Magnifisyncopathological

Via QandO (via Beckster), I came across this Atrios post that led me to this Rude Pundit post.

*breath*

Mr. Rude says:

It'd Only Be Cooler If Saddam's Lifeless Hand Was Attached To It:
In the realm of the "Ya gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me" is this: apparently our President keeps Saddam Hussein's gun, the one he had when he was captured from the "spider hole," in a study off the side of the Oval Office. Bush shows it to visitors; he is "proud of it" because, it seems, or so it is said, it reminds the President of how "proud" he is of the troops.

[skipping past some bile]

One does wonder if Bush is following D.C. laws in reference to the ownership of a working handgun - Does Bush get around registration laws? You know, it's illegal to own a handgun in D.C. unless it was registered prior to 1976. Licensing laws? And if he's breaking the law, isn't this like Capone and tax evasion, and we can finally, at last, jail this petty tyrant?

And What About Those Other Little Firearm Laws?:
See previous post for more about President Bush's ownership of Saddam Hussein's handgun - a gift from the troops, allegedly. Exactly how may laws, federal and D.C., might the President be breaking with his possession of that firearm? Did he receive a background check for the transfer of ownership? Is Bush licensed to possess a firearm in a federal facility? The District of Columbia prohibits firearms to be gifts. How many people are implicated in Bush's firearm possession?

And, of course, ignorance of the law does not excuse the potential crimes.

Let me first dispense with any notion that I think President George W. Bush is not a tyrant. He is, just like every President I can think of, a tyrant to some degree. Whether it's designating an American citizen an "enemy combatant" and indefinitely detaining him with the military, nationalizing industries, or imposing price controls, Presidents throughout history have used their power to push Americans around. Dubya is no different, though better in most objective respects to other tyrannical luminaries such as FDR or Nixon.

However, the solution to the problem of petty tyranny is not more petty tyranny. Gun controls and regulation are forms of direct tyranny of the government over the people. They restrict our freedom to make choices for ourselves in our interest. Their proponents and supporters want to take away my right to armed self-defense, currently embodied in the form of a Browning Hi-Power. I possess a Texas Concealed Handgun License not because I want the government to grant me the privilege of carrying a firearm, but because I don't want to get arrested if carrying one. That, having to conform to the wishes of others due to the threat of violence against myself and my property, qualifies as tyranny in my book.

Bitch about Bush all you want. I do, in many ways. But don't advocate fighting fire with extra gasoline.