A letter to the James City County board of supervisors - 2nd amendment sanctuary.

In response to the 2nd Amendment sanctuary resolution found in the Williamsburg Gazette.

In response to Dr. Jeffery Fiske's opinion as found in the Williamsburg Gazette some months ago. Dr. Fiske had written about the reasons why the 2nd Amendment should be altered or removed. I had offered discourse. Being of the thought every opinion published requires respect for our fair and most honorable local Gazette, I would like to offer discourse to Dr. Jeffery Fiske at el. I will provide my dissertation in the same writing length as Dr. Jeffery Fiske, as this topic does not bear witness to 250 words or less. We will attempt to offer an argument for the 2nd Amendment concerning all within these writings.

To proceed, let us start with the Declaration of Independence (DOI) words and end with nature's first right to self-defense. My dear fellow citizens bear witness to the following terms found in the (DOI). "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 affect their Safety and Happiness."

Layman's Terms:
It is the right of the people to alter or abolish government and institute a new government. We might do so if our safety and happiness were to be subjected to authoritarian rule. Examples of authoritarian rule: Socialist Democracy, communism, and tyranny. 

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind is more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

Layman's Terms:
A long-established government in the United States of America is a republic form of governance. What this means is a cause originating or having an effect outside an entity. When a group of people within our government decides to promote socialist democracy in place of a republic, we should have cause for concern for our happiness and safety. Our forefathers warned us not to change for light and transient causes.

"But 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."

Layman's terms:
Despotism can be defined as the exercise of absolute power, especially cruelly and oppressively. Usurpation can be described as a means of taking someone's power or property by force. If this were to happen to our republic, or I believe if we the people were to witness abuses, usurpations, and despotism, then we the people have the right to throw off such government and or attempted takeover of our republic—examples of an attempted takeover of power and an attempt to take one's property by force.

1.    ACA healthcare, free college tuition, all of the carrots they now dangle before you take ownership from citizens by force to give to others without the owner's permission.
2.    The New Green Deal: If implemented by socialist democrats will force you to a standard of living without your consent. Will take from you, your property, and power to pursue happiness and safety within the dictates of your own reason.

"Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all directly objectifying the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world." Let us here offer our facts of Tyranny if Socialist Democrats take power. In the interest of space, I will provide four.

1.    The New Green Deal: If implemented by socialist democrats will force you to a standard of living without your consent. Will take from you, your property, and power to pursue happiness and safety within the dictates of your own reason.
2.    Abolishing of the electoral college. This right and protection afforded, we the people, should be held close and safe to our bosom. For if we allow a socialist type of government to take from us this right, we have the right to make back this ethical and proper principle by force and as needed.
3.    Reparations for the Black community. Socialist Democrats have offered another carrot for consumption, albeit empty of calories. This is another example of the use of tyrannized authority to take from one without permission and give another, undeservingly mind you, for nothing more than the vote's premise. In other words, the socialist democrat is trying to buy an election with those who possess citizen achievements.
4.    The disposition of the 2nd Amendment. If the citizen's right to nature's first law of self-defense is in some manner, abolished, severely restricted, or mandatory gun confiscation, we the people have every right to throw the government off. Let us be mindful of how the 2nd Amendment is interpreted by Democrats hell-bent on taking your rights.

Democrats are all about ignoring laws. Let us explore why this is a true statement. As we all know, federal immigration and federal drug laws have been dismissed in many states. For a county to ignore a state law pertaining to the right of a (1) well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, (2) the right to keep and bear arms, (3) shall not be infringed. If hypocrisy is something democrats do not value or consider an immoral act, then this idea of infringing on a publics' right to keep and bear arms might be of value to them. Created in 1789 and ratified in 1791, our US constitutional language and grammar reflect the use of commas to list three separate rights as listed above. One of which is "shall not be infringed." It was indeed proper and common to utilize run-on sentences in this time period where independent thoughts were linked together by commas. It is indeed appropriate to understand that one cannot apply today's grammar to yesterday's grammar to interpret meaning. This is where the democrats fail, or in my opinion, hide their true objective of complete power. We only need to look south, our neighbor Venezuela, to understand what happens when guns are confiscated by the government.

