Do Guns really = Freedom?

Jerry H

Here's some things they won't teach you in high school, like Supreme Court rulings:

U S v. CRUIKSHANK, 92 U.S. 542 (1875)

"The right there specified is that of 'bearing arms for a lawful purpose.' This is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence."

In plain language, the Second Amendment does not grant the right to keep and bear arms. It recognizes that that right exists and prohibits the government from infringing upon it. The right would still exist, even if the Second Amendment didn't.

While the Cruikshank ruling goes on to say that the Second Amendment only restricts the Federal government and not the states, a recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (Nordyke v. King) extended the Second Amendment to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Here's something else you can do that they probably won't require in high school: Read the Constitution of the United States -- all of it, including the 27 amendments. It's not a large document (you can read it all in an hour or two), but it's the foundation of our government and laws and, as such, defines what the USA is supposed to be about. Every citizen should be familiar with it.

Lisa

Yes, and here is why: The right to bear arms was not designed for people to be able to go hunting or commit illegal activities with. The whole point of allowing citizens to be armed is to keep the "government" in check. When Thomas Jefferson and James Madison drafted the second amendment, their reasoning for doing so was to proclaim that America will never become an authoritarian government and that the US is such a great government because it is not afraid to allow the people to be armed. This keeps the government in check because it enables people more access in case of a revolution, but if we are already great, we would never have a revolution. The European nations were not like that at all, and America was supposed to be the "new democratic society." Hence my reasoning that allowing people to be armed = freedom based on the historical context.

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson

Christian

no, but they help

Lucky

Paper..guns...Paper...guns...what do you think?

Go back to school!

Rollo

Something in the order of 11,000 people are killed every year in the US because of firearms. In Australia 33 people died in 2008 because of firearms. Logically if Australia was the same size as the US, then there on a per capita basis there would be 518 deaths caused by firearms.

The consequences of the Second Amendment have produced a society which is 21 times more dangerous than a country without them.

Guns might equal freedom, however I would rather be alive without that freedom, than dead.

FRAGINAL-NOYPI

There can be freedom even if there are no guns.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: