Why Scott Fisher Scares Me

Why Scott Fisher Scares Me

By

James Scott Trimm

In George Orwell’s 1984 the government kept track of all of its subjects actions.  The government was likened to a benevolent big brother, and the government slogan was “Big Brother is Watching You.”  In order to control speech it was necessary to monitor everything the people did, so that the Ministry of Love could properly intimidate the population.

Big Brother kept track of his subjects thru various departments.  Thru the art of double speak (using words to mean the opposite of what they normally mean) Big Brother maintained control over the people through various government departments.  The Ministry of Peace dealt mostly with war.  The Ministry of Truth dealt with propaganda.  The Ministry of Plenty was in charge of rationing.  And the ministry of Love was essentially the secret Police. 

Ministry of Love

The world of George Orwell’s 1984 is a police state in which the police can stop law abiding individuals at any time for absolutely no reason and ask to see their papers.

It appears that Scott Fisher would like us to live in such a world.

In the Orwellian world the police could pull over a driver and ask for his “papers” (Drivers License/ID, insurance and registration) simply because he saw him driving an automobile on the street. 

It seems Fisher would support that kind of thinking, because Fisher has vocally criticized Stickland’s support of an amendment to the new “Open Carry” law that would have clarified that police officers could not stop citizens simply because they saw them openly carrying a firearm, just to ask to see their license to carry. 

In Texas openly carrying a firearm is a perfectly legal activity that requires a  license, just as driving a vehicle is a perfectly legal activity that requires a license.  Just as the police cannot stop drivers just to see if they are licensed, they should not be able to stop citizens that openly carry a firearm just to see if they have a license.  And in fact that is the current case law on the matter.  

Fisher clearly disagrees.  He criticizes Stickland’s support for that amendment.  Fisher wants police officers to be able to stop people who are openly carrying a firearm, just because they saw them carrying a firearm, just to see if they have a license.  Following the same logic, Fisher’s logic would allow the police to pull over any driver at any time, just to ask if they have a license.  In other words, Fisher’s position follows the logic that of a world in which the police can stop anyone at any time and say “papers please.”

I might add that the right to open carry would become so burdensome as to become impossible to actually practice, if anyone who dared claim that right would be stopped by every police officer that saw them and asked to present their papers.

In fact we should not even need a license to practice a constitutional right.  And Stickland also fought for Constitutional carry.  Can you imagine having to have a license to practice your first amendment rights?  Yet Fisher not only supports having to license our Constitutional rights, he supports having the police stop us on the streets to see those papers at any time!

The fact is that in this, and many other cases, Stickland has supported our Constitutional rights.  Unfortunately many law enforcement organizations are not on the “freedom and liberty” side of legislation, especially when it comes to our second amendment rights and our fourth amendment (privacy rights).  And for this reason they are endorsing against Stickland. 

It is wisely said (attributed to Thomas Jefferson) “He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security.”

Ministry of Truth

Fisher also scares me because his campaign has demonstrated a mastery of propaganda and double-speak would put the Ministry if Truth to shame!

Fisher claims to “support” the Second Amendment and runs a series of Facebook ads asking people to “like” his page if they support the Second Amendment.  But Fisher’s definition of “supporting” the Second Amendment is requiring it to be licensed and allowing police to stop citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights and asked to see their papers.  Fisher’s “support” means licensing and repressing, classic double-speak And in fact his opponent Jonathan Stickland has given very strong and very real support to the Second Amendment. 

Fisher’s smear campaign against Stickland includes the claim concerning Stickland: “Stop police from asking ID’s of armed people”  saying Stickland “voted to stop police from checking licenses of people, even potential criminals, carrying weapons”.  It seems that Fisher sees any person  daring to exercise their constitutional and legal right to openly carry a firearm in Texas as a “potential criminal”. 

Fisher’s Ministry of Truth distorts the facts about this amendment.  Stickland’s support for this amendment was not outrageous of unusual as Fisher would have you believe. What Fisher does not tell you is that this very amendment was added to the Senate version of this bill with no controversy.  It was also originally adopted in the House, with only ten democrats voting against it.  But the amendment was later stripped out in conference through underhanded means by house leadership.

Fisher’s Ministry of Truth claims he supports and has even deceitfully promoted his candidacy using the logos of the NRA and STRA <click here> despite the fact that both organizations have actually endorsed Stickland and not Fisher!  In fact if Fisher had voted against the amendment he attacks Stickland for voting in favor of, it would have scored as an anti-gun vote by pro-Second Amendment groups!

Fisher’s Ministry of Truth, working with ready allies in the liberal press, have engaged in intellectual gymnastics in a wild attempt to recast a resolution he pushed through the JPS Board in 2013 as an “anti-Obamacare” resolution, when a realistic reading of the resolution by any normal person (and in fact, as I have recently shown, a grammatically correct reading <click here>) to advocate the expansion of Medicaid thru Obamacare in Texas. <click here>

Campaign of Intimidation

Just as the Ministry of Love sought to control the populace, Fisher and the Austin Establishment machine that backs him, is using a smear campaign to intimidate not only Jonathan Stickland, but any other normal citizens that never planned to run for political office from stepping up to the plate and running for office. The message is clear, they will come after you and smear you with everything they can find!

This is no surprise because Scott Fisher is a former member of the Orwellian “Texas Ethics Commission.  The Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) was created by voters in 1991 with the best of intentions, the very same kinds of intentions with which the road to George Orwell Hell is paved.  The original purpose of the TEC was “"provide guidance on various public ethics laws" within the state of Texas.  The legislature later gave this commission various other duties, including the Orwellian task of filing of campaign finance regulatory statements by citizens who engage in political speech related to campaigns and elections.  The TEC seeks to use its power to chill free speech and especially targeting conservative groups <click here>.  The fact that Fisher is a former member of this Orwellian agency is reason enough to scare any Texan.

I could write much more about bills on which Stickland voted to protect our First, Second and Fourth amendment rights, and for which Fisher distorts the facts and engages in double-speak and propaganda strategies to attack Stickland for supporting our freedoms and Constitutional rights!

Scott Fisher scares me!  He should scare you too!

Vote for Stickland, vote for more freedom and less government!