The Constitution

[cbk]

Right now there is a tremendous amount of talk about gun control. Proposed laws say that we should demand background checks, limit the amount of bullets in clips, keep people with any mental defect from ever being allowed to buy any kind of guns, etc, etc, etc.
The simple fact is that no law passed in this country that concerns itself with gun laws is legal. Why? Because the Constitution hasn't been changed. And that Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, says that we have natural, God given, rights to LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. The Second Amendment reiterates those rights by saying that citizens have the right to bear arms. It makes NO if, ands, or buts about who has those rights. It doesn't limit what kind of arms we can bear. Nor does it limit any amount of ammunition that we can have for those arms. So if a citizen wishes to buy a tank, it is perfectly legal. And the reason is that our Founding Fathers knew that governments could become corrupt. And they wished to give the citizens the where with all to defend themselves against such a government.
So all the calls for back ground checks, or mental defect checks, or assault weapon bans isn't going to make anyone safer. Criminals and nut cases are NOT going to obey any gun control law. And it is FOR SURE neither is our government!

[H Abiff]

You are 100% correct but the Obamanation will do as he pleases.

[cbk]

You are 100% right also! That is why we should never stop trying to remove this horrible man from his illegal occupation of the White House.

BTW, his is not the only administration that has not recognized that changing the Constitution is the ONLY way to change the right of American citizens to bear arms.

And WE THE PEOPLE should be having hissy fits every time one of these illegal, unconstitutional laws is passed. It is not that we want nut cases firing guns in the town square. The point is that we have a Constitution; that Constitution has provided us with the way to legally change it. So if we wish to change the Constitution and the Second Amendment (as well as other Amendments concerned with illegal search and seizure) we should do so; not pass laws that have no standing in legality.

[jerrycsmith]

We must realize that the Second Amendment is just that; an amendment, all twenty-seven of which have set precedent for other amendments. The fact that amendments exist at all supports the fact that the Constitution itself is not some divine, sacrosanct set of rules that must be obeyed without question, but rather a generalized document that has been modified and clarified almost from its very beginning.

There's nothing to stop an amendment from being re-amended or even nullified, given enough support and/or a controlling-enough power structure.

If anything, I think the Second should be re-written in modern terms, to include certain safeguards not antiicipated during the original, unarguably ambiguous writing in 1791.

We should indeed be able to keep nutcases from arming themselves, while insuring that ANY person wanting to protect himself and those around him can do so, as long as he is not a proven hazard to society.

Obviously, the devil is in the details; like who and how fitness to carry arms is decided and what kind of arms are allowed, but in general a well-armed society is inherently more resistant to such madness as school slaughters and home invasions.

It will take much wiser people at the helm to make it work; people who are altruistic rather than profit-oriented, which is why I don't look for any constructive results in what remains of my lifetime.

Meanwhile, I feel sorry for anyone who violates my own fundamental rights, as I will not hesitate to shoot the sorry bastards.

[cbk]

Jerry, if you re-read my post I pointed out that there were ways to change the Constitution....legal ways. That, of course, includes amendments to that excellent document.
When people decided that they wanted to outlaw drinking they did it the right way by passing an amendment to the Constitution. Then when they decided that such an amendment was a complete failure they passed another amendment rescinding the first amendment. Now obviously the whole thing was an exercise in stupidity. People have been drinking since the first cave man found that a certain liquid made him feel good. But the point is that the people did the exercise CORRECTLY & LEGALLY.
If we wish to put certain restrictions on the Constitution and the Second Amendment then we have to do it correctly, not pass laws that have NO meaning. Even if people don't have the brains to point that out to the people who are passing those laws.
If someone had the time, money, and energy I'm sure these laws could be struck down by getting oneself arrested for ignoring one of the many (illegal) laws that try to restrict ones rights, and taking it through the many steps to have it heard by the Supreme Court.
Now Jerry, I bet you are going to say the Supremes wouldn't hear it. All I can say is that if some Gays can get their stupid Right To Marry appeal heard by the Supreme Court....ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE