News headlines over the last few months have been filled with incidents involving guns. Many politicians, including President Obama, have put forth suggestions for further regulations regarding gun purchases and ownership. While I agree that there are some people that should not be allowed to own or wield a firearm, this does not mean the public at large should be prevented from having guns for their own personal use.
Executive orders and knee-jerk legislation are not a way to debate how to properly prevent these tragedies. These regulations simply force the opinion of one side of the debate on the general public without allowing a differing view to express itself. While the slope may not be very slippery, but it is a path that politicians like to walk down without considering what may lie at the other end. As long as they have their power, lawmakers don't bother with the consequences of their words.
Once politicians have the power to dictate who can have what, where will civilization eventually lead? When laws and privileges are based on political contributions, how will the lines between the elite and the common citizens be defined?
Life is good. Sure, I have to perform the occasional patrol, but there are worse duties than strolling through some of the nicer residential neighborhoods. I could have been assigned border patrol or forced to work shifts at one of the Allotment Centers. Imagine spending eight hours a day having to deal with all of those lower classes. I guess I balanced partying and studying during my six years at college. With the government paying all my expenses, I could have stayed longer. Unfortunately, my parents wanted me to graduate and start making appearances at the social events they frequented.
I pat the firearm on my hip. I was off duty, but it was my right to carry one so I wore it everywhere. I even had a fashionably decorated holster for it to rest in. Maybe one day I will visit the firing range and become an accurate shooter, or maybe not. It's not like I have to worry about ever using it. None of the lower classes were allowed guns so it's not like I was going to be shot by any of them. Of course they spent their entire lives slaving away at their menial jobs and living in their simple homes. Having to pay for their own education meant they never learned anything important anyway.
It's a good thing my family became Elites generations ago. Their contributions to the Politicals back then really worked out for me. I didn't even have to work hard to avoid serving in the military. I just had to check a box on a form when I graduated high school. Let the Commoners keep the country free. That's what they are for anyway.
In this world I see Politicals as a ruling class, sitting in their mansions on high making decisions that impact the lives of the population at large. The Elites are the families that have given to the campaigns of the Politicals. These company owners and their descendants enjoy certain extra perks and a higher social status. Their contributions allow then to influence the policies the Politicals create through their votes and their dollars. The last group is the Commoners. These people make up the bulk of the population. They work the hardest of the three social classes. Their power and influence is exerted the least despite their vastly more numerous population.
With this in mind, I have two questions. Are there any other privileges the Elites or Politicals may have that the Commoners are denied? If things continue they way they currently are, how long before our society begins to resemble this model?
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