Libertarian Thoughts

I'm sooooooooooo late on this post. Oh well.

Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that the 2nd Amendment covers individual gun ownership, but that the states can reasonably regulate it. Check out the ruling here. I missed the organized militia part, but that's OK.

This is an area where I stray from libertarian orthodoxy a bit in that I'm not that hung up on everyone being able to have a gun. Self-defense? According to the CDC, your more likely to have your gun turned on you or stolen and used in another crime that deterring a criminal. Sport? If the animal you're stalking isn't armed and you're a few hundred yards away from it, it doesn't seem like much of a contest. Just going outside, getting drunk and shooting at cans, skeet, whatever? Well, whatever turns you on, I suppose. Hunting your dinner? OK, I'm down with that.

What the ruling should have been called is the 2nd Amendment Lawyer Full Employment Act because now EVERY gun regulation in EVERY state is going to be challenged. The ruling makes clear that some regulations are OK with the Court, such as not allowing the mentally ill to have firearms (way to go out on a limb!). But, like with abortion rights, my reasonable regulation is your infringement of constitutional rights.

In some ways, the gun argument's been settled on the street. Anyone who wants just about any kind of firearm can get it, either through a shady gun show or the black market. I completely see the point of law abiding gun owners who complain about all of the hoops they have to jump through when Johnny Criminal just needs to come up with a few hundred dollars to get what he wants. There are always going to be people like my neighbor who want to have a gun for when "they" come down the street (I'm not sure who "they" are, but I'm thinking at some point it will be his son, the budding sociopath).

However, it seems reasonable that just as every other amendment in the Bill of Rights has limits that this one should as well. Previous violent offender? No gun for you. Had a restraining order? Sorry, bows and arrows only. The little voice inside your head told you to get that rifle? Uh...no.

In a related matter, ex-Georgia congressman Bob Barr is the Libertarian candidate for president. Mr. Barr's an interesting choice to lead the party because, well, um, when he was a congressman he didn't exactly let his libertarian flag fly. He led the rallying cry for Clinton's impeachment for coming on a young woman's dress and was a supporter of the war on drugs and the Patriot Act when he was in Congress. He has since claimed a conversion, though some are not so sure.

Like all niche movements, the Libertarian party is probably over concerned with idealogical purity. Also, the long time believers are always skeptical of those who have changed their minds (see Romney and the republicans). One also has to wonder what's the value of completely changing one's positions to run for office that he's not going to win. Maybe he just wants to stick it to the republicans after he was redistricted out of a job. Though helping Obama defeat McCain is a Pyrrhic victory for liberty at best.

Regardless, I'll take him at his word and vote for him. Every vote cast for the party hopefully takes us one step closer to getting the two major parties to think more about individual rights.