Letter to Bill Engvall

Sent today to "askbillengvall AT aol DOT com"
The letter generated an auto-response out of office reply ("Hello. I am away until January 1, 2010 and am unable to read your message."), so I am posting it here as well.

Here's your sign on the Second Amendment

Mr. Engvall,

I must respectfully disagree with your comments on Bill Maher's show. You appear to have bought into the 'sporting purpose' rationale as the main purpose of the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment was not ever, and is not now, a license to hunt. Congressman Issa got it right: it is the assurance that Tyranny will not happen in the USA. No matter what ancillary purpose we can obtain for sporting purposes or self-defense, the core of the right is as a check on out-of-control, power-hungry politicians who wish to rule instead of serve.

All snarky comments aside about Nukes, Tanks, and the Air Force, the fact is that our government respects that we are armed. They know that the more than 100 million firearms present in the US presents a clear tactical challenge to any army wishing to attempt invasion or incursion into our territory. There is no armed force large enough in the world to overcome this. In fact, the number of licensed deer hunters in the country far outstrips the size of any army in the world. Deer hunters who, by the terms of the Violence Policy Center and the Brady Campaign, are armed with "cop-killing, high-powered, long-range sniper rifles with scopes".

You may have considered it humorous to quip that "I don’t believe there’s any reason for a person like myself to own an AK-47…I’d be willing to meet you halfway and say I think you can ban guns if you can pull the trigger and 60 bullets come out—there’s no need, it’s not used for hunting, it would ruin any of the meat…". Those of us who understand that the Second Amendment is not about hunting (but instead revolves around the civilian ownership, training, proficiency, and use of arms-especially those suitable for militia), advocate the civilian ownership of weapons that you would find unsuitable for putting meat on the table. Yet, these same weapons protect your right to hunt, or to defend yourself as required.

Please set aside the shtick about hunting with full-auto machine guns. Please reconsider your willingness to side with those who would curtail all of our freedoms (as long as they let you keep your hunting rifle and shotgun). Please quit pandering to the Hollywood Elite in forums like Maher's program, while performing (out of the other side of your mouth?) at places like the NRA Convention and the SHOT Show. Pick one, or the other. Choose now whom you will serve. Just remember: "First they came for the Jews..." (or, in context, "First they came for AR-15s and AK-47s...").

You owe the law-abiding gun owners in the United States an apology. If you don't feel that this is the case, then "Here's your sign".

Newbius