hatvol96
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In a manner that would conform it to its intent. The drafters and signers of the Constitution realized a public that could not protect itself against tyrannical government activity was powerless. Thus, it chose to create a system in which citizen militias would act as a counterbalance to government might. I would interpret the Amendment to be more of a collective right than an individual one. Had the founding fathers felt differently, they would have placed the initial clause in the 2nd.How would you interpret the language?
In a manner that would conform it to its intent. The drafters and signers of the Constitution realized a public that could not protect itself against tyrannical government activity was powerless. Thus, it chose to create a system in which citizen militias would act as a counterbalance to government might. I would interpret the Amendment to be more of a collective right than an individual one. Had the founding fathers felt differently, they would have placed the initial clause in the 2nd.
Look at the history of pre-Consitution America. The colonies rebelled and formed states with separate state governments. The states carried over colonial militias - armies of citizenry who were armed for the purposes of defense of the states. The state militias were the initial forces that fought against British troops.
With what brought rebellion and defense to the table we see the same notion included in the Constitution. It was the states themselves that ratified the Constitution. It was through this state notion that militias remained. It was through each of these states and their militias that freedom was ensured. The right to bear arms was for the purposes of protecting the states. Technically this is a collective right rather than an individual right.
And it is not a guaranteed right since certain categories (felons) have that removed without this being stated in the Constitution. Regulation is also continued as well. Free speech is regulated. Assembly is regulated, etc.
I've read all of that and more. And again, read the history before and during the Revolutionary War as well. A militia is a state entity and a collective one. Read the state charters as well as colonial and state constitutions of that period. Don't just cherry pick one opinion as well. You do realize you can find an opinion on every side possible outcome possible in Constitutional Law.
I'm not sure why you assumed I confused regulation and forfeiture. Gun ownership is regulated among non-felons. As for felons forfeiting their rights, can you tell me where this is in the Constitution? Where does it say a felon in any regard forfeits his rights to gun ownership? Where does it say a right to life is forfeited? Inalienable right of life is not mentioned in any respect to be forfeited.
Again, if you are referring to one single court's decision, you don't understand the court. You act as if this decision is etched in stone. It does not take much to find a ruling much less get one in the history of the court. A Heller decision today could be something completely different tomorrow. You can find opposing views throughout the history of the court. You can keep repeating Heller until your fingers hurt from typing it. But because this was decided in this manner doesn't make it right or permanent - same goes with any other case before the court.
You actually proved my point on the limitations. What is the definition of a 'right'? If limitations are agreed upon and you admit they can exist, where is the bar set? Who sets that bar? There is a right and you admit a limitation. But there is no established standard at how far one can limit. No one has a pure right. Your rights do have limits. Who decides those limits? The government - all three branches can limit your rights. They cannot take away this collective right. But they can limit it. DC placed limits on possession of a hand gun but not on rifles and shotguns. Government can limit types of guns and waiting periods but they cannot completely remove it.
And that is my point. The 2A had the original intent to ensure the same means that were used to give us a free nation were constitutionally guaranteed. The point was a collective right for citizens to possess arms for the purposes of militias to collectively protect themselves from tyranny of government. The same history that put the founders in a position to create the Constitution was ensured for that purpose. This as well as other aspects of the Constitution were to place checks or pure limits on the power of government. The threat was a standing national army under the same conditions as the British Army - a national force well trained and armed to enforce its will and even tyranny on the people. The only check on that is through the collective militias. David Koresh and a few cultists learned their right to bear arms meant spit when faced with overwhelming force. Where we are on original intent and current conditions are far apart. Even a 'militia' would not matter since clearly what was feared in a standing national and permanent army is well established. If Obama declared martial law today and used the power of the military, what exists in people's homes would not matter.
Or, you could require that people that own guns keep them much more secure than a glove compartment or a console. That might help, too.
For petty criminals, a gun they can steal and then sell (or use themselves) is as valuable as cash or jewelry.
I defended a case a few years back. A 16 year old kid and his buddies like to break into cars and steal CDs and what not. They do this recreationally, just kids getting into mischief. They aren't career criminals. They are in high school together.
One weekend they go on one of their little sprees and this time they find a handgun.
The next Monday, the kid brings it to school to show off. Long story short he is driving away from the school and his friend is in the back seat looking at it, it goes off, bullet goes through the front seat and into the driver, killing him.
