Dreamer
Regular Member
Here in the People's Republic of Maryland, most of the time, effort, and especially MONEY is spent focused on the "Right" part of the "Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and considering that that right is being egregiously abridged every day for tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens, that is a good thing.
We've made strides in MD regarding the "Keep" part, although even that part is still heavily oppressed, considering that MD has an "approved handgun list" and puts repressive restrictions on certain long guns.
The "Bear" part is also heavily restricted if you're not part of the anointed class of the Wealthy and Well-connected, and even though th eFederal Courts have ruled that MD's carry permit scheme is unconstitutional, Annapolis and Pikesville maintain their oligarchical stance, and have thumbed their nose at the federal courts by refusing to abide by their rulings and appealing the Woolard Decision.
Which brings us to the "Arms" part...
What, exactly, constitutes "arms"? Is this JUST handguns? Of course not. Is is just firearms (handguns and long guns)? No, not if you believe the dictionary definition of "arms". Although the carry of firearms for self-defense in MD is essentially a no-go, the law on just about ALL other "arms" is conspicuously silent in Maryland. With a few exceptions regarding the concealed carry of certain types of knives, brass knuckles and batons, there is almost no discussion of other arms in Maryland Statute...
Sheath knives, swords, pole arms, boken, staves--these are all arms which have been used effectively and legally for centuries by law-abiding citizens all arond the world to defend against brigands, highwaymen and thugs of all types.
Maryland law does not prohibit, restrict, or regulate the open carry of staves or swords. Yes, folks, it is 100% legal to walk around Baltimore, Annapolis, Rockville, or Chevy Chase with a Claymore or Katana across your back or a stylish rapier on your hip. Contrary to popular belief, long blades are LEGAL almost everywhere in the US for open carry as long as they are in plain view.
How practical would a sword be for self-defense? Well, the seemed to work just fine for centuries in Europe and in the "New World" until firearms became the weapon of choice for most people. Would they be effective against an armed thug today on the streets of America? Well, that depends, I suppose, on the mentality of the thug in question, and the training of the person carrying said blade.
I'm a trained fencer. I've been doing historical sword-fighting for over 20 years using heavy blades and training as if they were REAL swords used in REAL close-quarters combat (not Olympic-style fencing, which has almost NOTHING to do with actual swordsmanship...) Could I fend off an armed thug? Who knows? But then again, the same could be said of concealed carry of a firearm, if the attacker in question already had his gun at the ready and pointed at me...
But I can say that the fact is MOST people are VERY afraid of knives. Even common street thugs are VERY afraid of being cut or stabbed.
So, much like the deterrence provided by OC of a firearm, it could be expected that the OC of a REALLY big knife (i.e. a sword) would be an effective deterrent against most common thugs looking for a victim of opportunity. Not to mention the fact that to most urban criminals, a guy carrying a 36" rapier would look crazy enough that they would probably not want to risk dealing with him...
So what am I getting at? I'm driving at the idea that perhaps one avenue we as RKBA Activists need to explore is to expand our concept of just what constitutes a self-defense "Arm". Since there are literally dozens of "arms" that have literally centuries-ling historical track records of effectiveness as deterrents and--when used--effectiveness as weapons, perhaps we need to start thinking outside the "contemporary box" of the definition of "arms".
We can't carry guns in MD without a permit, and nobody GETS a permit unless they are well-connected. Firearms are heavily regulated, and even when the courts rule in our favor, the hubris of MD's oligarchical ruling elite comes to the fore and they simply tell the Courts to go pound sand.
But nobody can do ANYTHING legally if you are carrying a sword.
Perhaps it's time to do something that would REALLY force the hand of the oligarchs in Pikesville and Annapolis on this issue. If they REALLY aren't against the RKBA like they say, they there should be no issue with law-abiding citizens bearing "arms" that are 100% legal to bear under MD law.
If however, they REALLY intend to completely disarm the People under color of law, and fully and totally abridge access of law-abiding citizens to their fundamental human right of self-defense, they will be forced to move against the OC of swords, staves, and other legal, non-regulated "arms".
Which would look pretty darn silly--even to most whiney, leftist victim-mentality voluntary slaves that populate this god-forsaken pit of serfdom...
