the SCOTUS would share that opinion.

So to answer the big question of am I in favor of a National Reciprocity law for concealed carry?  Yes, but only if all 50 states sign a compact (which we know ain't ever gonna happen).  Am I in favor of a federal National Reciprocity law?  

No, because such a law is patently unconstitutional.  Hate to say it, but there it is.

In closing, let me say this:  I am a supporter of the 2nd Amendment in its literal form.  "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" to me means that ALL gun control laws are unconstitutional, including laws which require you to have a permit before you can carry a firearm either openly or concealed.  You will NEVER hear me include the word "BUT" when I speak of being a supporter of the 2nd Amendment.

I just can't support a pro-gun law that I believe to be unconstitutional. 

Deo Vindice

IHC