Our First Freedom

[Yusuf Evans]

"As the Roman orator Cicero put it two thousand years ago, 'There exists a law, not written down anywhere but inborn in our hearts; a law that comes to us not by training or custom or reading but from nature itself...That, if our lives are endangered, any and every method of protecting ourselves is morally right.'

It's no coincidence that the American Revolution was sparked by British troops attempting to seize the colonists' arms at Lexington and Concord. No less than the urban single mother of today, who lives behind the barred windows where the police fear to tread, the colonists understood the awesome power and protection of the right to keep and bear arms.

When all else fails, it is the one right that prevails. It alone offers the absolute capacity to live free from fear. It is the one right that allows 'rights' to exist at all. That is why the Second Amendment-the right to keep and bear arms-is our first freedom as Americans."
-Charlton Heston


Comments, ideas?

 

[epitamyofthe9]

personly i don't agree with the "any and every method being morally right" idea but i think that there is an extension of youre morally right opitions when you are defending youre self

 

[gwenmead]

Hmm. Interesting thought. But I have to ask why our "first freedom" wasn't made into the First Amendment.

I think I kind of see the point, though. I understand why the right to bear arms would be right up there as an important one. Being able to possess and use weapons is a vital part of being able to fight for and defend one's rights.

I, for one, would certainly do whatever was necessary to protect myself, in any given situation.

 

[fantochechaussette]

Do you honestly think a bunch of hicks with rifles would be able to put up much of a fight against any modern military? Even if you have a stockpile of 1,000 assorted guns and ammo they could wipe you out with the press of a button. Not much of a deterrent against tyranny there...

 

[Electric Sceptic]

It continually amazes me that christians - who are supposed to be apart from the world, not of it, who follow a man who said to turn the other cheek - fight for the right to bear weapons.

 

[kopilo]

I find that a sensationalised piece of writting in some parts, especially "awesome power and protection of the right to keep and bear arms."

 

[kopilo]

I, for one, would certainly do whatever was necessary to protect myself, in any given situation.

you may find that this sense of protecting yourself ties in very closely to a natural instinct of survivial..

 

[quantumspirit]

but their sales and production need to be regulated and protected with background checks. The second amendment does say something about a well regulated militia. The problem with gun control today is that it is not enforced the way it should be. Gun manufacturers and their lobbyists in the NRA create loopholes to make it legal to sell guns unnecessary for personal use to those rich and powerful enough to afford lawyers who help them circumvent the law, creating backdoor sales of assault weapons. This is how outlaws get their uzis and AK47's, and the rest of us get stuck with .22 guage.

Personally, I am not into guns or hunting. I am a computer nerd who believes in background checks before you can buy a computer or computer parts.

 

[Cerberus~]

Do you honestly think a bunch of hicks with rifles would be able to put up much of a fight against any modern military? Even if you have a stockpile of 1,000 assorted guns and ammo they could wipe you out with the press of a button. Not much of a deterrent against tyranny there...

A well-organized insurgency can fight a war against even our military, as the past 2 years in Iraq have proven.

 

[kopilo]

A well-organized insurgency can fight a war against even our military, as the past 2 years in Iraq have proven.

not to mention private armies.. or even radical groups..

 

[Spinrad]

You can no more control gun ownership than you can prohibit drug use or pornography. You can talk about, legislate it and even strong arm it, but you can never really control it. You simply make millionairs out of those who deal in guns.

Another thing you can't control is that people who shouldn't die will die. Wring all the hands you want, they are still going to die.

All that being said, only soldiers and cowards need guns. As for Chuck....he should always keep his handy on the odd chance we ever meet.

 

[quantumspirit]

A well-organized insurgency can fight a war against even our military, as the past 2 years in Iraq have proven.

Also don't forget that the Iraqis have homefield advantage against us, which is important in athletics and warfare.

 

[justanobserver]

Also don't forget that the Iraqis have homefield advantage against us, which is important in athletics and warfare.

well, that may be true and all but we got better lookin cheerleaders.

 

[quantumspirit]

well, that may be true and all but we got better lookin cheerleaders.

Really? I don't think Bush, Cheney, Rice, and Rumsfeld are that good looking!

 

[Dragons87]

All of you guys need to sell your property and relocate to Hong Kong - where although guns are strictly controlled, there aren't psychopaths who murder people for fun or high school kids, unable to control themselves, go on a shooting rampage.

Guns doesn't improve the security of society. Tackling the core problems will.

 

[Rygel]

You can no more control gun ownership than you can prohibit drug use or pornography. You can talk about, legislate it and even strong arm it, but you can never really control it. You simply make millionairs out of those who deal in guns.

A machine gun goes for between $72,000 and ~$500,000 on the open market in the United States, depending on the type of machine gun.

 

[hernyaccent]

I don't really see a reason to own a gun. Never would waste my time or money with that. However, as long as you follow your state law guidelines I see no issue with it.

 

[kopilo]

I don't really see a reason to own a gun. Never would waste my time or money with that. However, as long as you follow your state law guidelines I see no issue with it.

So would you consider gun laws to be your first right?

 

[kopilo]

You can no more control gun ownership than you can prohibit drug use or pornography.

Pornography is proberly harder to control as it can be transported via computer networks such as the internet, eg. p2p.

 

[hernyaccent]

So would you consider gun laws to be your first right?

No. I believe there are rights far more important that serve a purpose for al US Citizens not just those who choose to act upon their right to carry gun. Heck, here in NYC I don't even have the right to carry a gun outside of my property.