Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Congresspeople Who Don't Understand The 2nd Amendment

The following comes from an article about the desires of certain congresspeople to limit high-capacity magazines for weapons:
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) said the bill banning high-capacity magazines would benefit U.S. national security as well as the country’s public health, adding that Congress has refused to act on gun-violence prevention for too long.

“High-capacity magazines are not needed for hunting. They are not needed for self-defense. They aren’t designed to be a useful tool for the millions of smart and safe and responsible gun owners in America,” he said. “Their only use and the way they have been used time and time again is to kill on a mass scale – dozens of people on one go.”
The 2nd Amendment doesn't exist so Americans can hunt. The 2nd Amendment doesn't exist so Americans can defend themselves from robbers and rapists.  The 2nd Amendment exists as a bulwark against the tyranny of government.  It's the final check on governmental power.  

That shouldn't be just a conservative view, that should be an American view.  Alas, it's pretty much just a conservative view anymore.

3 comments:

Left Coast Conservative said...

I can sum this up more succinctly: The 2nd Amendment exists to preserve the capability of The People to shoot Congressional members whenever they go off into the weeds of Tyranny.

Steve USMA '85 said...

I doubt one person in a 100 realizes that is the purpose of the 2nd Amendment. Sad that we have lost our understanding of why this Country exists after only a mere 200 years.

Darren said...

Steve, I went to a pretty good school that used to teach about the Constitution :)

LCC: I wouldn't be so specific, especially after that nutjob shot up the congressmen at a baseball game. My reading of 2A, with reference to the (local/state) militia, along with an understanding that a standing army would be small indeed, tells me that just having the ability to physically challenge a tyrannical govt was probably threat enough. I can't imagine shooting congressmen was the goal, though. Perhaps removing/replacing a tyrannical govt.

It's too bad The Federalist Papers couldn't address the amendments!