Tuesday, March 28, 2023

"A Well Regulated Militia ..."

There are more guns in America than there are people.

   The security of a free state depends on a "well regulated militia," says the opening line of the American Constitution's Second Amendment.
   But we already have local, county and state police, state militia (now known as the National Guard), as well as Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force units, all of which are "well regulated" and have tight controls over when and how weapons are taken out of secure locked facilities and carried out to public places.
   Where does it say that every individual can have as many firearms as that person wants, and can carry them anywhere at any time and use them however that person wishes?
   It doesn't.
   There are state and local laws supposedly limiting who can carry what, where and when.
   So why do so many people believe they have a Constitutional right to do whatever they want, whenever they want and however they want with as many firearms as they want, thus ignoring the Second Amendment?
   This is a selective misreading of the nation's founding document. It ignores the opening phrase of the Second Amendment, which refers to "A well regulated militia."
   Certainly this "well regulated militia" is indeed "essential to the security of a free state," but that does not mean every individual can have as many firearms as they want, with very little enforcement of their so-called right to self-protection.
   As if the local, county and state police are unwilling or unable to provide protection.
   Gun advocates are fond of insisting that more guns means more protection.
   Reality check: In America, more guns means more killings of children and teachers in church-sponsored schools.
   How many children must die before legislators submit to reality and tighten enforcement of the Constitution?
   "A  well regulated militia, being essential to the security of a free state ... " the right of the people of each and every individual state to limit the number of weapons its citizens may have and under what circumstances "shall not be infringed."
   But if a state chooses to allow every individual to have as many high capacity, military style firearms as that individual wants, then the price to be paid will be the shooting deaths of children, teachers and other people quietly going about their private business.
    Be careful what you wish for.
   You may get it.

No comments:

Post a Comment