15 March 2011

Amish Key to Defense of 2A?

An interesting twist to the Illinois FOID card has just sprung up; AMISH!

Living in the Amish Paradise is about to be not so pretty, provided the leftists and anti-gunners in Illinois proceed to force the state's Amish gun owners to have their pictures placed upon their FOID cards.  If you are familiar with the devoutly religious Christian sect, than you certainly will recall that their religious beliefs strictly forbid having a photograph taken.  Until last week, Amish FOID holders were exempt from having their picture taken by a matter of policy.  Now, a rule change has put that in jeopardy.

Freedom haters appear to hate freedom no matter what its form.  Illinois should just make it the official state sport to destroy any and all individual freedom (especially that of religion and gun rights).  It simply wasn't enough for the administrators of that state to out gun owners' personal information and make them ideal targets for thieves of both their personal property and information, their compelling interest in a sissified state demanded they go further!  Nope, the AG and the State Police Director couldn't possibly stop there, they had to attack one group's religious beliefs forbidding facial photography, which will effectively deprive them of their Second Amendment rights.

Oh, and while we're at it?  Let us throw in the inherent rights to be secure in property and home.  Since the Amish religious teachings attempt to make their followers leave society along and be left alone by society, a complete invasion of privacy occurs.  No matter, the state will just publish some pictures of Zebadiah and Matilda, and they won't know the difference while they get to keep their guns.  After all, it isn't like the Amish have TV's or get the newspaper.  (I assume that they do not read the newspaper, but I could be 100% mistaken on that embellishment).  Nah...the state can't be bothered with the fact that they have taken food directly off the table of a self-sufficient culture, or a self-reliant culture that has the means to defend itself.  After all, help is only a phone call to 911 dispatch away.  Oh wait a second!  NO PHONES! 

The point is, the state of Illinois and other state that require "ownership" cards create de facto registration.  As this article proves, an individual need not suffer from a confiscation of personal property to be denied basic and protected civil rights.  The infringement occurs at the precise time onus regulations are placed upon an individual.  By shifting the burden from the state to the individual to prove any form of "need" or to place a scarlet letter upon the identity of a gun owner, the free exercise of freedom has been lost.  Further, when these infringements violate multiple Constitutional protections, the state's compelling interest test should fall on its face in a court challenge.

I don't expect to see the media coming to decry these actions like when officials from some states forced Muslim Women to shed their burkas for drivers license photos, considering it is an agenda with which they agree.  But let me stem the comparison before it starts; there is no Constitutional protection upon drivers license.  No one forced the Muslims to give up their religious beliefs through a rule change, and further, there is a compelling state interest to know exactly who is driving and who isn't (as well as a civil responsibility with respect to torts and liability lawsuits).

The mere fact that forcing a culture to betray its religious beliefs to exercise an enumerated civil right, should give us all motivation to continue the pursuit of pure firearms freedom (and other freedom).  After all, as seen here, it is truly the right that protects all others.