In fact, it is our right per the US constitution to determine the individual's fate and pursuit of happiness. It is our right to expect reasonable safety. It is the citizen's right to protect our republic and protect the United States Constitution and its Amendments. Per the (DOI), our duty is to cast off those who want only to take from us without our permission. We must provide guards for the security of our republic, our pursuit of happiness, and our safety. We, the people, have the right to cast off by force and, as needed, a socialist, communist, or tyrannical form of government. 

We seem to be circling around to the very tyrannical government we cast off in 1775. Our (DOI offers a glimpse into why we had cast off the last oppressive government and created a republic dependent on our Constitution. Will we have to cast off a government again? Let's hope not. 

Dr. Fiske writes, "with the advent of professional law enforcement, the need for the 2nd Amendment is no longer needed. This is a false statement. Dr. Fiske writes the second Amendment was written for citizens who live remotely. This, too, is a misconception.   The police can never be there to protect you at all times, and it does not matter if you live in a city or are remote. Every citizen has the right to nature's first right of self-defense and the Second Amendment gives you that right. In District of Columbia vs. Heller, the Supreme court ruled that a federal handgun ban violates the Second Amendment. In McDonald v. Chicago, the justices held that state and local governments also could not prohibit handguns. These decisions debunk the idea of remote only.

I offer the following for consideration: The 2nd Amendment and why it is essential to our pursuit of happiness and safety. Our forefathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and listed the reasons and grievances against England's King. During the revolutionary war, ordinary citizens took up arms against a tyrannical government. Lives were lost, and freedoms were won. We were an armed citizenry willing to fight for our beliefs. Without weapons, we would have had no recourse but to be subjected to King's rule. When our forefathers wrote the Second Amendment, they kept in mind the first law, nature's right to self-defense. I think we are again at this critical moment in history, where we may have to decide to fight a tyrannical government should socialist democrats take control of our government and enforce the listed grievances at el.

Hunting: Yes, my board of supervisors, we the people, use AR15s for hunting. As a matter of fact, and if you choose to explore, you will find the VA game regulations, as they pertain to hunting rifles in Virginia, allow the AR15 as long as the projectile's caliber is greater than .223. The AR15 is nothing more than a platform whereby .308, ACC 300 blackout, Grendel et al. are built for hunting. The AR15 is not an assault weapon per definition, and as a matter of fact, it is b VA hunting rifle. By definition, deer, coyotes, and feral pig hunting are the most popular use.

In closing, let's examine gun violence statistically and not in a manner of creating laws that take from you your first right, a natural defense. While my numbers are true and accurate, for the sake of simplicity, I offer the following. Violence against your fellow man is a despicable act. Yet all through time, violence, war, murder, etc., has and will be a part of human culture. Is gun violence a crime worthy of the alternation of man's right to nature's first right of self-defense? I say no, to take from me what God has given me, where good shall always prevail over evil is the true crime. According to pew research, In 2017, 39,773 people died from gun-related injuries. 23,854 were suicides, 486 were unintentional, 553 involved police informants, 338 were undetermined circumstances. In 2017, 14,542 were murders in a country with 330,000,000 people. Simple math: 14,542 / 330,000,000 * (100) = .00044% chance you might get shot with a gun and this statistic does not allow for multiple people killed by one person, (.00044% chance). You can find my reference at pew research.org. Nearly 1.25 million people die in car crashes each year, an average of 3200 a day. 250,000 people die every year from medical errors, 70,237 people died from drug overdoses per year. According to the FBI, more people are killed with knives, hammers, clubs, and even feet than rifles. Yes, even rifles, including the AR15 style rifle. Rifle deaths in America according to Statista.com 2018; 297 people.

I ask that we fight the Democrats on every level; this incessant need to take from me my right to nature's first right of self-defense. Create a 2nd amendment sanctuary, and if I choose to use a rifle to defend my family, that is my right and not your right to take away. Please do not turn our police department into a militant force going door to door, confiscating our freedom, rights, and guns. Not even John McGlennon, government professor of William and Mary, hiding behind his locked doors and tall walls, will ever be able to argue against the Declaration of Independence, our founding father's intent of the bill of rights, and our US constitution. (See how I used the comma there?) If John ever inclines to debate, I stand ever ready to debate this issue if John finds himself brave enough to stand against a righteous God who has given us nature's first right to self-defense. 

Why we need 2nd Amendment Sanctuary from Democrats

James City County will consider a 2nd amendment sanctuary pronouncement. My letter to Ms. Sadler, JCC BOS, giving my full support of said pronouncement. 

