Why I love the 2nd Amendment......

[OldWiseGuy]

and why we shouldn't tolerate anyone who would infringe it.

I love the 2nd Amendment because it is the one instrument of liberty that not only preserves American freedom, but the freedom of the entire world. No other law, no matter how comprehensive or eloquent, compares to this 'declaration of freedom in a single sentence'.

Only a government that fears it's own people seeks to disarm them. In the face of falling violent crime rates our president is considering limiting our gun rights by executive order.

He doesn't fear armed insurrection, but political consequences from the left if he doesn't placate their insistence on limiting those rights. He must 'win' this fight or be seen as a weak leader, which will surely jeopardize his other liberal programs, and his legacy.

Just as the torch of preserving freedom is passed by conservatives the torch of repression of rights is passed by the liberals. They expand the 'rights' of the 1st Amendment with one hand while at the same time picking our pocket of the 2nd with the other.

These people are tyrants (albeit often unwitting), and are the most compelling reason to reinforce and expand our 2nd Amendment rights.

"The best defense is a good offense."

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Agreed.

 

[A2SG]

No one, not the President or anyone else, is trying to take everyone's guns away.

No one.

So knock off the paranoia.

Now, can anyone out there explain to me, in reasonable terms, why any responsible gun owner needs assault weapons?

-- A2SG, and while you're at it, what's wrong with regulations given the specific wording of the second amendment (you know the "well-regulated militia" part, the one lots of people seem to conveniently overlook)....

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

For the purpose defined by the second amendment.

Amendment II
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.

Bill of Rights Transcript Text

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Supreme Court Decisions on the Second Amendment

 

[A2SG]

For the purpose defined by the second amendment.

What do well regulated militias need assault weapons for? Well, other than the ones created by and maintained by the federal government, aka the Army, et al?

-- A2SG, and what are those regulations, by the way.....

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Break into my home tonight around 2 AM and find out. Just kidding. But, I don't recommend breaking into ANY home in Alabama. I been to the public gun ranges here and I've seen what people own. Things you normally only see in James Bond movies.

Come on, is it really that difficult a concept to understand? What did the militia do in the war that preceeded the writing of the US Constitution?

Look what happened in the LA riots back when Rodney King was beaten up on TV. The stores protected by owners standing on roofs with AR-15s and AK-47s were not attacked. Stores not protected were looted, smashed, and in some cases burned. I happened to be in LA and saw the smoke across the city myself.

Another case - tornadoes hit us in 2011. Hundreds of tornadoes. Our power goes out to half the state. Next day, 30 break ins, shootings, robberies. Next day after that, Sheriff authorizes "shoot on sight" if people come on your property after sunset. Guess how many breakins happend that night? How many people shot? ZERO. Why? Criminals knew we are well armed.

 

[A2SG]

Break into my home tonight around 2 AM and find out.

The second amendment says nothing about the protection of your own private property.

And, since you seem to be claiming to be a gun owner, may I ask which well regulated militia you are a part of?

Come on, is it really that difficult a concept to understand? What did the militia do in the war that preceeded the writing of the US Constitution?

Overthrow the existing form of government.

But that isn't really at issue here, since I specifically asked about assault weapons, which did not exist prior to 1787.

-- A2SG, still unclear on what responsible gun owners need assault weapons for....

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

The second amendment says nothing about the protection of your own private property.

And, since you seem to be claiming to be a gun owner, may I ask which well regulated militia you are a part of?



Overthrow the existing form of government.

But that isn't really at issue here, since I specifically asked about assault weapons, which did not exist prior to 1787.

-- A2SG, still unclear on what responsible gun owners need assault weapons for....

Read about the Supreme court decisions on the second amendment.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/29scotus.html

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, said the right to self-defense protected by the Second Amendment was fundamental to the American conception of ordered liberty.

 

[A2SG]

Look what happened in the LA riots back when Rodney King was beaten up on TV. The stores protected by owners standing on roofs with AR-15s and AK-47s were not attacked. Stores not protected were looted, smashed, and in some cases burned. I happened to be in LA and saw the smoke across the city myself.

Another case - tornadoes hit us in 2011. Hundreds of tornadoes. Our power goes out to half the state. Next day, 30 break ins, shootings, robberies. Next day after that, Sheriff authorizes "shoot on sight" if people come on your property after sunset. Guess how many breakins happend that night? How many people shot? ZERO. Why? Criminals knew we are well armed.

Again, that's about protection of your personal property rights, an issue the second amendment does not specifically address.

And further, that goal does not require the use of assault weapons. If you're facing a looter, a handgun would work just as well, you don't need an AK-47 to do the job.

