by Michael Z. Williamson

February 5, 2002

KeepAndBearArms.com -- Every so often, I am reminded of why my family moved to this country, and why I write for KeepAndBearArms.com. Just last week I saw a bumper sticker that read, "Anyone not born in this country should not be allowed to serve in it's (sic) military."

I suppose George Washington should take that to heart. The millions of draftees from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam should enjoy that. Among KeepAndBearArms.com writers, Nicki Fellenzer and myself are both immigrant veterans.

I would argue that we make BETTER citizens. We know personally how much better it is here, how bad it elsewhere, what it is like to face bomb scares and thugs pointing guns at one.

As I have been telling my fans and readers, I hope to shortly have a novel published. As a novel, "Freehold" is primarily entertainment. As with any entertainment, there must be a message. Many will find my messages disturbing.

The lead character is a female on the physically weak side, and a political refugee from a repressive, regimented society. To survive, she must escape, abandon everything, and head for the only place that will take her-a laissez faire capitalist society.

Science fiction? This is the life story of most voluntary Americans. No matter how well off one is, such a move is catastrophic and expensive, exhilarating and terrifying.

Is it worth it? Well, let's see: we are reviled by ignorant conservatives for "taking jobs away from Americans" who wouldn't lose those jobs if they'd studied and worked harder. We are reviled by ignorant liberals for "abandoning" the "advantages" of government health care, nanny-statism, and control.

Hey, it's worth it just to offend those people.

Not be allowed to serve in its military? What luxury to live in a nation that can even consider such a choice! Only in the US could such an idea exist.

The society in "Freehold" is wealthy but small. Refuse to allow immigrants? A strange idea. Anyone willing to work, live, or fight for the nation is gratefully accepted.

And if the invader happens to be the former home of many of your soldiers? What then? Where do they stand?

Anti-gun nuts often argue of the "Need of the government to maintain the legitimate monopoly of force;" that citizens cannot be trusted to support a government.

That doesn't square well with a volunteer military, does it? It squares even less well with a military full of immigrants, in greater percentage than among the civilian population. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I see in common between the statements of the anti-gunners and the anti-immigrant movement. Fear. Mistrust. Hatred.

What would there be to hate about such a society?

"Freedom of religious expression."

"Freedom of expression in action, word, print, broadcast, and all other forms of communication."

As I noted in a previous article, these are easy freedoms. A good oppressor will allow them, because it creates the false image of freedom, without any real risk.

"Freedom of assembly without condition, restriction, or hindrance, except for Prisoners of Citizen's Court."

Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Letting people get together unlicensed to badmouth the rulers. Well, there are risks with that. They may be planning revolt or rebellion. Of course, that would only be true if they have reason to revolt or rebel, right?

"Freedom to possess and carry such arms of any and every kind as they deem necessary to provide for defense of self and others, individually and collectively, and for the defense of the Freehold, except by Prisoners of Citizen's Court." (Why leave a "loophole" in a document, after all?)

Now, this would do it. You'd allow your citizens to have weapons? But what if they are criminals? What if they kill each other? Or worse, us? ("Us" being the speaker's perception of his own group as more worthy than others, thereby revealing an intense personal bigotry.) What kind of fools would allow that?

Perhaps the same fools who are outnumbered a hundred to one by their attackers, who have no choice but to trust their immigrants-the outcasts of the rest of human society-to fight for them, die for them, save them, as they trust anyone else. What matter the accent? What matter the color?

In the long run, the true strength of a society may be measured by its willingness to accept others. After all, those one drives away will go elsewhere. And if "elsewhere" is happy to take them, where will their loyalty lie?

STATUS UPDATE: Currently, the owner and editor-in-chief of a major publishing house is halfway through "Freehold," has made several excellent suggestions that improved it, and is still reading. Watch this space for further updates.

©2002 by Michael Z. Williamson. All rights reserved. Mr. Williamson's archive appears at http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Williamson