Dear Ms. Sadler, I will be out of town on December 10^th, 2019. I will be traveling for business. If the opportunity arises that, I shall be given the right to speak at a later date, then I will do so. In the meantime, I have written what I would have spoken to in regard to our individual rights. If you can please enter into the transcripts of the meeting that would be great. If you wish to read for me that would be great. Good Luck.

James City County has a fitting question to answer this December 10, 2019. Will we the people protect lawful abiding citizens from the constant need of others to deny the constitutional rights of legal abiding citizens? The 2nd Amendment was written deliberately and divided into three parts. Some scholars may argue for two parts, but I would say the 2nd Amendment offers three separate "individual rights" or roles and the Supreme Court agrees with me, or I could say I agree with them. This intended divide would consider its prefatory clause, ("A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state") and its operative clause ("the right of the people to keep and bear arms") and then closes with the phrase ("shall not be infringed"). All separated by commas.

With getting to the point in mind, let us consider what is at hand. There are two opposing arguments. Argument one: state rights noted with importance and found within the prefatory clause of the 2^nd Amendment. Here we see a case for the protection of state rights from an overzealous federal government. Many states would have never signed the Constitution, states like New York, Rhode Island, and yes, even Virginia had provisions not been made or promises to amend the Constitution with a bill of rights. The 2nd Amendment being the right to “form a militia” if need be is evident to this writer as significant to our founding fathers. After all, it was the 2nd Amendment considered. But the founding fathers did not stop here; the founding fathers went on to write another portion into the 2nd Amendment. "Individual rights" emphasized the operative clause, here we see our founding fathers protecting individual citizens in the ownership, possession, and transportation of firearms. However, our founding fathers did not stop here; they went on to write "shall not be infringed."

In the United States vs. Miller, the Court sustained a statute requiring registration under the National Firearms Act of sawed-off shotguns. The Court observed with a distinct purpose to assure the continuation and render possible the effectiveness of militia or public force. "The significance of the militia, the court continued, was that it was composed of civilians primarily, soldiers on occasion." This force, if called upon, is a force that states could rely upon for the defense and securing of laws. A force that "comprised of males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense," who, "when called to service".... were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use of the time. Therefore, in the absence of any evidence tending to show that possession or use of a sawed-off shotgun having a barrel of fewer than 18 inches in length at this time has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia, we cannot say that the 2nd Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear such an instrument. What they were saying is, if the weapon is not used in general defense of the country, then it can be regulated.

The governor and his fellow Democrats want to ban the following.

1.   AR-15: A semi-automatic rifle used for hunting in VA and of course is considered a hunting rifle in VA. This same rifle can be used in defense of the state whereby the military and the private citizens use the same ammunition NATO .556 for lawful purposes. Even the Democrats call this weapon "an assault / military rifle and want to ban. But, according to United States vs. Miller, that would be against the law. When a state draws up bills that are against federal law or fall under the protection of our Constitution, we must cast off said government and legally create our own.

2.   Extended magazines: Extended magazines are needed and would be useful to a militia in the protection of our state, county, or city. Extended magazines are part of ordinary military equipment. To ban would be against the law.

After the United States vs. Miller decision, Congress placed more significant restrictions on the receipt, possession, and transportation of firearms. Proposals were made for the prohibitions of firearms altogether. Miller, however, sheds a little light on the validity of such proposals. Miller points out the interest in the "character of the 2md Amendment right” has been burgeoned, and our governor, along with the Democrats, want to destroy our "individual rights" even further.

Justice Thomas, concurring in the Court's invalidation of the Brady handgun violence act, questioned whether the 2nd Amendment bars federal regulation of gun sales, and suggested that the Court might determine "at some future date, Whether Justice Story was correct "that the right to bear arms" has justly been considered, as the palladium of liberties of a republic. A republic minds you; the Democrats want to destroy.

The Supreme Court sided with "individual rights" in or around 2008. The Court in Columbia v Heller confirmed what has been a growing consensus among legal scholars - that the rights of the Second Amendment adhered to individuals. The Court reached this conclusion after a thorough examination of the Amendment, an analysis of the historical use of prefatory phrases in statues, and a detailed exploration of the 18th-century use of the phases found in the Amendment. The Supreme Court went on to consider the phrase "well-regulated militia." This phase did not adhere to state or federal militias but a pool of "able-bodied men." who were available for conscription. The Court reviewed contemporaneous state constitutions, post-enactment commentary, and subsequent case law to conclude, the purpose of the right to keep and bear arms extended beyond the context of militia service to include the right to self-defense.

Using this "individual rights theory," The Court struck down a District of Columbia v. Heller law that banned virtually all handguns and required that any other type of handgun could be prohibited as long as other guns (such as long guns) were available. Another requirement that all firearms be inoperable at all times was found to limit the "core lawful purpose of self-defense."

In McDonald v. Chicago, it found that the 2nd Amendment is incorporated through the Fourteenth Amendment and is thus enforceable against the states. The Court examined whether the right to keep and bear arms is "fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty" or deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition. Relying on Heller, the Court noted common English law of the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense and a bulwark against overreaching federal authority. The Court suggested that the right to keep and bear arms has become a valued principal for self-defense.

One might find it interesting, the 14th Amendment of which I have already tied the 2nd Amendment was intended to protect the right of ex-slaves to keep and bear arms. While the dissent might have countered with the equal protection clause, not the due process clause, the plurality also found enough evidence of the then existent concerns regarding the treatment of blacks by state militia to include that the right to bear arms was also intended to protect against generally-applicable state regulation. The Democrats and some presidential candidates are calling for the confiscation of guns nationally in 2019. I might note here, while by the 1850's the perceived threat of the National Government disarming the citizenry had primarily faded, this communist idea has resurfaced, as a means to obtain power over the citizenry of the United States. If not for no other reason, we should consider a 2nd Amendment sanctuary pronouncement.

In closing, our rights to bear AR15’s and extended magazines are protected under federal law and given statute under United States vs. Miller. The rights of the 2nd Amendment adhere to individual rights and not state rights as written with statute District of Columbia vs. Heller. Lastly, has it not become rather obvious, the Democrats want our lawful guns in order to gain power over the citizenry, in order to dictate egregious laws that may further dilute our God given rights. What will our 2^nd Amendment sanctuary look like? You will find the answer in my last paragraph. “The plurality of the Supreme Court acknowledges individual rights to keep and bear arms, arms should be useful to “other pool of men” conscripted into service. Arms are for self-defense, individual rights such as hunting, and above all “shall not be infringed” upon.

Ref. Columbia University of Law

So you want to live an ideal life? Consider this guide.

Sitting in church on a Sunday not long ago, and the pastor commented about the perfect life. He said, “If anyone can say they live the perfect life, then they may be allowed to preach the perfect life.” I cannot share the perfect life with you, but I can share my ideal life and achieve this life of obtaining perfectiveness with a simple guide. I will present this simple guide to you in just a moment. One may be surprised when this journey may begin, yet one will not be surprised at where this journey will end. Please bear with me as I lead you to the ideal life.

In Plato's Republic, Plato writes about the idea of happiness. Plato contends that one who is moral is the only one who can be truly happy. To be happy, one must understand the cardinal virtues. To be happy is but one of many parts of the perfect life, but I think it is important.

A person's life experiences dictate a person's reality of life. No two lives lived are the same, nor will ever be the same. What is true to you may not be true to me. What is true to another is true to another, and in the end, each person will have lived their own truths. Each life can be perfect if, in the persons' reality, it is perfect for them. While others may look on and judge your life, it is your life that you can make perfect for you. If we live a life worrying about what others think of us, we will live a life of pure disappointment. God and only God will judge each individual's life based on the experiences God has allowed that person to live, whether preordained or through free will. In conclusion, and if you agree, each person's happiness is dictated by the individual, or we could say what is happy to you may not be happy to another. What this means is, we are all unique and special to God.

When Plato wrote about the cardinal virtues, many of you may not know that these same virtues are found in the bible. As an avid reader of the bible and Greek philosophy, I find it remarkable how much Greek philosophy is found in the bible. Plato brought four cardinal virtues to us through Aristotle: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. God gave us three cardinal virtues. Let us examine these virtues on our way to the ideal life.

1.    Prudence: "right reason applied to practice." Prudence is a virtue that allows us to judge correctly what is right and what is wrong. When we mistake good for evil, we are showing our lack of prudence. Disregarding others' advice or warnings whose judgment does not coincide with ours is a sign of imprudence. The next time you get into an argument of politics, remember this virtue, as our leaders, and I mean all of our leaders have failed miserably for decades in this regard.  

