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Just sent this to the ACLU: (2nd Amendment stuff)
11BravoCrunchie
Member Posts: 33,423 ✭✭
I know the ACLU fights to maintain the rights granted to American Citizens in the Bill of Rights, but for some reason, it always seems like the ACLU consistently forgets about one of the Amendments to the Constitution.
Why is it that the ACLU can pick and choose which rights it wants to defend or not? It does not seem very equal, or fair, or (in any definition of the term) right.
The Amendment I'm speaking of is the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Just in case you people don't know what it is, I'll quote it for you, verbatim:
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.
Lets break that down a bit and define it in a more simple way.
"A well-regulated militia"
During the days before, during, and immediately following the American Revolutionary War and our subsequent separation from the Royal British Government, the militia was made up of every-day citizens, not trained soldiers.
"being necessary to the security of a free state"
This was included in the Amendment to point out that freedom is not free, and that it is up to the militia to protect the people of a free nation from anything that would threaten to take away the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution. Again, the militia was made up of every-day citizens who owned firearms, not trained, uniformed, paid, and equipped soldiers like today's National Guard and Reserve forces.
"the right of the people to keep and bear arms"
I don't know if that section of the Amendment could be any more clear. It gives the RIGHT (not privilege) to own and carry firearms to the PEOPLE, not the government.
"shall not be infringed."
Allow me to quote the www.dictionary.com definition:
"in?fringe
-fringed, -fring?ing.
-verb (used with object)
1. to commit a breach or infraction of; violate or transgress: to infringe a copyright; to infringe a rule.
-verb (used without object)
2. to encroach or trespass (usually fol. by on or upon): Don't infringe on his privacy."
It says nothing about "reasonable regulation." In fact, the definition of the word "infringed" says, quite plainly in relation to the 2nd Amendment, that even "reasonable regulation" of firearms in any shape or form is un-Constitutional.
Allow me to sum up:
"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."
What it says is that the citizens of this country have the right and duty to protect the freedoms and rights granted to us by the Constitution of the United States of American and the Bill of Rights by any means necessary, up to and including the use of deadly force by means of firearms.
This Amendment was incorporated by the Founding Fathers of our country so that in the future, the citizens would have the tools available to them to lead a second Revolution against an oppressive, or powerless government to reform the country.
That being said, I shall continue with my non-support of the ACLU until the ACLU starts supporting ALL of the freedoms and rights granted to Citizens of the United States, including those protected by the 2nd Amendment. The fact that the ACLU can willingly choose to completely ignore what very well might be the most important Amendment in the bill of rights is beyond appalling.
Thank you for your time.
Jake Jennerman
Citizen of the United States
Why is it that the ACLU can pick and choose which rights it wants to defend or not? It does not seem very equal, or fair, or (in any definition of the term) right.
The Amendment I'm speaking of is the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Just in case you people don't know what it is, I'll quote it for you, verbatim:
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.
Lets break that down a bit and define it in a more simple way.
"A well-regulated militia"
During the days before, during, and immediately following the American Revolutionary War and our subsequent separation from the Royal British Government, the militia was made up of every-day citizens, not trained soldiers.
"being necessary to the security of a free state"
This was included in the Amendment to point out that freedom is not free, and that it is up to the militia to protect the people of a free nation from anything that would threaten to take away the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution. Again, the militia was made up of every-day citizens who owned firearms, not trained, uniformed, paid, and equipped soldiers like today's National Guard and Reserve forces.
"the right of the people to keep and bear arms"
I don't know if that section of the Amendment could be any more clear. It gives the RIGHT (not privilege) to own and carry firearms to the PEOPLE, not the government.
"shall not be infringed."
Allow me to quote the www.dictionary.com definition:
"in?fringe
-fringed, -fring?ing.
-verb (used with object)
1. to commit a breach or infraction of; violate or transgress: to infringe a copyright; to infringe a rule.
-verb (used without object)
2. to encroach or trespass (usually fol. by on or upon): Don't infringe on his privacy."
It says nothing about "reasonable regulation." In fact, the definition of the word "infringed" says, quite plainly in relation to the 2nd Amendment, that even "reasonable regulation" of firearms in any shape or form is un-Constitutional.
Allow me to sum up:
"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."
What it says is that the citizens of this country have the right and duty to protect the freedoms and rights granted to us by the Constitution of the United States of American and the Bill of Rights by any means necessary, up to and including the use of deadly force by means of firearms.
This Amendment was incorporated by the Founding Fathers of our country so that in the future, the citizens would have the tools available to them to lead a second Revolution against an oppressive, or powerless government to reform the country.
That being said, I shall continue with my non-support of the ACLU until the ACLU starts supporting ALL of the freedoms and rights granted to Citizens of the United States, including those protected by the 2nd Amendment. The fact that the ACLU can willingly choose to completely ignore what very well might be the most important Amendment in the bill of rights is beyond appalling.
Thank you for your time.
Jake Jennerman
Citizen of the United States
Comments
The only thing I saw that I will specifically comment on, is where you state that Amendment II "gives" the right to keep and bear arms.
The Bill of Rights was written to enumerate a number of already existing, e.g. "God-given", or "Natural" Rights and was meant to be a leash on government reference those enumerated rights.
The BOR's, particularly Amendment II, was written to enumerate these rights and with the express purpose of listing them as things that the government was absolutely restrained from screwing with.
Don
If you have the time, I think its 2100 to 2400
NRA.org, you can send him question/comments
"I don't know if that section of the Amendment could be any more clear. It gives the RIGHT (not privilege) to own and carry firearms to the PEOPLE, not the government."
The Second Amendment does not 'give' a right....
The Second Amendment recognizes and affirms the pre-existing right of the people to keep and bear arms.
Zulu7...
"I don't know if that section of the Amendment could be any more clear. It gives the RIGHT (not privilege) to own and carry firearms to the PEOPLE, not the government."
The Second Amendment does not 'give' a right....
The Second Amendment recognizes and affirms the pre-existing right of the people to keep and bear arms.
If you read all of the replies up to this point, you'll see that that point was previously established.
It's a shame that they choose to decide which amendments they care to defend[:(]
"The Amendment I'm speaking of is the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Just in case you people don't know what it is, I'll quote it for you, verbatim:"
Maybe if you correspond with DWS, he would be willing to help you rewrite your letter for greater impact.