Hello Again from the Land of the Sand and Camel.
Ok the Basic issue with any legislation the deals with ANY constitutional Right is that there is some wigle room do the the simple fact that Communication is an inprecise art. What I take "we the people..." to mean is different that what you may take it as. For Example.... <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> harley, personally, the line, well regulated militia, yeah, that gives the right to regulate.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> Who is to regulate this?? The goverment? The people? who... I personally DO NOT think that the National Guard is this well regulated militia, yes we (I am a National Guardsman) have our roots in the historic Minutemen, but we have progressed beyond that. But historicly at the time of the birth of our nation the militia was nothing more than any male over the age of 17 and generally below 35 (remember shorter life expectancy) who could be called to duty when and if needed (IE crippled or handicapped would be unable to serve) for protection of village, city, county, state, or nation. Some "anti-gun" groups would have you believe that the only people Authorized by the 2nd Amendment to "Keep and Bear Arms" is the National Guard, Active Military, and the Police.
Now a lot HAS changed since then, no longer can a small group of farmers with squirrel rifles overthrow a tyrinical goverment, before ya flip think about it, with out support of another goverment or the UN. Politics have become an International Thing, a rebelion here may effect economies over there, and next thing you know in walks the UN peacekeepers to help bring a "peaceful" solution. Yes at that point the tyranical goverment may, I'll say it again MAY be abolished, but most likely they will create the stagmire you see in places like Bosnia, Somalia, ect. Notice I didn't even mention Explosives, RPG's, Tanks, Ect above? Those are Items that while weapons that we have been given the constitutional right to own are regulated to the point that most people don't bother, and can't afford to own them (I don't have the 1 mill USD for a M1A1 Abrams myself, do you??)
Now I do believe (based on my understanding of it) that the 2nd ammendment means that every "Citizen" of the USA is allowed to own Arms (which translates to weapons) and Bear (which means use, or display) them when needed. That is one of the laws that our founding fathers believed was the "GOD" given right in odrer to do what was nessicary to ensure your freedom and saftey (ie from robery, murder, or that band of murading natives! And that Opressive Goverment.) Now here is where most people have trouble with the constitution, yes they reconized that these are "GOD" given rights, but they only guaranteed them for US Citizens, so the right to own arms is not afforded to Felons (with our rights restored), immigrants that arn't naturalized, and minors.
That having been said, the next problem is what weapons are we allowed by "god" to keep and bear? Well honestly I don't think there is really a need for everyone to own an M1A1 Abrams, but the constitution didn't specify arms as pistol, rifle, cannon, battleship, ect, it just said arms. So legislation has been passed, and Supreme Court Rulings have been cast defining what "Arms" ment, and because most people see no need for the items that have been regulated the laws have stood todate do to "popular opinion." Unjustly some believe, and to some degree I do agree. Where the "Assult Weapon Ban" comes from is a touchy area, because it is part of an effort by several groups who have admited to wanting to remove all firearms from general public hands, for vairious reasons, thus striping us of an "unalienable right" given by the US constitution. Wiether or not, the AWB and other legislation such as Commiefonia has passed is the first step in confinscation, it still is against our constitutional rights.
Yes Firearms are stolen and often are later used in crimes, but because I own something that someone else steals does that make me a criminal?? If I steal your car because I like it, then go out and get into an auto accident should you be held liable? I chose to take your car, and I chose to drive in a manner that was not propper, and I got into the accident. Those were all my choices, not yours. There is an Old Saying "All Locks do is keep honest people honest" if someone wants what you have bad enough, they will get to it, sooner or later. So why punish someone who has done nothing wrong for a "potental" crime?
The biggest reason to stand against the AWB renewal is it was (and is)WORTHLESS Legislation that didn't stop anything, criminals still got guns, people (unfort) still got shot in crimes, and the only ones who benifited was the Press. Yes the Media's "assualt weapons" may be used in crimes from time to time, but! They are most often used by law abiding citizens in leagal shooting, target practace, and selfdefense, not the commital of crime!
Well I've run on so long I forgot what I was talking about....[V] See what this place does to people? It is making me Senile Afore my time