2.    Justice: "the constant and permeant determination to give everyone his or her rightful due." It should not matter what we think of anyone, yet injustice occurs when we as individuals or by law deprive someone of the rights to be innocent until proven guilty. I am reminded of the Kavanaugh hearings and our politicians exclaiming that this man is guilty and should show his innocence. Legal rights can never outweigh natural rights.

3.    Fortitude: We all face obstacles as we gather our life's experiences for evaluation under prudence and justice. Fortitude applied correctly is reasoned and reasonable in our quest to overcome fear or complete what needs to be done. Fortitude gives us the strength to carry on and the strength to do what is prudent and justice.

4.    Temperance: Restraint or the idea of seeking virtue in all that we do. There is passion, there is vice, and there is the happy middle road of virtue. Virtue is the middle road, where passion and vice are dangerously traveled if selected. A glass of wine with dinner can be virtuous, yet a bottle of wine can be a vice. Temperance is the "golden mean." If you are a math wizard, think of it as statistics and the mean of an equation. We should want to strive for the mean in all of our desires.

There are three theological virtues. In Corinthians 13:13, "And now abide faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love." In original Greek, the word "agape" is used throughout. This word was translated into English as charity, but the word "love" is preferred by most translations. One might consider the highest form of love is charity. Note that Corinthians' correlation can be tricky to translate but originally written in Greek as our first four virtues.

1.    Faith: Without faith, every virtue we talk about today is unattainable. I am not here to preach to you how to believe in God, as God has allowed you to live your life as to what is true to you. However, as a follower of Jesus, what I will say is this, and note I did not say, worshiper, if you put your faith in Jesus and follow his teachings, your quest for Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, and Prudence can be obtainable.

2.    Hope: Without hope, we can live our lives as an unbeliever in God. I am not here to tell you how to believe in God, as God has allowed you to live your life as to what is true to you. There will be many who pass through the pearly gates of heaven, and each will have lived a unique individual life. We hope for union with God when our days on this earth are over, and we will be delivered into heaven as long as we practice faith, temperance, fortitude, justice, and prudence.

3.    Love: The most important of all virtues, in my opinion. Without love, our time on earth will be spent lonely and afraid of what may come. Our attention to love starts with family. The family unit should be bestowed, unconditional love. As parents, we should have a positive impact on our children's lives, we sacrifice so that others within our family may succeed, and we sacrifice unselfishly. Children hear me today; love your parents as they sacrifice much for you so that you have the opportunity to succeed. Be kind to one another, compassionate, caring, thoughtful, and render acts of kindness. When we practice this love within our home, others' love and charity will be evident outside the home.  We will be delivered into heaven if we practice love with faith, hope, temperance, fortitude, justice, prudence, and follow the 10 commandments.

I am not a perfect man, but I live an ideal life. Life is lived by risk and reward decisions every day. I have practiced justice, temperance, fortitude, and prudence in assessing the risk and reward decisions I make every day and in my interactions with others. I practice these virtues with faith, hope, and love in mind. I practice "my faith" in God, following the 10-commandments. It is the 10-commandments that bind our virtues and dictate a way to live ideally. My ideal of faith may be different than yours. Yet, it goes without saying, "I am a Christian, that is to say, a follower of Christ."

I am very blessed to be in love with my life partner. My wife is God’s gift to me as without her in my life, I would have floundered in eternal failure, a less than ideal life. Our family has been blessed, but not without the fortitude to practice the seven virtues and the 10-commandments. I say practice because we are not all perfect in our practice; that is why we need God's forgiveness. I have overcome many obstacles in life, I am sure there will be many more, but in the end, when all is said and done, I can say that being a part of this family has pretty much been a perfect life. I can only hope that each of you is a part of a family that loves you. When each family member lives by the guide I have set forth for you today, your odds are great that you will live an ideal life within your reality.

"Everyone has untold stories of pain and sadness that make them love and live a little differently than you do.  Instead of judging with malice, be mindful of practicing the seven virtues and the 10-commandments. I think the 7-virtues combined with the 10-commandments make for a simple guide to the ideal life. Try to understand, God gave you this life to live, and you are the sum of your experiences, good and bad. You can lead as perfect of a life as your reality dictates when you are mindful of the seven virtues and the 10-commandments.