THE DEFINITION OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM - THE POWER OF THE INDIVIDUAL

People crushed by laws, have no hope but to evade power. If the laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to the law; and those who have the most to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous.

Edmund Burke

  The power of the individual is what makes America exceptional. Adam Smith said, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest" Some misconstrue self interest as selfishness. Adam Smith goes on to say that benevolence comes from the butcher, brewer, and baker after they prosper from their self interest. In my view their benevolence works for the benefit of others when it is on their terms and not forced on them by the government. The individual is in a better position to determine how they spend their money rather than a bunch of crooked politicians striving to satisfy their own selfish and political interests. Or the interests of groups like Planned Parenthood or the ACLU who in no way represent my interests or the vast majority of Americans. Constitutionally the role of government is to simply fulfill those tasks that the individual cannot do for themselves. Such as providing for our national defense, regulating interstate commerce, building highways, and providing law enforcement, and guarding our borders. This is the meaning of giving up some of our liberties in order to protect most of our liberties. The best government is that government that does not prevent a person from being all they can be. Everyone is equal under the law but unequal in regards to intelligence, natural gifts and talent.

  This is why the 2nd Amendment is so important. The individual is responsible for their own safety and that of their family. I was watching a show on the Discovery ID channel where a woman was being stalked by a demented man. This mans obsession caused this woman tremendous anxiety and her fear of this man became her obsession. She reached out to the police on numerous occasions but until this man did something they could not help her. She went to court and acquired an order of protection. The man violated the order of protection and the police issued a warrant for his arrest. She thought that she was finally safe but then she discovered that the police would only arrest him if he was pulled over for a traffic violation. If the man was a safe driver he might never be pulled over. Finally a male friend forced the issue by finding out where the man lived and demanded that the police come and arrest him. They did and a judge ordered him to wear an ankle bracelet for a year. The woman was a professional athlete and frequently traveled all over the country. She thought she was safe but the man followed her to an athletic event in Florida. It seems that the authorities screwed up and never fitted him with an ankle brace. For this violation the man only received 3 years and 4 months in prison. Through this entire time the woman never considered buying a gun. If this man really wanted to hurt her, as he threatened he could have done at his leisure. By the time the police arrived she would be dead or seriously injured. This kind of thing happens everyday in this country.

  A gun is the great equalizer. Things are pretty much equal between a 6'5", 300 pound man and a 4' 5" 95 lbs woman who is trained to use a gun. This would be unequal, if he doesn't have a gun. I am a 6'3" man that weighs about 290 lbs but I am almost 70 years old. Because of my heart I am on blood thinners and if I am mugged or attacked my chances of survival are much less than they were 40 years ago. A gun gives me a fighting chance. If there is time I will call the police but It is my responsibility as an individual and American to protect myself and my family until help arrives. One of the reasons that the American individual is so strong is that God has granted the individual certain inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the state. God does not grant the state inalienable rights and the state has no moral right to take away rights granted by God. The 2nd Amendment protects all of our rights. Without guns we are at the mercy of the criminal and the criminal state.

Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual).

Ayn Rand

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

Ronald Reagan

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

John Kennedy