What The Founders Envisioned

There is a very powerful tool that is taught to all who wish to debate on a public stage; argue the premise.

Few things take down an asinine argument quicker than using someone’s premise against them by pointing out how their assertion must be applied equally to all things, and what it would actually mean. The most obvious example is arguing against those cite Bible verses. If, in fact, the justification for their belief is scripture, then they MUST follow ALL scripture, period. That ends the argument for all involved logically.

Enter the nauseating debate, yet again, occurring in America over guns and mass shootings. It’s hilarious to sit back and observe both sides use the “This isn’t what the Founding Fathers envisioned argument.”

To whit;

• Alicia Blonde, a teacher at the Parkland, Florida school where the Valentine’s Day shooting of 17 children and teachers occurred, has made it clear she wants guns in America banned. She went on every cable news channel that she could find on 2/15/18 and said she would not shake President Trump’s hand because “he is one that believes that we should have the right to bear arms.” (Said on Shepard Smith Reports at 12:55pm Pacific time on FNC). Ok, we get it…she’s anti-gun and she has every right to be. In an effort to further her argument, she then said, “People cloak themselves in the 2nd amendment but this isn’t what the founding fathers envisioned.”
• I will give her that. It is absolutely true that the founding fathers did not envision mass shootings caused by a variety of things ranging from mental health issues to powerful, high ammo guns.
• Pro-second Amendment activists argue that the founding fathers would never have envisioned an America in which its citizens were deprived the right to buy and bear arms.
• I will give them that. It is absolutely true that the founding fathers did not envision an un-armed citizenry, whether it be for home protection or protection against imposed government rule given their level of understanding at the time.
• Gun control activists argue that the founding fathers did not envision a world in which AR-15 and other “assault weapons,” existed.

Granted. I will give them that. There is no way in the 18th century the founding fathers envisioned a weapon that could fire 30 rounds of bullets by repeatedly pulling the trigger, allowing round after round to be dispersed in mere seconds.

• Pro-second amendment activists argue that the founding fathers are rolling over in their graves as they watch Americans run to the government for help and protection, something the founders quite literally fought against.
• I will give them that. While the truth is that pretty much right away after becoming a country, the founders became enormous hypocrites and started expanding the power and role of government in America, I will still cede that what they wrote was quite different, and, using their words, they never envisioned a nation that would run to rulers for protection and litigation in the face of danger and fear.

And so, to settle the gun debate in America I say to both sides that we will use their premise; what the founders’ envisioned…and we will do the following:

• We will immediately make all semi-automatic guns illegal and order their confiscation, for the founders never envisioned such weapons.
• Background checks will be banned since the founders never envisioned anyone being denied a right to bear arms, criminal or not. (In fact, most of them were criminals in various ways).
• We will also immediately destroy our nations’ nuclear arsenal since the founders never envisioned such weapons.

Continuing with the premise, to placate both sides and make America exactly as the founders envisioned, we will use their own words and make sure we enact the following policies:

• Women and blacks will no longer be allowed to vote. It is not arguable that the founders never envisioned an America in which such rights would be bestowed to such people, since it was quite literally written into the constitution. If we’re going to make America what the founders envisioned, then let’s get serious.
• Abortion will immediately be made illegal. The founders never envisioned such a procedure, let alone anyone taking advantage of it.
• Blacks will be enslaved. It is, once again, clear, that the founders never envisioned blacks being free, especially since they were defined as being only 3/5th of a person. Let’s get back to what the founders’ envisioned.
• All states that have “at fault,” divorce laws will revoke them, since divorce is always the woman’s fault and the founders never envisioned a time when women could argue against their man. In fact, women were viewed legally as their husband’s property in 18th century America.
• While we’re at it, of course, what are these broads doing working? That’s not what our founders envisioned.
• DUI checkpoints will be eliminated immediately, not because the founders never envisioned cars, but because the 4th amendment clearly spells out illegal search and seizure procedures, and the founders never would have envisioned such things as being stopped randomly by law enforcement for no reason other than traveling the nation.

How long do you want this exercise to go on?

The asinine premise over what the founders envisioned is such a stupid argument it’s shocking how many allegedly “intelligent” people use it. 2nd Amendment advocates argue that if the founders were to be here today, they would support the right to bear arms…the truth is that it’s far more likely they would be horrified that weapons such as semi-automatic and more even exist, let alone are allowed in the hands of citizens. Notice that they said, in 1787, that we had the right to bear arms, but not cannons, the weapon of force used by what would become the American Army and Navy in the 18th century. Using their own logic, the founders would be appalled that private citizens could own weapons designed for military warfare. Or, for you gun control advocates, argue it the other way…if the 2nd amendment is meant only to allow Americans’ the ability to fight back against a tyrannical government, then the founders would demand that we have the right to bear tanks, nuclear submarines, satellite access, RPG’s, and F-14’s.

Have you wrapped your brain around how stupid this premise is on both sides? Stop taking the founders’ names in vein. It’s ridiculous. The founders were flawed human beings who made horrible decisions and choices based on their ignorance at the time. They’re also the creators of the greatest country on Earth, mistakes and atrocities included.

During World War II President FDR defended rounding up Japanese American citizens by proclaiming it’s exactly what the founders would have done. He was right…that is exactly what Washington, Jefferson, Adams and the rest would have done in the 1700’s. 150 years later, an American President used that premise to enslave citizens of the country with differently shaped eyes. Now, 80 years after that disgusting display, those on both sides of the gun argument again use the premise of “what the founders envisioned” to advance their idiotic positions.

Here’s what the founders envisioned; a nation that would continue to pursue becoming a more perfect union. Beyond that, they were kinda stupid and certainly a bunch of bigots and racists and misogynists.

So which is it, NRA? Which is it, children of the Florida school shooting? Do want the America that you claim our founders envisioned, and all that comes with it, or do you want to pursue a more perfect union? Figure it out, because it’s becoming exhausting to watch you all make fools of yourselves.