The 2nd Amendment

[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.

[cassiesmom]

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.

LH, thank you for clarifying what I was trying to say. Another sad thing, to me, is that you only hear about the most tragic ones, like Jennifer Hudson's family members. I'm sure there are incidents that never even make the news.

[blue]

"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Co-author of the Second Amendment
during Virginia's Convention to Ratify the Constitution, 1788

"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves …"
Richard Henry Lee
writing in Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republic, Letter XVIII, May, 1788.

"And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the Press, or the rights of Conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms; …"
Samuel Adams
quoted in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, August 20, 1789, "Propositions submitted to the Convention of this State"

"Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
George Washington
First President of the United States

"Those who hammer their guns into plowshares will plow for those who do not."
Thomas Jefferson
Third President of the United States

[jennielynn1970]

So, how do you keep the guns out of the hands of criminals?

What about the guy who shot those people on Halloween, he was a felon, and he had a gun. How do you stop something like that??

What do you do when the local police are just too apathetic to do anything about this? Or when their numbers keep going down, and the criminal element keeps increasing??

[blue]

So, how do you keep the guns out of the hands of criminals?

What about the guy who shot those people on Halloween, he was a felon, and he had a gun. How do you stop something like that??

What do you do when the local police are just too apathetic to do anything about this? Or when their numbers keep going down, and the criminal element keeps increasing??

Thank you for showwing why disarming legal citizens is a dangerous idea.

If only the government and criminals are armed, unarmed law abiding citizens would have 2 tyrannical masters.

[jennielynn1970]

Thank you for showwing why disarming legal citizens is a dangerous idea.

If only the government and criminals are armed, unarmed law abiding citizens would have 2 tyrannical masters.

That may show why disarming legal citizens is a dangerous idea, but you didn't give any answers.

Have any?? No sarcasm intended. I'm serious about it.

[Karen]

In my opinion, we need not more laws regarding gun control, but more enforcement of the laws we have.

[blue]

1. Reforming the structure of the BATF would be a start.

2. Stricter enforcement of those on parole or probation, starting with more funds for the officers in charge of enforcement as well as more officers.

3. Enforcing the laws allready on the books rather then writing more laws.

4. Firearm safety training in public schools again.