A contingent of Richmond County Tea Party Patriots over 150 strong protested across the street from U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm’s (R, NY-11) office because he supported Gov. Cuomo’s ill-conceived “NYSAFE Act,” which bans “assault weapons” and magazines with capacities greater than seven rounds, among other things. Despite the drizzling rain and temperatures in the low 40s, people from all walks of life came out on this Day of Resistance to support our Second Amendment rights.
A platform was built out of milk cartons, cardboard and duct tape and a PA system was setup. This was a good old fashioned grassroots expression of our First Amendment rights. The protest fittingly opened with an Italian gesture directed at Grimm’s office.
The protest lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. I spoke in my capacity as the Publisher of US for Palin and the New York State Coordinator of American Grizzlies United / Organize4Palin. My speech starts at the 54:00 mark in 1080p Full HD video of the entire protest.
Complete Text Transcript of Ron Devito’s Molon Labe Speech
My fellow citizens, as you can probably tell, I spend most of my political time supporting former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. But, I am here today to stand with someone she would agree is the ultimate leader of our Second Amendment fight: YOU. Yes, You. We the People are the leaders in this war – and make no mistake about it – we are at war with those who want to fundamentally transform our country, destroy our Constitution, and establish a socialist tyranny in its place. I speak not just about Obama, Feinstein, Pelosi, Cuomo, and Bloomberg. I also speak about the establishment Republicans – the so-called “moderates” – the Republicans in Name Only – RINOs – who aid and abet this administration.
Our Founding Fathers have spoken clearly and plainly on why the Second Amendment is in our Constitution, and it was most recently upheld by the Supreme Court as being an individual right. The British tried to confiscate the so-called “assault weapons” of the era. They got a revolution, and out of that revolution, our Constitutional republic was born.
For over 238 years, patriots spilled their blood, were maimed, and gave their lives defending our freedoms. Now it is right to ask: those of you who have served – please raise your hand. We thank you, we honor you – without your sacrifice, we could not be here today.
You see, in some places around the world, people are shot, bombed, raped, tortured and thrown in gulags for doing what we are doing now. The one Amendment in our Constitution that guarantees all our freedoms is the Second. Without it, we cease to be citizens and we turn into subjects. Yes, those who want to eliminate the Second Amendment have a vision of a centralized police / nanny state in which we are their subjects and they are working to transform our nation to that. These people infest both major parties. The Democrats and Republicans have merged into the same cesspool, just under two different names.
I offer as evidence the proposed gun laws nationwide and the actions of some in the press. Our own state envisaged confiscation in the so-called NY Safe Act rammed down our throats by so-called “conservatives” Malliotakis, and Lanza who joined rank with the Democrats.
Our “conservative” Congressman praised this bill. If you think that’s bad, it gets worse. In Missouri, their legislature is proposing to require gun owners to turn their guns in within 90 days. Wait! It gets even worse than that! Seattle lawmakers wanted to empower police to go house to house confiscating guns. Though that proposal was dropped, the fact that it was even introduced should give us pause. Since the Second Amendment no longer has meaning to these people, they probably figured we might as well go for a trifecta and discard the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as well. Democrats in Iowa want to ban and confiscate all semi-automatic rifles. Democrats in Wisconsin want to ban “hunting ammunition.” These are just the proposals I know about.
The police chief of Chicago thinks the Second Amendment is a threat to public safety. He’s gone on record as blaming Sarah Palin and the Tea Party for shootings in his city which has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation. Media figures all over the country want gun owners to be treated like sex offenders and have been printing names, addresses and phone numbers of gun owners in newspapers. If I had said this a few years ago, you probably would have told me to run down to ShopRite to get some Reynold’s Wrap and make one of those tin foil hats. But, none of this is wild-eyed conspiracy theory. It’s today’s reality. Yes, we are at war with the left and Vichy right.
Those who want to disarm us are pushing the envelope further and further. First, their definition of “assault weapons” is ever expanding. For the press covering this, a true assault rifle is select fire – that is both semi and fully automatic. Full auto requires up to $20,000 a tax stamp, an extensive background check, and a sign off from your police chief – and some states like NY outlaw full auto anyway, even though it’s legal at the federal level. Your hunting rifles and shotguns are not safe either. Many are now considered “assault weapons.” Mark my words – your bolt-action hunting rifle will be called a “sniper rifle” and banned too. It’s coming. The Obama administration along with like-minded officials in various states and cities are intent on disarming us of ALL guns.
All guns….
The arguments of those who want to disarm us are devoid of logic. “You don’t need more than ten rounds to shoot a deer,” Cuomo screeched like a deranged lunatic in his psychotic melt-down that passed for a State of the State address.
Anyone who hunts knows that in many jurisdictions, magazine capacities are already restricted on the hunting ground. Manufacturers produce five-round magazines for so-called “assault weapons” so people can hunt with them and target shoot at a range bench. Pump action and semi-auto shotguns include what is called a duck plug to reduce magazine capacity when the gun is used for duck hunting. Cuomo’s vision of hunters machine gunning animals makes absolutely no sense. The point of hunting is to harvest the meat from the animal.
