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Second Amendment
Our Founding Fathers, having endured the tyranny of the British Empire, wanted to guarantee our liberties. They devised our three branches of government and our system of checks and balances. But they were still concerned that the system could fail, and that we might someday face a new tyranny from our own government. They wanted us to be able to defend ourselves, and that's why they gave us the Second Amendment. They knew that a government facing an armed populace was less likely to take away our rights, while a disarmed population wouldn't have much hope. Without our Second Amendment rights, all of our other rights aren't inalienable, they're just "on loan" from the government. I grew up in the rural South and hunted quail. I'm a no longer a hunter, but the Second Amendment isn't really about hunting. It's about tyranny and self-defense. And you'd be surprised at how often a firearm is needed on a farm. Yet the Founding Fathers weren't worried about our being able to bag a duck or a deer, they were worried about our keeping our fundamental freedoms. Criminals will always find a way to get guns. By disarming our law-abiding citizens, we take away the strongest deterrent to violent criminals - the uncertainty that they don't know who is helpless and who is armed. Our law enforcement officials can't be everywhere, all the time. Lawfully-armed citizens back them up and prevent robberies, rapes, and the murder of innocents. Second Amendment rights belong to individuals, not cities or states. Your Second Amendment rights don't change when you change your address. I do support reasonable assault weapons legislation. I've yet to understand the need to hunt with an assault weapon. However, with our National Guard (the well organized militia) Ferderalized and deployed overseas, we must take some measure to ensure that we can protect ourselves from tyranny. I'm a strong supporter of civil liberties, and the Second Amendment is in our Constitution. For consistency reasons alone, I must support the right. As a law-abiding American, you must maintain your right to defend yourself. |
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