The argument
that the Second Amendment was to allow citizens to have guns to protect
themselves against their own government is blatantly false.
I know this
bothers some gun supporters that have heard this from the NRA and used this as
their argument for no gun laws. But, in 1791 when the Amendment was past,
America did not have a standing army and the intent was to guarantee citizens
could own guns so in time of crisis a militia could be quickly raised – not armed
for an insurrection against the government.
A well regulated militia, being
necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and
bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
In 1792 the
Congress went one step further, passing an act requiring all male citizens to
arm themselves in order to be able to quickly raise a militia:
Each and every free able-bodied white
male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of
age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is
herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the
militia… every citizen so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months
thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or flrelock, and sufficient
bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch with a box therein
to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges, suited to the bore of his
musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and
ball: or with a good rifle, knapsack ,shot-pouch and powder-horn, twenty balls
suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall
appear, so armed, accoutered and provided, when called out to exercise, or into
service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may
appear without a knapsack.
Today we
have a standing army and the requirement for all citizens to arm is not
necessary – neither is the argument that we must arm ourselves so we can
overthrow our own government.
We fought a
Civil War against the idea of anarchy – the point should be well
established.
The need to
line up at Burger King with assault rifles and pistols defies common sense and
places the general public in danger.
The Ol’Buzzard
I cannot think of a thing to say to an American who thinks the state should have all the power.
ReplyDeleteThe Second Amendment was ratified to preserve slavery. The real reason the Second Amendment was ratified, and why it says “State” instead of “Country” (the Framers knew the difference – see the 10th Amendment), was to preserve the slave patrol militias in the southern states, which was necessary to get Virginia's vote.
ReplyDeleteAnyone that thinks they can stand off the state with their AR-15 is delusional when local cops have MRAPs and enough firepower to level whole herds of people. If the government had wanted to wipe out the Bundys in either confrontation all they would have had to do was send in one Apache helicopter, problem solved!!
don't tell your wife..but I love you..ok..you can tell her cause I love her too.
ReplyDeleteOf course you are correct, but the Supreme Court fixed(?) that in 2008.
ReplyDeleteThe Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the amendment protected individuals’ right to possess firearms unconnected to any service in a militia.
Seems to me the Supreme Court also decided that the original wording did not intend an individual right.
So that is the law. Individuals have the right to firearms and the militia argument is over. That can be changed again by another Supreme Court ruling, or other processes.
I totally agree with you but you are a few hundred million guns too late in your thinking.
ReplyDelete