The Price of Liberty

By Nathan Barton

For fifty people to be killed by a single evil man is a tragedy. It is so, regardless of where or who they are, his reasons, or the circumstances.  I grieve with the New Zealanders, and especially the families of the dead.

But a greater tragedy is what is already happening as a result. Especially in New Zealand itself.

As Bob Livingston talks about over at Personal Liberty Media Group, the even greater tragedy includes:

• Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s pledge to ban both “military-style” and “semi-automatic assault” weapons, and high capacity magazines. This of course makes about 1.2 million people in New Zealand into instant criminals with no due process. It is worse since we know (from places like New York and Paris) that it will make no difference. Terrorists and other criminals will continue to have and use such weapons
• Some people are already surrendering their weapons – apparently a whole 37 (as of Tuesday night) had listened to Ardern’s emotional and illogical appeal, and have been shamed into giving up their weapons. Media claims “large numbers,” and obviously 37 weapons out of more than 1.2 million is a clear trend. (I assume that at least SOME New Zealanders own more than one.) (Warning: that was sarcasm, folks!)
• New Zealand’s long-existing gun registration scheme is now being used for its long-intended purpose: to make it easy to round up weapons and disarm people. First by putting emotional and then peer pressure, to be followed up by appeals that it’s “for the chillun” and patriotism, and of course, “buyback programs.” Ultimately, these measures will be followed by cops and SWAT teams assaulting people’s homes. We’ve seen it happen too many times.
• More and more people in New Zealand will be unable to defend themselves, their loved ones (including their religious congregations), or anyone else against such attacks or even a robbery or burglary attempt. This especially includes the very Muslim community which suffered so much. (And it also includes anyone whom the radicals IN that community will now target.)
• As usual, such an event is used by Tranzis around the world to support anti-gun actions in their own nations.

The obvious fact that if even ONE person had been armed and willing to fight, in either of those two mosques, that the death toll might have been less, or even just ONE – the killer. As we saw happen when religious gatherings here in the Fifty States were attacked.  Armed people in religious gatherings, whether specifically assigned security duties or just there, result in far fewer dead and wounded than otherwise, as proven in places like Colorado Springs.

Is there any question that New Zealand’s liberties are swiftly disappearing?  Bob Livingston gave them two generations until they rue this day.  I think he is wrong: two decades is way too long – indeed, two years may be too long. But it is correct that this will allow other liberties to be quickly and quietly eroded away. It has already happened in the United Kingdom itself, and is happening in Australia now.

The Christchurch Mosque Massacre will join Global Warming and Childhood Epidemics and many other things as the excuse to take away freedom for a dubious (and almost certain false) security. It has worked other places, and I fear it will work very fast in New Zealand.

It is so very sad that one tragedy must be followed by still more tragedies.

Alas, we were once your brothers and sisters in liberty, New Zealanders.