In response to the San Bernardino shootings, politicians are racing to the ubiquitous anti-gun stance. President Obama said today that he’s calling on Congress to close “loopholes” which allow the legal purchase of guns by any individual the government doesn’t trust to own them.
As my friend, Matt, said, “You know what that loophole is called, Mr. President? The Constitution.”
The Constitution is not a thing to be politicized. Those who try to do so are narcissists and fools. The Constitution is. It was before. It will be after. If not, this Union will be a failure, and I believe we will not let it fail. But, then, I’m just a hopeless patriot.
The 2nd Amendment was second among the first ten. Before due process and trial by jury. Before search warrants and the right to counsel. Before cruel and unusual punishment. Before all other civil liberties except religion, speech, press, assembly, and petitioning the government for redress of grievances.
Americans could not realistically revolt against an oppressive government, neither thru assembly nor thru petition, without the associated right of citizens to physically defend and protect themselves, their families, and their communities – with the CONTEMPORANEOUS capabilities of the government to do the same. That is and was the sole purpose of the 2nd Amendment.
The key word here is CONTEMPORANEOUS. I frequently hear people say, “When the 2nd Amendment was written, all we had were muskets. So, keep your muskets and hand over your other guns.”
At that same point in history, all the British had were muskets as well.
The idea of the 2nd Amendment is apples to apples. The government’s apples are very different now, and the citizenry’s apples must be rightfully equal.
I’d love to think Americans will never, ever again have to revolt against our own government. But I’d sincerely like to reserve the right to that right.
(Also, look…don’t murder innocent people. It’s just wrong. WRONG. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Don’t do it. Ever. READ DIFFERENT BOOKS. Lots and lots of other books.)