Ends and Means

Sometimes you read something and you wonder if the author is even serious -- because if they are they must be quite mad. Such a case is an editorial that Pro Ecclesia links to suggesting a plan for eliminating guns from American society.

The disarmament process would begin after the initial three-month amnesty. Special squads of police would be formed and trained to carry out the work. Then, on a random basis to permit no advance warning, city blocks and stretches of suburban and rural areas would be cordoned off and searches carried out in every business, dwelling, and empty building. All firearms would be seized. The owners of weapons found in the searches would be prosecuted: $1,000 and one year in prison for each firearm.

Now, I know some perfectly good and reasonable people who are uncomforatable with guns in concept and practice and would be much happier if guns were not widely available in our country.

However the author of this article (who is apparently an ex US diplomat) is downright scarry. I can think of no objective that would be worth submitting our society to this kind of total police state. This man is a totalitarian at heart, and a rather brutal one at that.

There is no end which could possibly justify such means.