Before we start, I need to introduce you to a couple of my closest friends, Stick and Twig. These two guys are from The Stick and Twig Project, an effort to educate children about Natural Law, Natural Rights and the Social Contract. I am proud to be a part of this team. You can learn more about it by visiting www.stickandtwig.com.

Stick         Twig

Now, let’s join my two friends as they sit under a palm tree on a lost island somewhere in the South Pacific.

Twig: “Look, Stick, the solution to social violence and violent crime is pretty simple: you just outlaw all guns.”
Stick: “Before guns, people killed each other with bows and arrows. What do we do about bows and arrows?”
Twig: “Well, people may not like it, but with modern farming, there really isn’t any need for bows and arrows anymore, so we ban those, too.”
Stick: “Before bows and arrows, people killed each other with spears. What do we do about them?”
Twig: “Seriously, Stick? Look, there’s no need for anyone in a modern society to need a spear, so no one will get upset about making spears illegal.”
Stick: “Well, before spears, people used knives to kill each other. Do you really think you can outlaw knives?”
Twig: “Hmmm, yeah, that one might be a little more of a problem. OK, well, the only reason anyone needs a knife today would be for food preparation, but I can see your point. OK, so we pass a law requiring food manufacturers to sell all food products pre-processed. This way, no one will have any need for a knife so we can make them illegal as well. That’s it. If we make these things illegal, violent crimes will end because there will be no way to commit them anymore.”
Stick: (Smiling) “How far are you really going to take this, Twig? The first cavemen probably killed each other with a big rock. The earth is a big rock, Twig. If we follow your reasoning far enough, we’ll eventually have to ban the earth.”
Twig: “Don’t be silly, that’s different.”
Stick: (Chuckling) “It is, is it?”