Our constitution provides limits on government in order to
protect every individual’s God given inalienable rights. The right to defend your life, those around
you and your property existed long before the establishment of government and
is often referred to as a “natural right”; perhaps to assuage the small
percentage of folks who would rather avoid involving our Maker’s hand in things.
It has taken nearly two hundred years for our Supreme Court
to validate the 2nd Amendment and clarify our founder’s intentions;
that Individuals have the right to own and bear arms; that this right was not
singularly for those serving as militia members. At one time there was a short explanation of the Supreme
Court’s District of Columbia
v. Heller ruling at FindLaw dot com which covered the essentials, which is quoted here; but not linked with a
specific URL.
“Prior to the Supreme Court’s 2008
decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, the courts had yet to
definitively state what right the Second Amendment protected. The opposing
theories, perhaps oversimplified, were (1) an “individual rights” approach,
whereby the Amendment protected individuals’ rights to firearm ownership,
possession, and transportation; and (2) a “states’ rights” approach, under
which the Amendment only protected the right to keep and bear arms in
connection with organized state militia units. Moreover, it was generally
believed that the Amendment was only a bar to federal action, not to state or municipal
restraints.
However, the Supreme Court has now definitively held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that weapon for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Moreover, this right applies not just to the federal government, but to states and municipalities as well.”
However, the Supreme Court has now definitively held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that weapon for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Moreover, this right applies not just to the federal government, but to states and municipalities as well.”
Not wishing to appear obtuse; but where in the 2nd
Amendment does it say an individual’s God given right to keep and bear Arms is
limited to his/her home? I’ll save you the trouble, it doesn’t.
Government is limited; an individuals right to keep and bear arms “shall not be
infringed”, no different than an individual’s right to free speech.
This morning there’s an AP article which appeared on the Fox
News website, House Approves Concealed Firearm Permit Bill .
“A state permit to carry a concealed firearm would be valid in almost every state in the country under legislation the House passed Wednesday.”
A majority of folks in Congress are attempting to move in
the right direction. Those who voiced opinions against this legislation lack
faith in the citizenry which placed them in office and the individuals who are America; perhaps lacking faith in the very
foundations upon which America
was built. There was a sentence in the
article which brought me back to the keyboard to write today’s article.
“Under the House legislation, people with a concealed carry permit in one state could carry a concealed weapon in every other state that gives people the right to carry concealed weapons.”
Maybe I should highlight the part which jumped out at me, “…every
other state that gives people the right to carry concealed weapons”. States do not give rights, God gives
rights. States hand out entitlements,
permission, grants and many other things; but their powers are limited and they
can only obstruct or usurp individual’s God given rights. If you gain no other information this day,
understanding this one principle of government is what separates America from
all others. Our founders recognized God
as the Author of Liberty and the only Being capable of
bestowing rights.
You and I have the right and the responsibility to properly
defend our lives and property by whatever means is prudent and necessary, to
include deadly force. The right to own
and bear arms was defined and recorded in the Bill of Rights and cannot be
taken away except under specific judicial action as pertain to being of sound
mind or having been convicted of a felony rendering that individual unfit;
regardless of which State you happen to find yourself.
In all likelihood the issue of being able to use one State’s
concealed handgun permit in other States is a moot point; the left leaning Senate has
not addressed the issue and even if such a bill were to pass it would require
Obama’s signature to become law. Obama
has in recent days pressured members of the Senate to ratify the U.N. Small Arms Treaty which would, in
effect, do away with the 2nd Amendment.
Do the elections in 2012 make a difference? Mind you, the person we elect to the Oval
Office gets to pick vacancies on the Supreme Court, sign into law pieces of
legislation or veto that legislation; all of which affect each and every
individual.
This article has been cross posted to
The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The
Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
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