I sincerely doubt that ANY person in a major urban center of Maryland would be alarmed, threatened, or terrorized by seeing a middle-aged white guy like me, dressed in dockers and a button-down shirt, with a spiffy ivory-handled swept-hilt rapier or a polished stainless Pappenheimer on his hip. Most folks, I imagine, would just consider me eccentric and maybe a little wacky. I imagine even soccer moms would ask what it was all about and not even be concerned that their precious little Chauncy was exposed to the vision of an historic weapon of such effectiveness (like they sometimes are when they see a--gasp--GUN)...
It is time for the law-abiding people of Maryland to approach this issue obliquely, and REALLY think "outside the box".
It is time to think SO FAR outside the box that our actions are considered ABSOLUTELY non-threatening and even comical by the general public--even if such an approach is, in fact, just as effective as a means of self-defense as a handgun.
It's time to start doing things that will not only provide a REAL deterrent against the predations of criminals and thugs, but will ALSO make the State look like a bunch of insane, paranoid, insane power freaks if they attempt to stop or retaliate against it.
It is time to give bad apples in MD's LE and Judiciary community the opportunity to show themselves for the color-of-law-abusing, Constitution-hating, fundamental-human-rights-denying oligarchical control freaks that they really are.
It is time to stop throwing money at the problem, and start throwing CREATIVITY and BRAINS at the problem, and one way to do that is to turn this fight for our rights into a "theater of the absurd" where WE are the "straight man" and Pikesville and Annapolis are allowed to fulfill their true destiny and reveal their TRUE intentions--as power-drunk oligarchical overlords who are hell-bent on establishing state-wide serfdom.
This is not an incitement for any sort of "fishing expedition". It is merely a suggestion to concerned, law-abiding citizens that they DO have alternatives for practical, effective self-defense in Maryland, and perhaps it is time we explore these alternative avenues.
Let them take our swords from us.
And we'll gladly just stand by and watch with satisfaction as the rest of the nation laughs and points their fingers at Pikesville and Annapolis in ridicule, shame and disgust...
I'm sure there will be SOME folks in the MD "gun rights" community that will dismiss this idea as wacky, and will automatically respond with personal attacks on my sanity, an avalanche of logical fallacies, and claims that such "theatrics" will only be "damaging to the cause"...
To them, I will simply ask, how's that "throwing money at the problem" tactic working out for you so far?
We've made strides in MD regarding the "Keep" part, although even that part is still heavily oppressed, considering that MD has an "approved handgun list" and puts repressive restrictions on certain long guns.
The "Bear" part is also heavily restricted if you're not part of the anointed class of the Wealthy and Well-connected, and even though th eFederal Courts have ruled that MD's carry permit scheme is unconstitutional, Annapolis and Pikesville maintain their oligarchical stance, and have thumbed their nose at the federal courts by refusing to abide by their rulings and appealing the Woolard Decision.
Which brings us to the "Arms" part...
What, exactly, constitutes "arms"? Is this JUST handguns? Of course not. Is is just firearms (handguns and long guns)? No, not if you believe the dictionary definition of "arms". Although the carry of firearms for self-defense in MD is essentially a no-go, the law on just about ALL other "arms" is conspicuously silent in Maryland. With a few exceptions regarding the concealed carry of certain types of knives, brass knuckles and batons, there is almost no discussion of other arms in Maryland Statute...
Sheath knives, swords, pole arms, boken, staves--these are all arms which have been used effectively and legally for centuries by law-abiding citizens all arond the world to defend against brigands, highwaymen and thugs of all types.
Maryland law does not prohibit, restrict, or regulate the open carry of staves or swords. Yes, folks, it is 100% legal to walk around Baltimore, Annapolis, Rockville, or Chevy Chase with a Claymore or Katana across your back or a stylish rapier on your hip. Contrary to popular belief, long blades are LEGAL almost everywhere in the US for open carry as long as they are in plain view.
How practical would a sword be for self-defense? Well, the seemed to work just fine for centuries in Europe and in the "New World" until firearms became the weapon of choice for most people. Would they be effective against an armed thug today on the streets of America? Well, that depends, I suppose, on the mentality of the thug in question, and the training of the person carrying said blade.
I'm a trained fencer. I've been doing historical sword-fighting for over 20 years using heavy blades and training as if they were REAL swords used in REAL close-quarters combat (not Olympic-style fencing, which has almost NOTHING to do with actual swordsmanship...) Could I fend off an armed thug? Who knows? But then again, the same could be said of concealed carry of a firearm, if the attacker in question already had his gun at the ready and pointed at me...