Gun was legal on Saturday. On Monday it killed someone.
I would have thought the reason I cite Heller would be obvious, it's a Supreme Court ruling. You make it sould like Heller is some lower court decision. Not only that but the part about bearing personal arms for personal use was explicit. It's not like there's a great big stack of reversed SCOTUS opinions, much less those that explicit on a subject and about a Bill of Rights amendment at that.
A "right" is something you have, not what is bestowed. That a "right" can be limited does not conflict with it being a right. If that's something you can't reconcile in your own mind I can't help that. That the extent and implementation of these limitations has, is and will be a hotly contested subject is something I've neither ignored nor denied.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT MILITIAS. The individual right of SELF defense is the most basic right available to anyone. If a large group of dudes started busting down my door at this very moment my Glock is the only thing between them and me. The cops are not here and won't be here before they get through the door. I'm not a small man but I don't think I could take more than two, and THAT'S assuming they don't have weapons themselves. And I live alone, God help me if I had a wife or children I couldn't protect. A militia won't help me. I either have a personal right to arm myself for the purpose of protection or I accept the fact that it's tragic but sometimes bad things happen to good people and hey, feces happens. To that end I reject, wholly and with malice, the idea that my right to be armed for defense of myself or loved ones is predicated on some historical concept of a militia.
As for federal martial law or a large move to disarm regular citizens there's going to be plenty of those meant to enforce that idea going to be changing sides. Not to mention it's becoming a real question if many states would even recognize it. TN just joined the ranks of states with legislation bucking up the 10th Amendment as well as recently passing legislation that SPECIFICALLY protects gun owners under state martial law. Obama and federal martial law would find a very chilly reception in many states, including this one.
Which party were you defending (i.e., kid who accidentally shot his friend, original gun owner who left the gun in the car, other)?
I assume, based upon your comments that it was the kid. If you defended the original gun owner (i.e., negligence) what was your defense or what would it have been?
So because some F,ing idiot might steal my gun and shoot smoeone, I should not be able to carry one? Please tell me you are not an attorney making this BS argument!!!!
You're right. It is ONE SCOTUS ruling. But one ruling does not make it right or permanent as I said before. One ruling can be overturned or picked apart. And there are numerous changes on rulings in the history of SCOTUS. The death penalty is one where it went from constitutional, to unconstitutional, to constitutional with a strict test. This period was all in a very short amount of time. If you use one ruling as basis of something truly being right or permanent, you do not understand the court.
You say a right is something you have and not something bestowed. But earlier you mentioned a forfeiture of that right. Where is 'forfeiture' constitutional? Who has that right to take away another's rights? Who determines the standard being crossed? You cannot have it both ways.
You don't care about militias? So you're cherry picking the Constitution? You're ignoring the basis of the 2A. You're ignoring the history behind it and what caused it to be included in the Bill of Rights. As for busting down your door, do you think that group cares about your rights? By that point they could care less. But the militia is something that group would have to fear or have a concern about. It would make them think twice about busting down your door. This is the concept facing the colonists. British troops cared less about some single individual farmer with his musket. But the militias they faced in response were something to be feared. The potential response of a local militia well armed and trained gave them concern over tyrannical use of power. The well regulated, armed, and trained local militias held power in check. It held the standing army and the power behind it in check. Right after Concord and Lexington, the British tended to remain holed up in cities to avoid skirmishes with building up militias.
Read the concept of creating standing armies. Most of the founders absolutely despised the notion of standing, especially permanent armies. Since states were the entities of focus and collective voices of liberty, their only checks were militias.
I am not arguing my own current opinion on the matter. I am only spelling out original intent and where the 2A saw its origins from. I know the word 'collective' has become a current boogey word but the whole notion of arms and the 2A is a collective notion of protecting the people, especially the states, against the potential for abuse of power from the government. It is a collective power held in check by the mention of militias. Each personal reference in the 2A is a collective plural reference and is intended as a check against the power of the federal government.
I think we have plenty of history where what was intended in the original design and what has been settled over the years in the court's decisions are two different things. Using one opinion proves nothing except the opinion of one court on one issue. If this one opinion was truly permanent and the gospel truth, why worry about ANY court appointment? Why look into Sotomayor's background to see what she feels?
Yes, and yes.