What did the guys who wrote up the Constitution and fight for independence and all that"stuff" have to say about Americans owning guns?
“I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few politicians.” – George Mason, co-author of the 2nd Amendment.
“A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves.” – Richard Henry Lee.
“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.
“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence.” – George Washington
“Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” – Patrick Henry.
“The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.” – Alexander Hamilton.
“I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.” – Thomas Jefferson.
“To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them.” – George Mason.
“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe.” – Noah Webster.
“Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike the people of other countries, whose leaders are afraid to trust them with arms.” – James Madison.
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin.
“A free people ought to be armed.” – George Washington.
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” – Thomas Jefferson.
“The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.” – George Washington. [That's one of my favorites of all time, and I whole-heartedly agree. I think Robert Heinlein paraphrased him by saying something like (my paraphrasing) "Guns make people polite" - El Queso]
Intent can also be shown when looking at the evolution of the text of the 2nd Amendment and the wording that State constitutions used as well.
The fact is, if people want to get rid of guns in the States, or control them even more tightly than they currently are, it's fine, do it - legally. Get Congress to create an amendment, have them vote 2/3 to pass it on for ratification, and then have 3/4 of the State legislatures in the country ratify it and you can have complete control of guns in the US.
Until then, maybe we are faced with people like this:
“We’ll go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, we’ll go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in but we're going to get health care reform passed for the America people." - Ex-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
I would add, when referring to doing something "for the American People" -
whether they like it or not. Maybe barely half the country wanted "Obama Care" and it got shoved down
ALL of our throats. Is that really Democracy?
I'd be happy to see the US break up. Not because I'm not a patriot - but rather because
I am. To me, the US has lost its way in it's desire to control the world and even its own people's lives in a micromanaged hell that the founders of the US saw coming and still would turn cartwheels in their graves from frustration. As Khairy seems to be intimating, let the US break up into smaller groups who are more homogenous among themselves as far as their beliefs go and let's quit trying to force everyone into the same slot.
I've never even owned a gun in my life. My father was in the army and learned quite a bit about handling weapons. He had a .22 rifle that we would go out and shoot in the woods (he still has it for killing varmints on his property), I love the feeling of targeting something and hitting it (I target shoot, I don't really care for hunting), the feeling of the kick as you realize that you are harnessing a great amount of power, me, homo sapiens, a tool user, handling a piece of technology. I've never fired a pistol, much less owned one. But a good friend of mine in Texas has a permit to carry concealed. He is by far one of the least violent people I know on this planet. He carries it for defense. I don't agree with him, myself - I think it more likely to cause trouble, but I wouldn't force my way of thinking on him and there are certainly circumstances when it would be excellent to find one's self armed.
Neither myself, my father nor my good friend in Austin have ever gone on a rampage and killed anyone. No one we know has ever done so. I'm betting no one that we know that they know, know anyone who have. Heh. All the gum-flapping about the danger guns represent is so exaggerated by those who would control us and echoed by people who for some reason feel the need to make the world "perfect" - according to their image, perfectly safe, with no danger to anyone, ever. Or at least work toward that no matter the cost. Other motivations I really can't imagine.
We'll never get there. Or if we do, we won't be human any more. The relative peace a fraction of us feel, people born in relatively free countries, is a recent, fragile, and most likely temporal state. Earth will soon (time is relative) become only one little spot in the universe that hosts human beings. We will expand throughout the solar system at some point (if we don't destroy ourselves first) and probably even to the stars in some form. We will always fight. We will always have our flaws. They just won't be the same ones we have today.
Peace is not the natural state of life. Pretending otherwise is sticking one's head in the sand and ignoring reality. Be ready to defend your rights your own self if need be.
