Re: The right to bear arms & make salad

[Andy Sutton <newslists () pessimists net>]

On Wed, 2008-07-23 at 08:34 -0500, Richard M. Smith wrote:
> The goal of the 2nd amendment is to have armed people with guns that
> can be called up and used in military activities by the government.
> There is nothing about self-defense nor protecting oneself against
> government oppression in the amendment.  

Actually you have to look at the historical definitions of the words
militia and regulated to get the whole picture.  Militia was basically
any male that can hear thunder and see lightning.  Regulated meant you
had the equipment and knew how to use it.  Language tends to change over
time.

It is also spelled out quite clearly in the federalist papers and other
writings by the authors of the constitution what that amendment means.
Just given the context of the revolution itself and the wording of the
Declaration of Independence, that amendment was all about having the
tools to remove the government if necessary.

> Regardless the amendment is clear that Americans get to have guns.  

Sort of.  The amendments are a set of things that are specifically
forbidden from tinkering with.  In my opinion it is one of several flaws
in the document because it detracts from the fact that it was intended
to be a set of specific delegated powers.  (One of which was to show up
one day a year!)  A default deny with a whitelist of specific tasks,
rather than a default allow with a blacklist of rights.

300 yet?  :)

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