Dirt and the second amendment

"Mom, he threw rocks at me!"
"Mom, she's throwing dirt at me!"
"Mooooooooooooooooom, he threw dirt in my eeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!"

Familiar dialogue to all parents, and some who aren't, I'd wager. Well, we got tired of it one day, and told the kids, "Well, do it back to him!"  Not Christlike, I know. We went back to the lower law for a little while; you know, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But the results were interesting.  Soon, there wasn't as much complaining, and eventually not so much doing.  I figure it's like the second amendment and gun control.

We tried to tell them "No throwing rocks!" "No throwing dirt!" "No hitting!" etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So one would try to obey, and the other would throw anyway. But when we made it (temporarily) okay to hit back, suddenly, there was a real and immediate consequence - they could do the same to you! "Hm, if I throw these rocks at her, she might throw them at me, and that would hurt. I guess I won't throw them."
The second amendment was put in place to ensure that the people would have protection from any evil element, large or small, by supplying them with a way to defend themselves, without having to wait for help from someone else (like the government). 

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.   Thomas Jefferson's "Commonplace Book,"

Later, we decided to let them play in a box of potting soil that was in the backyard. We'd been trying to keep them out of it for weeks, but inevitably, someone would get into it again. So finally we said, "Okay, we want you to go and get as dirty as you possibly can. Put it in your hair, down your shirt, down your pants. See who can get the dirtiest."  So they did. This was the result:

They had a FABULOUS time! (Elizabeth won, by the way- she had some in her UNDERWEAR!!!)  And guess what? No one has played in there since, and it's been 2 weeks.

What does this teach us? That banning something from someone only makes it more appealing to the type that want to do it/use it anyway, and you're creating criminals out of people who do it by accident, or only occasionally, or might use whatever it is responsibly.  THIS is freedom!  Stupid people are going to be stupid no matter what rules or laws you give them, and sometimes they will be MORE STUPID because of the law! (Relate to gun control, and let us all remember prohibition.) Here's a quote:

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage then to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.
--- Thomas Jefferson, quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in "On Crimes and Punishment", 1764

I love how our kids can teach us these basic lessons on freedom, choice and consequences, just by being themselves. (And yes, we took the time to teach them a lesson too.) Luckily, our kids are capable of learning and choosing more wisely in the future, but they cannot get there on their own. We, their parents, grandparents, extended family members and community must teach them.

Some more quotes on such things:

I am convinced we can do to guns what we've done to drugs: create a multi-billion dollar underground market over which we have absolutely no control.
--- George L. Roman

 Banning gun shows to reduce violent crime will work about as well as banning auto shows to reduce drunken driving.
--- Bill McIntire, Spokesman for the National Rifle Association, on Norfolk, Va. council's vote to cancel four gun shows, 1992

It's the misfortune of all Countries, that they sometimes lie under an unhappy necessity to defend themselves by Arms against the ambition of their Governors, and to fight for what's their own. If those in government are heedless of reason, the people must patiently submit to Bondage, or stand upon their own Defence; which if they are enabled to do, they shall never be put upon it, but their Swords may grow rusty in their hands; for that Nation is surest to live in Peace, that is most capable of making War; and a Man that hath a Sword by his side, shall have least occasion to make use of it.
--- John Trenchard and Walter Moyle

The rifle is the weapon of democracy... If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns... Only the government - and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.
--- Edward Abbey

The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns, we decent law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise they will win and the decent people will loose.
--- James Earl Jones