So, once again, what does a responsible gun owner need with assault weapons?

-- A2SG, and please note that I'm not asking about all guns, just those specific types....

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Read post 10. How you know a handgun would work just as well? You have no idea whether I live in the city or country, and apartment or a mansion, etc. How many criminals you shot to be an "expert" on this?

 

[A2SG]

Read about the Supreme court decisions on the second amendment.

www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/29scotus.html

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, said the right to self-defense protected by the Second Amendment was fundamental to the American conception of ordered liberty.

Self defense does not require assault weapons.

So, again....

-- A2SG, oh you know the question.....

 

[A2SG]

Read post 10. How you know a handgun would work just as well? You have no idea whether I live in the city or country, and apartment or a mansion, etc. How many criminals you shot to be an "expert" on this?

I'm not an expert. Hell, I've never even handled a gun, and I never want to.

But it doesn't take an expert to know that you don't need an assault weapon to stop an individual looter.

-- A2SG, if you're facing an army of them, well, I'd say the problem has gone beyond self defense, and it's time for those well regulated militias we keep hearing about....

 

[OldWiseGuy]

No one, not the President or anyone else, is trying to take everyone's guns away.

No one.

So knock off the paranoia.

The president wants to inflict another of the 'death by a thousand' cuts to the 2nd Amendment.

Now, can anyone out there explain to me, in reasonable terms, why any responsible gun owner needs assault weapons?

An 'assault' weapon has 'select fire' capabilities. These are not available to the general public.

, and while you're at it, what's wrong with regulations given the specific wording of the second amendment (you know the "well-regulated militia" part, the one lots of people seem to conveniently overlook)..

"A well-regulated militia" is not a 'constitutional regulation' regarding the composition, discipline, or capabilities of a militia.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I'm not an expert. Hell, I've never even handled a gun, and I never want to.

That's ok, we'll protect you.

 

[KarateCowboy]

So, once again, what does a responsible gun owner need with assault weapons?

The same thing I do with my katana; he has a fun time.

That said, it's natural law and self-evident that the government derives its powers by delegation from the people like you and I. If you and I do not have the right to own assault weapons then we cannot delegate that right to the government since we do not have it and cannot delegate something we do not have. So then, doesn't it follow that the government does not have the right to posses assault weapons?

Finally, I must know: why the fear-mongering?

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

I'm not an expert. Hell, I've never even handled a gun, and I never want to.

But it doesn't take an expert to know that you don't need an assault weapon to stop an individual looter.

-- A2SG, if you're facing an army of them, well, I'd say the problem has gone beyond self defense, and it's time for those well regulated militias we keep hearing about....

How about the lady in Atlanta who shot the intruder 5 times with a .38 caliber revolver, and he got up, got in his car, and drove off? What if a second intruder had been with him? She obviously could not have reloaded in time to stop a second. What if the guy had continued forward and killed her?

As for me, I'm not totally sold on the rapture theory, so just in case, I'm ready to take out a few demons before I get killed. Watch the part of this movie around 1:36. When that happens, I lay down my weapon for good!

Megiddo The Omega Code 2 (English) - YouTube

 

[OldWiseGuy]

So, once again, what does a responsible gun owner need with assault weapons?

Having told you what a real assault weapon is let me rephrase your question for you:

"Why does a responsible gun owner need a gun that looks like an assault weapon?"

 

[Darkhorse]

No one, not the President or anyone else, is trying to take everyone's guns away.

No one.

So knock off the paranoia.

Now, can anyone out there explain to me, in reasonable terms, why any responsible gun owner needs assault weapons?

-- A2SG, and while you're at it, what's wrong with regulations given the specific wording of the second amendment (you know the "well-regulated militia" part, the one lots of people seem to conveniently overlook)....

Yes:

In April 1994, a truck driver named Reginald Denny drove his truck through south central Los Angeles; unfortunately, the locals were rioting about the Rodney King verdict that day. They blocked Denny's truck, dragged him out, kicked and punched him, and even bashed bricks into his head. How he survived is nothing short of a miracle.

If he had a semi-automatic gun capable of firing 15 - 30 rounds without reloading, the rioters would have backed off and left him alone. No one would want to be among the first 10 - 20 killed, so he could have proceeded peacefully through the crowd.

Many shopkeepers had such guns in L. A. that day; they retreated to their store roofs and watched for looters - they had stores left the next day (and their lives). The shopkeepers without these guns had their shops looted and burned.

Multiply this several times everyday, around the country, and you see the need. Riots are rare, but an individual facing a group of 10 - 15 thugs on the street is all too common.

(oops - I see this has been posted before - but not adequately answered yet...)