COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY NASH RIGGINS IN THE
INDEPENDENT
"Was the Orlando
shooting worth it for the freedom to carry a gun?"
I'm sorry, but that's pretty close to sick.
You are twisting a hideous event - in its nature, much like
a random strike by lightning - to make a political point.
And your facts are not even right.
"The Second
Amendment of the US Constitution clearly outlines the right of all Americans to
own a weapon."
Simply not true.
It authorizes holding of guns for " a well ordered
militia."
In the 18th century, this was the inexpensive way for a
government to be prepared for attack, just as we see in Switzerland. It wasn't
even an American idea. It was adopted from Britain, which, for long periods,
since the time of Elizabeth tried to minimize state costs of defense.
And the majority of the "Founding Fathers" did not
believe in the concept of a standing army (they wouldn't even recognize today's
America).
"But that particular piece of legislature
[sic] was created in a time of immense instability..."
Wrong on all counts. It wasn't just legislation, it is part
of the "Law of the Land," the written Constitution which supersedes
all other legislation and which can only be changed in a long and costly
fashion, even when the will exists to change it.
There was no special instability at the time of the
Constitution's being written, which was long after the War of Independence was
over.
You really should get your facts straight before writing an
argument.
And while I criticize your words, I am not a gun supporter.
______________________________________
A few really dumb comments below, including some about the
Second Amendment which could easily have been avoided by reading what it is you
are talking about. Amazing how that works.
The facts of The Second Amendment are:
"One version was passed by the Congress, and a slightly
different version was ratified.
"As passed by the Congress and preserved in the
National Archives, with the rest of the original hand-written copy of the Bill
of Rights prepared by scribe William Lambert, the amendment says:
"'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.'
"Here is the amendment as ratified by the States and
authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, then-Secretary of State:
