As we enter 2024, a new year, let’s look at a few issues that constantly come up.
To pay attention to the daily news, American society seems to be rapidly growing more and more violent.
Just a few examples:
In Rapid City, South Dakota (a small city by most standards), a violent carjacking took place in an upscale business neighborhood. A convenience store clerk was murdered by a robber on a major tourist street. The city and rural/frontier area around it are seeing more and more violent crime, even on a daily basis. There is now a shooting by a cop at least every other month in a city that once would go for days or weeks with no serious crime, and in which there were only one or two homicides a year.
In multiple reservations, also in South Dakota, tribal administrations have declared emergencies due to violence spiraling “out of control” and demanding the FedGov provide more money and more cops to address the problems. This is not outsiders going onto the tribal lands: it is homegrown.
In rural South Carolina, a recent news report tells us that two farmers have been charged with murder for shooting and killing an armed trespasser. Just a few problems: they disarmed him of his machete and blocked his escape back to his own house before the father ordered his son to shoot the trespasser. The man posed no real threat to the two.
Already the new year has been marred by people attacking others. Even while California and Illinois put new laws into effect that supposedly will reduce violence by keeping guns out of circulation. Out of public sight. There is just one problem with such laws (besides the fact that they make those State even more into police states).
Guns are not the problem.
Recently in Seattle, two pedestrians were seriously injured and may be dead, after a man and woman in a car intentionally hit them. A few months back, a man was intentionally hit and killed by a driver in a car.
In Georgia, a family is suing a school district for $3 million, after their 8th-grade girl was stabbed 14 times by another girl – in the middle of gym class while other students watched and recorded the attack. A 13-year-old boy came up and intervened.
The convenience store clerk above in Rapid City was stabbed to death. Guns are banned in several communities on the various reservations.
Meanwhile, dear Kammie has taken her first actions as the White House czar for gun violence prevention, and established the Safer State Initiative to “combat gun violence.”
This readily demonstrates the foolishness of the claim. Yet DC and State after State continue to act as if prohibiting guns is the same as prohibiting violence.
Let us suggest an alternative. As seen in the graphic below.
If you lust for power over other people, or the power of wealth – and a desire to gain it by aggression: by threats and theft, then you are a cause – perhaps the cause of violence. Yes, even defensive violence: if you were not trying to immorally and unnecessarily exercise power over others, they would not have to defend themselves.
The quote refers to “world peace” but that same peace can be found in all the nations, all the towns and other communities, and all the families of the world, individually. If people stop loving power over others, and instead, used the power of love for others and then for themselves, to live.
It is not done by government edicts, or by lawsuits, or by flooding communities with money and goodies. It is “in each person” – a one at a time effort to show people that they do not need to initiate violence to have good lives. Better lives than they have hating and biting and scrambling for “their fair share.”
When Jesus of Nazareth once said “I came not to bring peace, but a sword,” he was not telling His followers that they would spread The Way by violence. Rather, He was prophesying what did happen. That evil men (and women!) would reject the way of love and use violence against those who followed the Way. He knew that aggression is the way of those who are evil. Who hate and do not love.
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.
The Price of Liberty 
Violence – what is the problem?
As we enter 2024, a new year, let’s look at a few issues that constantly come up.
To pay attention to the daily news, American society seems to be rapidly growing more and more violent.
Just a few examples:
In Rapid City, South Dakota (a small city by most standards), a violent carjacking took place in an upscale business neighborhood. A convenience store clerk was murdered by a robber on a major tourist street. The city and rural/frontier area around it are seeing more and more violent crime, even on a daily basis. There is now a shooting by a cop at least every other month in a city that once would go for days or weeks with no serious crime, and in which there were only one or two homicides a year.
In multiple reservations, also in South Dakota, tribal administrations have declared emergencies due to violence spiraling “out of control” and demanding the FedGov provide more money and more cops to address the problems. This is not outsiders going onto the tribal lands: it is homegrown.
In rural South Carolina, a recent news report tells us that two farmers have been charged with murder for shooting and killing an armed trespasser. Just a few problems: they disarmed him of his machete and blocked his escape back to his own house before the father ordered his son to shoot the trespasser. The man posed no real threat to the two.
Already the new year has been marred by people attacking others. Even while California and Illinois put new laws into effect that supposedly will reduce violence by keeping guns out of circulation. Out of public sight. There is just one problem with such laws (besides the fact that they make those State even more into police states).
Guns are not the problem.
Recently in Seattle, two pedestrians were seriously injured and may be dead, after a man and woman in a car intentionally hit them. A few months back, a man was intentionally hit and killed by a driver in a car.
In Georgia, a family is suing a school district for $3 million, after their 8th-grade girl was stabbed 14 times by another girl – in the middle of gym class while other students watched and recorded the attack. A 13-year-old boy came up and intervened.
The convenience store clerk above in Rapid City was stabbed to death. Guns are banned in several communities on the various reservations.
Meanwhile, dear Kammie has taken her first actions as the White House czar for gun violence prevention, and established the Safer State Initiative to “combat gun violence.”
This readily demonstrates the foolishness of the claim. Yet DC and State after State continue to act as if prohibiting guns is the same as prohibiting violence.
Let us suggest an alternative. As seen in the graphic below.
If you lust for power over other people, or the power of wealth – and a desire to gain it by aggression: by threats and theft, then you are a cause – perhaps the cause of violence. Yes, even defensive violence: if you were not trying to immorally and unnecessarily exercise power over others, they would not have to defend themselves.
The quote refers to “world peace” but that same peace can be found in all the nations, all the towns and other communities, and all the families of the world, individually. If people stop loving power over others, and instead, used the power of love for others and then for themselves, to live.
It is not done by government edicts, or by lawsuits, or by flooding communities with money and goodies. It is “in each person” – a one at a time effort to show people that they do not need to initiate violence to have good lives. Better lives than they have hating and biting and scrambling for “their fair share.”
When Jesus of Nazareth once said “I came not to bring peace, but a sword,” he was not telling His followers that they would spread The Way by violence. Rather, He was prophesying what did happen. That evil men (and women!) would reject the way of love and use violence against those who followed the Way. He knew that aggression is the way of those who are evil. Who hate and do not love.
Think about these things.
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About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.