The price of liberty is forever constant, unrelenting, vigilance over the federal government. In that, We, the American People, have failed. Because of our negligence, this nation is now approaching critical mass.

Congressman Ron Paul (Texas) is reaching out to us with information all American patriots and other citizens should find most alarming. It seems Congress, damn this corrupted band of people who violate daily their oaths of office, has appropriated millions of dollars (close to $200 million) in order to expand the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Why?

First of all, all this bureau can legally do is assess the excise tax due on firearms, alcohol, and tobacco in interstate commercial shipments and seize the same for lack of tax due. This was the downfall of Al Capone. He failed to declare the alcohol he was importing from Canada and was subsequently convicted of tax evasion, excise tax evasion, that is, not ‘income tax’.

Second, BATF hasn’t any constitutional authority to enforce any firearm, alcohol, or tobacco laws on any law abiding citizens. The 2nd Amendment supports this concerning firearms as does the inalienable rights of any animal to defend itself. In fact, nearly every gun control law in existence is not constitutional and, therefore, hasn’t any application to law abiding citizens of this nation. Besides, once again, BATF is not an agency - it is a trust established in a foreign land to the United States of America to collect due tax, usually excise.

But, we citizens, in our ignorance, allowed all the thousands of laws to go into effect simply by our compliance with them. Had we not complied then, most of the laws would not exist now. But, we didn’t do that. We dutifully registered our firearms and began letting the federal government get away with passing unconstitutional after unconstitutional law.

The purpose of firearms registration is quite simple and has been from the start. It is a government tool used to track firearms and the law-abiding people who own them. It wants to know who has what and where they are. It wanted to be able to build databases concerning citizen firearm ownership, a matter that really isn’t any of their business. After all, criminals don’t register their firearms so registration laws can not possibly be to track criminals. Since criminals don’t care about the laws, anyway, why should anyone expect them to respond to new ones?

Will having 600 new BATF agents help catch criminals? Not likely since the odds are any criminal act will be completed long before any agent can show up and conduct an investigation into whether or not the person has committed a felony in the past and the due indirect tax on a weapon paid as required.

No, the writing is on the wall. By increasing its army of BATF marauders, the intent of the federal government is quite clear - to begin confiscating (by force and/or false charges) firearms of innocent citizens. There can be no other reason that makes any sense. The additional agents will be hired to act against innocent citizens. "Well, we had a report ____ had unregistered firearms." And, bang, you’re either on your way to jail or dead and the federal government could care less as to which.

The odds are that is how it will be done, by breaking down law abiding citizens’ doors under the guise of "preventing" crime. The gun owner will be harassed through intimidation and, without a doubt, have armed automatic weapons pointed at his and his family’s heads. Pray, if it happens to you, you don’t have a weapon in your hands. Shoot first and ask questions later is the mode of operation in these attacks on innocent American citizens.

This move is nothing more than the government once again testing what it can get away with in establishing totalitarian control over the people of this nation. Foolishly, we people in the States are going to allow these people to take actions against law-abiding citizens that should not be permitted but, instead, must be prevented by any and all means necessary.

Congress is taking billions of your dollars that were obtained through subterfuge and misapplication of statutes. The money will be used against innocent people who are only exercising their constitutional right to protect themselves against the federal government. It is using an armed, non-agency to do so, an agency that has very little jurisdiction within the borders of the 50 States and absolutely none on a law-abiding citizen’s property.

Congress, the IRS/BATF, and any of government not working to stop the flagrant violations of the Constitution and the subsequent harassment and improper, illegal convictions of innocent people are as treasonous as any traitor there has ever been in any country that has ever existed. The actions being taken are acts of undermining the security of the people of this nation, a means of circumventing the 1st (yes, people are arrested under fraudulent charges just for educating the public), 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, and 14th amendments, and Article I, Section 8 and Section 9 of the Constitution.

Ladies and gentleman, you may call me paranoid if you wish but the intent of the US Government is to establish a federal police force with the eventual result being the establishment of a ‘federal police state’ in which all rights of American citizens are taken by force. We are living the takeover of the German people except - this time it is us.

Congress, along with the Justice Department and Executive Branch, has taken one more step to this end. When are we going to wake up, stop its intrusions in our lives, and infringements on our rights? As a matter of fact, why didn’t the Judicial Branch put the brakes on Congress at least four decades ago? It is its job to determine the constitutionality of laws and to assure the American people no unconstitutional legislation is passed and to prevent unconstitutional prosecutions. So, where the hell are those people with the job of protecting the Constitution - maybe with their fingers in the pot of gold filled by government deceit?

I close with this quote from Congressman Ron Paul, a man I have come to believe is a Patriot in every sense of the word.

"If we stuck to the Constitution as written, we would have: no federal meddling in our schools; no Federal Reserve; no U.S. membership in the UN; no gun control; and no foreign aid. We would have no welfare for big corporations, or the "poor"; no American troops in 100 foreign countries, no NAFTA, GATT, or "fast-track"; no arrogant federal judges usurping states rights; no attacks on private property; no income tax. We could get rid of most of the cabinet departments, most of the agencies, and most of the budget. The government would be small, frugal, and limited." ~ Senator Ron Paul

The government would be small, frugal, and limited. And, that, People, is exactly how it was meant to be. Congressman Paul has earned my respect as he voices (usually a lone voice amongst those who are determined to deprive us of our liberties) his opinions not only to the people, but also to Congress. He knows and understands the corruptness of this nation’s central government. And, most important, he attempts action rather than being bought off.

So, I ask - when are you going to take heed and not only learn, but demand the truth from government? Or, are you just going to continue be shepherded like a bunch of dumb animals by a government which hasn’t any right, nor power, to do so?

Ed Lewis is another welcome addition to KeepAndBearArms.com's growing team of Featured Writers. Mr. Lewis' archive can be found at http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Lewis.