The 2nd Amendment

[Puckstop31]

Lets have at it.

I believe the 2nd Amendment is our FIRST freedom. The 2nd is not about hunting, target shooting or collecting. It is about an individuals right to protect themselves from tyranny. I believe a disarmed populace are subjects, not citizens.

Further, history is proof... The FIRST thing dictators do is disarm the population. Better to control them. Government needs to fear the population, not the population, it.

Disarming a population does nothing to decrease violent crime. Violent crime is a human condition that happens no matter the weapon of choice. Better to allow the law abiding citizen the ability to protect themself, rather than enable the criminal by rendering the citizen defenceless.

Now, there are those who will argue that the 2nd applies ONLY to members of "the milita". This would lead us to a discussion of just what "the milita" is. Look up the word militia. They all include on key term... VOLUNTEER. The National Guard is NOT a militia. They are paid professionals. WE THE PEOPLE are the militia. Myself and other member of my community are the militia.


President-Elect Obama.... I advise you to not go anywere near the extreme policies you propsed on this issue while a member of the Illinois Senate. Less you have the next civil war on your hands. Also never forget that a VAST majority of those who serve in your military understand the true meaning of the oath they take. If you want to try and limit our 2nd Amendment Rights... Try it the proper way. Never forget who really runs this county sir.

[IRescue452]

I don't think he's going to take our guns. People are going way too much over this. So what if he makes a few tougher laws on who can buy guns or about background checks? If you are a lawful citizen you will be fine.

[blue]

Obama has allready said he would support another AWB but more restrictive and without a sunset clause. He has a history for supporting gun and ammo bans. Obama's transition team has even removed not just their plans reguarding firearms but their entire agenda from their website today.

[Puckstop31]

Obama has allready said he would support another AWB but more restrictive and without a sunset clause. He has a history for supporting gun and ammo bans. Obama's transition team has even removed not just their plans reguarding firearms but their entire agenda from their website today.

LOL

Geeee, what a shocker.

Change sure is coming.

[cassiesmom]

Confession time: I had to go look up the text 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."

My question is this: Where does one person's right to "keep and bear arms" meet up with another's right to go out in public (or just to be in their own home) with the reasonable expectation of not being shot at? There are people in Chicago who are victims of gun violence simply because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't know about other cities but it's well known that in Chicago, gang members have more powerful weapons than police officers. The proliferation of armed citizens on the streets is a problem.

[Lady's Human]

The proliferation of armed CITIZENS is never a problem.

The proliferation of armed criminals is the problem. There are over 22,000 laws on the books in the United States dealing with the regulation of firearms.
It's not a lack of legal controls....it's the lack of controls on the criminals.

[Puckstop31]

I don't think he's going to take our guns. People are going way too much over this. So what if he makes a few tougher laws on who can buy guns or about background checks? If you are a lawful citizen you will be fine.

And therein lies the problem....

LAWS only effect the LAW ABIDING.

There are THOUSANDS of gun laws on the books. How about we finally get tough on the CRIMINALS? Nooooooo, that is mean.

That line about "if you are a lawful citizen, you have nothing to worry about"... That is the SCARIEST phrase in the English language.

[jennielynn1970]

Can you explain what the acronyms are when you use them (I mean everyone on this post).... cause I have no idea what a AWB or a BATW is.

[Grace]

Can you explain what the acronyms are when you use them (I mean everyone on this post).... cause I have no idea what a AWB or a BATW is.

AWB - Assault Weapons Ban

BATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

[blue]

AWB=Assualt Weapons Ban.

Clinton's 1984 ban didnt actually ban assualt weapons, it banned semi auto weapons that were based on or resembled actual assualt weapons. It also banned certain features from being added to firearms that where cosmetic in nature.

True assault weapons remained legal and taxed the entire time the ban was in place.

BATF=Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The BATF targets legal gun owners, misrepresents gun laws and interprets the laws on a day by day case by case basis. Linky.

[jennielynn1970]

Cool, thanks!

[Lady's Human]

Blue, you missed the year.....1994.


To elaborate on the AWB, just compare one of Blue's weapons (AK-47 semi-automatic clone) with one of the weapons I used to have:

Blue's AK-47 semi auto clone......pistol grip stock (bad), provisions for mounting a bayonet (bad) Flash supressor (bad) and the possibility of using high capacity magazines (bad)

But, appearances aside, it still fires a relatively low powered cartridge, and is useful from a military standpoint mainly because they can take a beating and still fire. The Soviet military no longer uses the weapon, they've moved on to better weapons.

Compared with a hunting rifle I used to have, a Browning BAR......

No appearance issues, looks like a normal hunting rifle, which it is, and fires a much higher powered cartridge than blue's AK.....blue's AK under the AWB=bad, my hunting rifle is perfectly legal.

Pure legislative feel good BS, accomplished nothing, but looked good to the constituents.

[Catlady711]

I personally have never liked guns, I don't even like to look at them, however I tend to agree with my husband, who is (much to my dismay) a gun collector...

'guns don't kill people....people kill people'

It makes sense, people were killing people long before guns were invented, and would continue to do so, just with different means, even if every gun on the entire planet was melted down.