Where is it written that 2nd Amend is to keep Govt. in Check?

[Synthaholic]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

 

[TNHarley]

It's not a long amendment so lets break it down in the language of the day. "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."

The militia are not regular military but instead are citizens free to pursue their usual occupations yet when called upon for defense they gather their arms and answer the call. Pay attention to the fact the founders were referring to the militia of a country. Those who insisted this be an amendment to the Constitution understood a state to be, as the 1828 dictionary and other historical documents of the day support, an independent nation. The 2nd Amendment was in place to remind the newly formed federal or general government each state's citizenry would be armed and ready to defend themselves should the need arise.

 

[nodoginnafight]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Well .... it's not in the Constitution

But it's in the Turner Diaries

Does that help?

 

[hazlnut]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Wayne Lapierre wrote it in his book.

And Timothy McVeigh used to hand out pamphlets promoting that notion.

 

[StevenC]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Seperation of Church and State doesn't appear in the constitution either.
But both come from the same source. Thomas Jefferson.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Are you blind? It's right there next to "Abortion Rights".

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Are you blind? It's right there next to "Abortion Rights".

Awesome...

 

[yidnar]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Wayne Lapierre wrote it in his book.

And Timothy McVeigh used to hand out pamphlets promoting that notion.

why do you insist on comparing gun owners to terrorists ??

 

[Synthaholic]

It's not a long amendment so lets break it down in the language of the day. "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."

The militia are not regular military but instead are citizens free to pursue their usual occupations yet when called upon for defense they gather their arms and answer the call. Pay attention to the fact the founders were referring to the militia of a country. Those who insisted this be an amendment to the Constitution understood a state to be, as the 1828 dictionary and other historical documents of the day support, an independent nation. The 2nd Amendment was in place to remind the newly formed federal or general government each state's citizenry would be armed and ready to defend themselves should the need arise.

Do you have anything to back this up?

The 2nd reads as militias fighting for America not fighting the American government.

 

[nodoginnafight]

Wingnuts keep saying the Second Amendment is to keep the government in check.

Where is this written in the Constitution?

Wayne Lapierre wrote it in his book.

And Timothy McVeigh used to hand out pamphlets promoting that notion.

why do you insist on comparing gun owners to terrorists ??

He is comparing people who believe they have a right to own a gun so that they can use it against the United States government to terrorists.
Big difference.

 

[eflatminor]

The 2nd reads as militias fighting for America not fighting the American government.

It most certainly does not. It says we have the right to keep and bear arms and to form militias because that is necessary for a free state to remain secure. It does not limit who might encroach on that security and as we all know, tyranny can come from within one's own government as well as from foreign invaders.

 

[Oddball]

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

"...to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

-- George Mason


Those took me about a minute to find.

 

[rightwinger]

It's not a long amendment so lets break it down in the language of the day. "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."

The militia are not regular military but instead are citizens free to pursue their usual occupations yet when called upon for defense they gather their arms and answer the call. Pay attention to the fact the founders were referring to the militia of a country. Those who insisted this be an amendment to the Constitution understood a state to be, as the 1828 dictionary and other historical documents of the day support, an independent nation. The 2nd Amendment was in place to remind the newly formed federal or general government each state's citizenry would be armed and ready to defend themselves should the need arise.

The founding fathers did not envision the need for a standing Army at the time. They envisioned local and state militias being called up to defend the nation when needed

Having no money to arm militias, they depended on each militaiman to provide his own arms

 

[nodoginnafight]

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

"...to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

-- George Mason


Those took me about a minute to find.

hmmmmm. That didn't make it into the Constitution did it?

 

[Oddball]

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

"...to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

-- George Mason


Those took me about a minute to find.

hmmmmm. That didn't make it into the Constitution did it?

Neither did the Federalist and Anti-federalist papers, which both went into explicit detail as to why that various provisions of the Constitution were put into place.

Your point being?

 

[Synthaholic]

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

"...to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

-- George Mason


Those took me about a minute to find.

If these were such important sentiments, shared by the founders, why are they not included in the Constitution?

I shouldn't have to read Jefferson's private papers to learn his feelings. On page 334, no less.

 

[Synthaholic]

The REAL reason:


http://www.usmessageboard.com/polit...endment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery.html

 

[Oddball]

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1 Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

"...to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."

-- George Mason


Those took me about a minute to find.

If these were such important sentiments, shared by the founders, why are they not included in the Constitution?

I shouldn't have to read Jefferson's private papers to learn his feelings. On page 334, no less.

Irrelevant.

 

[TNHarley]

It's not a long amendment so lets break it down in the language of the day. "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."

The militia are not regular military but instead are citizens free to pursue their usual occupations yet when called upon for defense they gather their arms and answer the call. Pay attention to the fact the founders were referring to the militia of a country. Those who insisted this be an amendment to the Constitution understood a state to be, as the 1828 dictionary and other historical documents of the day support, an independent nation. The 2nd Amendment was in place to remind the newly formed federal or general government each state's citizenry would be armed and ready to defend themselves should the need arise.

Do you have anything to back this up?

The 2nd reads as militias fighting for America not fighting the American government.

Where does it say that? Pretty sure it just says "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."

 

[nodoginnafight]

I really wish some numbskull would actually trot into a courtroom and make that argument.

It wouldn't make it past the Ootapoo, Kentucky municipal night traffic court magistrate.