But, we know the Second Amendment is not about hunting and “sporting purposes.” The Second Amendment was written to prevent our government from turning into a tyranny. Our Founding Father’s words on this are clear and very well documented.
The larger issue with magazine capacities is that no politician has the right to dictate to you what you need….
It’s called a Bill of Rights! It’s not a “Bill of Needs!”
Yet, they are doing precisely that. Bloomberg has told us we don’t need more than 16 ounces in a drink cup. Some politicians have said we don’t need SUV’s. I don’t recall seeing an office on a ballot called “nanny,” but quite a few people from both parties appear to be vying for the title, since they are fixated on dictating what their subjects need. I’m sorry – I meant “constituents” – or maybe was I right the first time?
Let’s get back to magazines. Only “first responders” need more than X number of rounds in a magazine, say these politicians – who don’t know the difference between a magazine and a clip.
No disrespect intended to our law enforcement officers, but when someone is trying to harm you and your family – YOU are the first responder. Police are the SECOND responders. They get there after the incident has happened to investigate and do paperwork. Until the police get there, YOU are on your own and YOU have to deal with the threat. The final arbiter of how many rounds you need in a magazine, how many ounces should go in your drink cup and what vehicle you’re going to drive – is YOU. Our politicians work for us. We are their boss. Not the other way around. We are citizens and constituents, not subjects!
Our Founding Fathers did not specify a magazine capacity limit or firearm type in the Constitution. They did not say you can only have single shot flintlock muzzle loaders.
One hundred years from now our ARs, AKs, and other military pattern rifles might be museum pieces like the flintlocks of our revolution. The Second Amendment guarantees you the right to bear the modern arms of the era in which you live.
Let us not forget – the Civil War was the bloodiest war in our history. We may have lost 55,000 in VietNam which was fought with M16s on our side and AK-47s on the enemy’s side. But, we lost 57,000 in Gettysburg in three days – with Gatling guns and Henry rifles – primitive weapons by today’s standards.
To say that the Second Amendment only applies to guns of the era in which it was written is akin to saying that the First Amendment only applies to the Gutenberg printing press. That’s patently absurd. Imagine being told that Facebook and Twitter are too dangerous for the average citizen to use and the government cutting the Internet? Sounds asinine, doesn’t it? But, that’s exactly what happens in tyrannies all over the world. If we let this administration and its helpers have their way – it will happen here.
It has been said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The establishments of both parties have become addicted to their own power and crony capitalism. Today, we stand before the office of a man who betrayed the conservative principles upon which he ran.
He has joined rank with and voted like a Democrat on so many issues, it makes little difference anymore if a Democrat holds the office or a Republican does. If all three Michaels: McMahon, Murphy and Grimm – support the atrocious NYSAFE Act and the Obama administration’s gun control proposals, what difference does it make which one of the three holds this office?
Thirty eight years ago, Ronald Reagan spoke about this very issue. President Reagan had been a Democrat all his life. He became a Republican, in his words, not because the parties were the same, but because they were different. In his 1975 address to Young Americans for Freedom, President – then a former governor – Reagan said, “Let’s have a new first party – a Republican Party – raising a banner of bold colors – no pale pastels – a banner instantly recognizable as standing for certain values which will NOT be compromised.”
For us, the Second Amendment is one of those certain values which will not be compromised. A Republican who compromises on this value is not worthy of being called a Republican! We’re tired of RINOs. We’re finished with going along to get along. We don’t want pale pastels. The time for Bold Colors is now.
On the Second Amendment, there is absolutely NO negotiation, NO compromise, NO “reasonable debate.” There is nothing to talk about! We did not start this war, but we will finish it!
The idiot lawmakers who started this spurred possibly the largest gun and ammo buying spree in our nation’s history. In six weeks, citizens nationwide bought enough guns to outfit the entire armies of China and India combined! Go to a state that respects our Second Amendment rights – like Pennsylvania for example – and walk into Cabela’s, Dick’s or Sports Authority. Where magazines and ammunition once were, you’ll find bare shelves. Obama and his band of socialists sent us a message. But, we have a message for them. It’s two words. Yeah, I know which two words you are thinking, but I won’t utter them today – though they certainly speak to my sentiment.
No, the two words I speak of are in Greek. In 480 BC – almost 2,500 years ago – King Xerxes of Persia marched an estimated 2 million men across the Hellespont to enslave Greece. King Leonidas of Sparta agreed to help stop the invading army. He sent 300 hand-picked troops to Thermopylae.
Leonidas and his 300 men knew they faced certain death. There, Xerxes sent an envoy and demanded that the Spartans surrender their weapons…and Leonidas responded with the two little words I speak of.
Those two words 2,300 years later would be translated to English and emblazoned on the Gonzalez Flag. This flag flew over San Antonio in 1835 when a tyrannical Mexican regime tried to disarm the Texans.
My fellow citizens, are you ready?
Are you ready to draw your lines in the sand?
Are you ready to hoist that Gonzalez Flag?
Hoist it high!
Obama!
Feinstein!
Cuomo!
Bloomberg!
MOLON LABE!
MOLON LABE!
MOLON LABE!
Come and take it!
From our cold, dead fingers!
