Officials continually disobey our laws

In a recent Fence Post letter, a writer questions why Americans say the right to bear arms is all about protecting ourselves from the tyranny of a government gone bad. Unfortunately, much of what our government does validates the belief our government can and in many cases already has gone bad.

Our elected officials are sworn to uphold the laws, whether or not they agree with them. Lately, our elected officials have behaved as if certain laws do not exist. Federal laws requiring our borders to be defended against illegal entry, and to remove those who have entered illegally, go unenforced or underenforced. Federal laws prohibiting illegal drug use go unenforced in states that have chosen to legalize certain uses. In “Fast and Furious,” federal agents brazenly violated U.S. law by promoting illegal sales and transport of weapons by violent criminals.

At the same time, many of our elected officials encourage the view that those among us having achieved a level of success have somehow “cheated” the country by not allowing others to achieve a similar level of success. They suggest that the successful abuse the system and are hoarding ill-gotten gain. “Revenge,” say candidates who callously pit one American’s vote against the other. What small leap of logic is required by those eager to believe they have been exploited, and who view government as having no willingness and/or moral ground upon which to stop them, to individually pick up a tool or a weapon and help themselves to what the successful have unjustly denied them? Can we deny that this is happening? Is it wrong to call this “tyranny,” endangering Americans? This is why many Americans so vigorously defend their Second Amendment personal rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thomas J. Roth

Arlington Heights