collapse of the union

It is interesting how great countries, nations, and societies fall… it is never in one fell swoop, it is never here-one-day-gone-the-next, it is never a sudden event (barring cataclysmic disasters, that is). Rather, they tend to be chipped away, bit by bit, until nothing is left. And, more often than not, those wielding the chisels are members and citizens of those once-great nations.
What follows is a quote uttered by Tonya Payne, a Councilwoman for the Sixth District of Pittsburgh City:

Who really cares about it being unconstitutional? This is what’s right to do, and if this means that we have to go out and have a court battle, then that’s fine … We have plenty of dead bodies coming up in our streets every single day, and that is unacceptable.

You will have to excuse my language, but what the fuck?
If it is against your state’s constitution, you, as a politician, do not do it. How bloody hard is that to understand? First off, it is against the gorramed constitution. Secondly, you are causing your state and its legal system an unnecessary amount of heartache and increased cost, since you are obviously opening yourself up for a constitutionality challenge, and one that this nitwit has already admitted she would lose. And, thirdly, it is against the bloody constitution!
Our state constitutions and our federal Constitution are all in place to provide protections for the citizens, and tell governments and politicians what they cannot do. When those governments and politicians start disregarding the rules and regulations spelled out for them in their respective constitutions, the rights of the citizen are immediately threatened, if not outright attacked.
Once upon a time, I took a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Granted, I was talking about a different Constitution than Councilwoman Payne, but, as a representative of the people, a member of the Pittsburgh government, and a citizen of both Pennsylvania and America, she damn well has a duty and responsibility to abide by her respective constitution(s), if not support and defend them as well. If she, as a duly-elected representative and leader of her people, is no longer willing to abide by the rules governing our society and the city she lives in… then why should her constituents continue to be bound by those same rules themselves? After all, Councilwoman Payne is a citizen, just like every other citizen, and if the Pennsylvania constitution does not apply to her, then it bloody well applies to no one.
Now that I have dispensed with the idiocy of this Councilwoman’s comment, on to the actual law itself. This new law requires all Pittsburgh residents to report any stolen firearms, within 24 hours of the incident. So, if you happen to leave town for a week, and your firearm(s) get stolen a day after you leave – congratulations, you are a criminal. If you do not inventory your firearms on a daily basis (and, really, who does that?), one happens to be stolen, and you do not realize it within 24 hours – congratulations, you are a criminal.
Make no mistake, this law has absolutely nothing to do with straw purchases, keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals, or anything of the nature. This is nothing more than an attempt to control law-abiding citizens… and like Ayn Rand once said:

There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

This new law in Pittsburgh makes law-abiding citizens into criminals… for no greater crime than going on vacation for a week and being the victim of a robbery. How is that, in any way, right? And how can Councilwoman Payne have the unmitigated gall to say that it is right, and right enough to be worthy of disregarding her state’s constitution for – if there even were such a thing, which I doubt.
For those interested, you can provide your feedback concerning the law in question and/or this Councilwoman’s idiocy at District 6′s feedback page. Myself, I am going to try and calm down for a bit before I try anything of that nature.
Hat tip to Sebastian.