The Knight Rhode Island Died – Part 3 of 3

Allan Giberti (with apologies to Paper Lace)

And there was no sound at all
But the clock upon the wall
Then the door burst open wide
The lawmakers stepped inside
And they stared me in the face
As they brushed our rights away

Governor Gina Raimondo is under the impression that other states look to us as a model of what to do, and it would be funny if the reality wasn’t so bad, however she may be right.

Just not in the way she believes.

We will always be the smallest state, but we once upon a time other states listened to us, followed our example and some modeled parts of their State Constitution after ours. We contributed to the formation of not only our nation, but to the US Constitution as well.

Sadly, we no longer lead. We only follow and that needs to change. We did it before and we will do it again.

June 9th 1772, British customs schooner the HMS Gaspee, while chasing the ship Hannah was lead through the shallow waters near Warwick and ran aground in what is now known as Gaspee Point.

A group of men led by John Brown boarded the ship, took her crew prisoner and burned the ship to the waterline. The reaction to increasing control and taxation from an oppressive government. This was one of the first acts that helped to unite the colonies towards the war for independence.

No, I’m not saying anyone should burn anything down or take anyone prisoner. What I am saying is that there have been times in our history when Rhode Islanders have come together and made the rest of the country take notice. We didn’t bow down, we didn’t follow. We led.

Rhode Island was the thirteenth state to ratify the US Constitution and included in our ratification message was a listing of a bill of rights and several proposed amendments. Here are two:
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• That there are certain natural rights of which men, when they form a social compact, cannot deprive or divest their posterity,—among which are the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety because we were united in securing our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
• That the powers of government may be reassumed by the people whensoever it shall become necessary to their happiness.

Article I, § 22 of the Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations provides that “[t]he right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Plain, simple, to the point. Period.

How did we go from fighting government control for our freedom to calling for government control for the very thing that gave us that freedom? How do we stop it?

The same way we always have. Together, but much bigger, and much louder. Much, much louder. All of us.
Gun control legislation will affect every person, every family not just those active in the 2A community. The consequences will be deadly if you honestly believe that taking away the guns will stop the violence. You do realize that in China, where guns are strictly regulated, knife attacks are the preferred method of attacks, right? There are no school shootings, they have school stabbings.

No, I’m not making that up. I wish I were. Last April, 9 children were killed, and 10 others were wounded.

Another bit of information closer to home, according to the 2016 UCR Crime Report, state wide 97% of the crimes committed the arrestee was unarmed, 2% were armed with a lethal cutting instrument and 1% were armed with a firearm. How many of those firearms were illegal? I don’t have those numbers, but shouldn’t there be a Guns Crime Report coming out?

When the time comes to once again meet at the State House to defend a right not just guaranteed by the US Constitution, but by our State Constitution as well, every person who cares about individual liberty should be in attendance.

Your presence alone sends a message. If you can’t attend, contact your Representative and Senator. If you can attend, still contact your Representative and Senator. Emails, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and my favorite Capitol TV all make for a statewide grassroots social media campaign that has the potential to be “loud."

Whether you approve of President Donald J. Trump or not, he takes his message to the American people by not relying on the media, and if you are a 2nd Amendment supporter you know the media is something we can very rarely rely on.  One person can be loud, but a thousand people in today’s age of social media can be an ear-piercing uproar. I understand not everyone wants to testify, if you do great. The more the better, and if you need help message me on Facebook.

Rhode Island’s 2nd Amendment Community is amazing. I can honestly say I have never met a more accepting, caring and generous group of people. I’m not in any danger from the 2A community, in fact I am safer because of them. It is because of that we need to be that state again, the one that other states look to. The state that once fought for freedom needs to set the example the rest of states follow and take that freedom back.

I heard my mama cry
I heard her pray the Knight Rhode Island died
Brother what a Knight it really was
Brother what a fight it really was
Glory be!

Read Part One and Part Two

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