But I can say that the fact is MOST people are VERY afraid of knives. Even common street thugs are VERY afraid of being cut or stabbed.
So, much like the deterrence provided by OC of a firearm, it could be expected that the OC of a REALLY big knife (i.e. a sword) would be an effective deterrent against most common thugs looking for a victim of opportunity. Not to mention the fact that to most urban criminals, a guy carrying a 36" rapier would look crazy enough that they would probably not want to risk dealing with him...
So what am I getting at? I'm driving at the idea that perhaps one avenue we as RKBA Activists need to explore is to expand our concept of just what constitutes a self-defense "Arm". Since there are literally dozens of "arms" that have literally centuries-ling historical track records of effectiveness as deterrents and--when used--effectiveness as weapons, perhaps we need to start thinking outside the "contemporary box" of the definition of "arms".
We can't carry guns in MD without a permit, and nobody GETS a permit unless they are well-connected. Firearms are heavily regulated, and even when the courts rule in our favor, the hubris of MD's oligarchical ruling elite comes to the fore and they simply tell the Courts to go pound sand.
But nobody can do ANYTHING legally if you are carrying a sword.
Perhaps it's time to do something that would REALLY force the hand of the oligarchs in Pikesville and Annapolis on this issue. If they REALLY aren't against the RKBA like they say, they there should be no issue with law-abiding citizens bearing "arms" that are 100% legal to bear under MD law.
If however, they REALLY intend to completely disarm the People under color of law, and fully and totally abridge access of law-abiding citizens to their fundamental human right of self-defense, they will be forced to move against the OC of swords, staves, and other legal, non-regulated "arms".
Which would look pretty darn silly--even to most whiney, leftist victim-mentality voluntary slaves that populate this god-forsaken pit of serfdom...
I sincerely doubt that ANY person in a major urban center of Maryland would be alarmed, threatened, or terrorized by seeing a middle-aged white guy like me, dressed in dockers and a button-down shirt, with a spiffy ivory-handled swept-hilt rapier or a polished stainless Pappenheimer on his hip. Most folks, I imagine, would just consider me eccentric and maybe a little wacky. I imagine even soccer moms would ask what it was all about and not even be concerned that their precious little Chauncy was exposed to the vision of an historic weapon of such effectiveness (like they sometimes are when they see a--gasp--GUN)...
It is time for the law-abiding people of Maryland to approach this issue obliquely, and REALLY think "outside the box".
It is time to think SO FAR outside the box that our actions are considered ABSOLUTELY non-threatening and even comical by the general public--even if such an approach is, in fact, just as effective as a means of self-defense as a handgun.
It's time to start doing things that will not only provide a REAL deterrent against the predations of criminals and thugs, but will ALSO make the State look like a bunch of insane, paranoid, insane power freaks if they attempt to stop or retaliate against it.
It is time to give bad apples in MD's LE and Judiciary community the opportunity to show themselves for the color-of-law-abusing, Constitution-hating, fundamental-human-rights-denying oligarchical control freaks that they really are.
It is time to stop throwing money at the problem, and start throwing CREATIVITY and BRAINS at the problem, and one way to do that is to turn this fight for our rights into a "theater of the absurd" where WE are the "straight man" and Pikesville and Annapolis are allowed to fulfill their true destiny and reveal their TRUE intentions--as power-drunk oligarchical overlords who are hell-bent on establishing state-wide serfdom.
This is not an incitement for any sort of "fishing expedition". It is merely a suggestion to concerned, law-abiding citizens that they DO have alternatives for practical, effective self-defense in Maryland, and perhaps it is time we explore these alternative avenues.
Let them take our swords from us.
And we'll gladly just stand by and watch with satisfaction as the rest of the nation laughs and points their fingers at Pikesville and Annapolis in ridicule, shame and disgust...
I'm sure there will be SOME folks in the MD "gun rights" community that will dismiss this idea as wacky, and will automatically respond with personal attacks on my sanity, an avalanche of logical fallacies, and claims that such "theatrics" will only be "damaging to the cause"...
To them, I will simply ask, how's that "throwing money at the problem" tactic working out for you so far?
