Paul Begala: When can you protect your life against the Government?

On CNN, "progressive" operative Paul Begala reiterates a question asked by leftist Ed. Kilgore:

The Washington Monthly blogger Ed Kilgore has asked the right question -- the one any Iowa voter should be putting to Ms. Ernst: "Since you brought it up, exactly what circumstances would justify you shooting a police officer or a soldier in the head?"

If he wanted the standard political answer for these questions, it is found in the Declaration of Independence.  The actual shooting started when the British crown attempted to confiscate arms and military stores from local governments.

But we do not need to look that far back in history.   In 1946 local veterans took up arms against a corrupt local government in Athens, Tennessee, when the  sheriff would not allow an honest vote, shot a man who tried to legally vote, and refused to give up power.

In just the last few years, there are three examples of people justifiably shooting at local police when they broke into their home in the middle of the night, without warning.   It happened in Minneapolis in 2007, and twice again in Texas in 2013 and 2014.

So the answer is fairly simple, even for those "progressives" who worship state power.   It is legitimate to oppose governmental force with force when the government refuses to be bound by the rule of law and when they threaten innocent life with illegitimate deadly force.

I do not see Paul Begala criticizing President Obama for giving aid to the rebels in Libya.   The left has vigorously supported armed revolution, when they thought it advanced their agenda.   

Begala  set up a straw man in an attempt to demonize Joni Ernst, who is stating an obvious political truth that this country was founded on.

 ©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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