PAY ATTENTION CONGRESS

Origins of the Second Amendment:

“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.”

Mi·li·tia  

/məˈliSHə/

Noun A military force of civilians to supplement a regular army in an emergency. A military force that engages in rebel activities.

Long overlooked or ignored, the Second Amendment has become the object of some study and much debate. One issue being discussed is whether the Second Amendment recognizes the right of each citizen to keep and bear arms, or whether the right belongs solely to state governments and empowers each state to maintain a military force.

The NRA Legacy

Both the Federalists, those promoting a strong central government, and the Anti-federalists, believing that liberties including the right of self-rule would be protected by the preservation of local autonomy, agreed that arms and liberty are binding.

Let’s look at some facts:

Columbine, 12 students and one teacher killed, 21 additional students injured.

Virginia Tech, 32 people killed.

Tucson 6 people killed.

Aurora 12 people killed and 58 others injured.

Sandy Hook 20 students (age 7 and under) 6 faculty and 1-mother dead-all murdered.

Public mass shootings like those mentioned above have left 547 people dead and 476 more injured in the U.S. since 1983, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service!

The CRS study—which counts only the deaths of people other than the shooter or shooters—shows that mass shootings represent a relatively small portion of overall deaths by firearms in the United States. FBI figures show that guns were used to kill 8,583 people in 2011 alone!

What qualifies as a public mass shooting? CRS defined such incidents as “occurring in relatively public places, involving four or more deaths—not including the shooter(s)—and gunmen who select victims somewhat indiscriminately.

Of the 78 mass shootings CRS identified since 1983, 26 occurred “at workplaces where the shooter was employed either at the time of the incident or prior to it.” Twelve public mass shootings occurred in an educational setting, CRS found.

So the CRS study did not include Army Maj. Nidal Hasan’s rampage at Fort Hood, who killed 13 and wounded 40 more, because it has been described as a terrorist attack. And the CRS definition excludes drug trafficking and gang activity as well.

Now for my question:

Where is there any mention in the origins of the Second Amendment to ordinary civilians, outside of a militia having the right to bear arms?

It doesn’t say that, it says a militia, which is defined as civilians in time of need. Now I don’t think we should stop hunters from having hunting rifles, or even a handgun for the sport of target practicing, but we need to control the availability of these guns mentioned, and in so doing, dissolve the right to own a military assault rifle that can be fired and cause either serious injury or death in the hands of ordinary civilians. There is NO place for them in a civilized society.

The NRA gun lobby has persuaded Congress that they are so powerful that they can defeat any Congressman at the polls who will not work with them, a fallacy that is believed by good lobbying, publicity and playing on the heartstrings of a few who own the guns, all wrapped up in the American flag! Fools all.

Timothy Mcveigh

Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, along with Timothy Mcveigh, and Adam Lanza among others are beneficiaries of the argument that taking away assault rifles is intrusive on their Second Amendment rights. Those who want the status quo are in essence defending these types of people!

But here is my concern: how do I know I can trust you, a gun owner of an assault rifle from becoming hysterical about an issue and going off on a killing spree. How do I know you won’t resent someone who may be white male, black, Italian, Irish Catholic or gay or what have you from having the same reactions of the cast of murderers I just mentioned above? Where is my guarantee? How do you know I won’t get an assault rifle and go out and hunt down you or your wife or children and grandchildren? Where are those guarantees?

Adam Lanza

The U.S. Constitution was created to guarantee you and me certain rights of which Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are woven into the fabric of that document.

If your argument is: that you are a gun collector, would you protest if the availability of the ammo were not legal, that you could own the gun but not the ammunition? I mean the ammo would not be needed if you were peaceful in your intent to have such a hobby. Or is that too much a of an compromise to the majority of the general population who are for gun controls?