Over at Alphecca, Jeff links to a very thought-provoking piece in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. I particularly like this bit in the article:

Article I, Section 21, of the Pennsylvania Constitution:

The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

Period. And unlike the federal Second Amendment, there’s no wiggle room on which the gun-grabbers can lock and load. In his prepared text before the House committee, Rendell made no mention of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

That’s some good stuff right there. But since when did Constitutionality matter to an elected official who wasn’t up for re-election within 4 months?

Jeff’s comment on the mandatory 20-year sentence is also very enlightening:

Incidentally, an argument could be made that the penalty should be the same for shooting at anyone, civilian or cop, unless justified, so I don’t necessarily agree with that particular legislation.

And thus my hand slaps my forehead in one of those DUH moments. I hadn’t thought about that. By issuing a mandatory 20-year sentence for shooting at a police officer you’re essentially holding officers in higher regard than the citizens it is their duty to protect. The more I think about this, the more it tends to piss me off - both the implications and the fact that it didn’t even occur to me because of that old mainstream media software virus still farking up parts of my brain. Hey. It’s hard to de-program 25+ years of indoctrination by public schools and the media, so cut me a break.

Does a law like this minimize harm to civilians? Does your average thug get 20 years for shooting a cop, but 3 years and probation for shooting at another civilian - if that, even? By creating laws like this are we in fact stressing the elitism of a police force? Are we now on the slippery slope of giving them more powers because there are laws punishing their endangerment over and above what the average citizen has a right to?

This worries me. Laws intended specifically for the protection of an organized force who for some reason do not have to play by the same rules I do is very disconcerting. I can’t own a tactical shotgun with a 16-inch barrel, it has to be 18. I can’t turn my lights on and speed. I’m not able to flash a badge and get out of going 75 in a 55 zone.

Maybe I’m just teetering on the edge of conspiracy theory on a Sunday morning, or maybe this is just part of the slow drip from the, “DISARM, SUBMIT, OBEY” faucet that many of our elected officials would love to turn into a deluge.