Thursday, December 20, 2012

Guns and The Constitution: An Honest Solution




Okay, here is a modest proposal to end the debate about the 2nd amendment and to allow for different laws for gun control and gun liberty throughout this vast nation:

1. Let us recognize the 2nd amendment of the United States Constitution does not give the right to the nation's people to own hand guns, hunting rifles or any sort of arm except for members of each state national guard (militia) and these people may possess and use military weapons in and from their own homes. (More on this later.)

2. Given this absence of a universal, national right to keep and fire weapons, the states are free to pass whatever laws they may desire. Texas can require elementary school principals to keep and bear arms to protect their students. South Carolina may permit legislators to pack heat in the state house and Arizona may arm private citizens who are members of vigilante posses run by Sheriff Arpaio.  But New York might ban all weapons within a fifty mile radius of the Empire State Building and Maryland might outlaw guns in Baltimore,  while permitting them in Frederick and Chincoteague;  and Washington, DC might ban guns altogether.

This would be the honest approach to the problem, so there's not a snowball's chance it will ever see the light of day. 

It would require the justices of the Supreme Court to actually read the 2nd amendment, which would be something akin to the second coming of the savior--much hoped for, not expected in our lifetime.

"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 abridged."

Which, put into 21st century English is: 1. We are going to explain here, as we do nowhere else in the Constitution, the reason we are granting this special right having to do with weapons.  2. The reason we are allowing certain people to keep arms is because they are part of a well regulated militia--not just any Syrian hothead group, mind you, but a militia regulated by, who else?, the government, the only thing which can regulate anything.  3. And this militia is necessary to preserve the state, the free state. 4. So, of course, we are talking about military weapons only here, for this one purpose.

Given that plain English, you got the right for some people to keep AR-15's in their homes, so they can grab these and run down to the town square and fire at the Redcoats or the Commies or whoever else is threatening the free state.

But you beer swilling, inbred killers, who want your hunting rifles to hunt, or your hand guns to shoot anyone who crosses your threshold without your expressed permission, (and maybe even if they have your permission, you might plug them,) well those hunting guns, those hand guns, those target practice guns, none of those is guaranteed you by the national Constitution, so go besiege your state legislatures and get those politicians to vote you your rights--they will only apply as long as you remain in your own snakepit of a state.

There now, isn't that better? We are now: 1. Honest about the Constitution 2. We can allow local cities and states do what they want to do. 

And we can choose where we want to go, knowing the local laws and customs.

 Is there any doubt what sort of laws Texas and Arizona will pass?  And they are welcomed to those guns down there. 

And the rest of us will have fair warning, if we want to plan our conventions or trade shows or vacations in those exotic,  God fearing,  gun toting places.




4 comments:

  1. Mad Dog,
    So-Doomsday-still here,guess we'll be going for our final reward later in the day. You were pretty fired up in this post last night-is that why, last post before "The End". I was just reading about a man in North Carlina who is building a special Doomsday gun-a hybrid of an AR-15 and AK-47 because ,although he doesn't think the world will end today, he does think something momentous will happen which will ignite out of control, drastic times and economic catastrophe in the US.(guess talk of the fiscal cliff must really get him worked up) Did I mention he and his family are also survivalists and have practiced subsisting on roasted mice and live earthworms. His poor kids -I thought having to eat all my vegetables due to starving children in the world was bad enough. Guess Bushmaster has issued him his Man Card. As for Arizona and Texas I think they'd arm toddlers if they could get away with it..

    On another topic, did you see the story about the UN suspending the polio vaccination program in Pakistan because of the killing of health care workers trying to administer the vaccine to children? Apparently the Taliban believes they are a cover for US undercover operations. A very sad and distressing development in a country where polio is fairly rampant. So maddening.

    Anyway, good luck later today when the Apocalypse arrives. Are you figuring you're heading upwards or down? I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be descending...
    Maud

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  2. Maud,

    What the Mayans were thinking, hard to say.
    What Justice Scalia is thinking, not so hard to say.
    What Mr. Obama is thinking, very difficult to say.
    Why does he not stand up to these Tea Party nuts? He no longer has to worry about looking like an angry man.

    Mad Dog

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  3. Maud,

    Oh, about the polio vaccines.
    There is another side to that story. Of course, the Taliban are true crazies, fearful of knowledge and bitter haters. But the US did use a ruse involving a doctor who was supposedly doing polio immunizations but was in fact tracking Osama Bin Laden.
    Mad Dog

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  4. Mad Dog,
    Yes I did know that piece--although I didn't think it was polio vaccinations, could be wrong. Anyway, using a doctor may have helped tracking Bin Laden but unfortunately will probably have repercussions for health care workers in certain nations for some time. One of those unforeseen consequences from what probably appeared to be a good idea at the time.

    I don't know why the President doesn't take a stronger stand against- as Gail Collins referred to them- the herd of rabid ferrets-he must believe it's the only way to close the deal and the ferrets are still not going for his offer..
    Maud

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