Rob Morse, whose Second Amendment and Self-Defense News email is always a great read, recently posted this snippet.

“Selecting government personnel is how politicians establish policy. President Donald Trump nominated a judge for the U.S. Ninth Circuit. This judge, Eric Tung, has been an member of the the International Defensive Pistol Association for five years. That means the judge has owned and trained with firearms.. a lot. He is intimately familiar with concealed carry. Judge Eric Tung was nominated on the 30th of July. We will see how long it takes Senate Republicans to approve the judge.”

TPOL certainly agrees with what Rob writes here. One of the big problems with Trump 1.0 (and many other elected officials) is that they make campaign promises and announce/promote good (or at least tolerable) policies – then appoint people who do exactly the opposite. Often stealthily, warping matters.

This judge’s past record – especially with his appointment to the Ninth Circuit – is promising. It is good news. But we should be very careful.

There is a reason that the Psalmist’s words in the 146th Psalm (in the Bible) are wise, and ring so true: “Put not you trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no help.” Time and time again, for thousands of years, this warning has been ignored and people have been maltreated, hurt, and killed horribly because they placed their trust in the wrong people. And by any common sense definition, Judges (especially the Federal sort) in 21st Century America certainly are “princes.”

Just because Eric Tung is likely to have a proper understanding of the Second Amendment and the importance of carrying weapons of defense and concealed carry does not mean that he is willing to apply the Constitution properly. It does not mean that he fully understands the principles on which the Constitution is founded, or the importance of self-government and personal responsibility. We do know know, based on a single issue, if he understands and loves liberty.

And of course, we must remember he is just one member of the infamous Ninth Circuit Court! Even on the subject of our right to self defense, he is very likely to be outvoted 2-1 on cases. (Another strike against democracy.)

And as Rob points out, the Senate GOP types have to confirm his appointment. Since there are many Republicans, especially in the Senate, who disparage ideals of liberty and worship, support, and instigate growing the powers of government. Senators, too, in these united States, are also princes who do not deserve our trust. Even the best of them.

Other faults aside, even the Founding Fathers (and the women supporting and watching over them) put way too much trust in humans in general. As many (including Ken Royce and L. Neil Smith) have pointed out, one of the big failings is any lack of a method of enforcing the Bill of Rights. Implementation, too has been a big issue: does it really make sense that the Judicial Branch of the FedGov have so few limitations on its power? Related to that is the power of juries, particularly since (though part of the Common Law that the Founding Fathers recognized) the Constitution did not explicitly state that juries do have the power to determine both the facts and the law.

These and other concerns have warped American governments for many decades – nearly 250 years! And put us into the situation today of putting trust in princes great (SCOTUS) and small (down to administrative law judges and justices of the peace).