Posted on 11/05/2014 2:37:52 PM PST by marktwain
One of the constitutional amendments up for a vote in 2014 was Amendment 3 in Alabama. The amendment was intended to strengthen the already strong protection of the right to keep and bear arms in the Alabama Constitution. The wording to be replaced seems clear:
Text of Section 26:But courts in some states have claimed that the right to bear arms in defense of self was, in fact quite limited, either to location, such as only in the home, or to circumstances, such as only when under immediate identifiable threat. Other courts have said that such language is subject to low standards of judicial review, such as rational basis, or intermediate scrutiny, which allow legislatures to infringe on and limit rights that courts have deemed to be less than fundamental.
Right to Bear Arms
That every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.[1][2]
"(a)That everyEvery citizen has a fundamental right to bear arms in defense of himself or herself and the state. Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.
(b) No citizen shall be compelled by any international treaty or international law to take an action that prohibits, limits, or otherwise interferes with his or her fundamental right to keep and bear arms in defense of himself or herself and the state, if such treaty or law, or its adoption, violates the United States Constitution."[4]Alabama voters overwhelmingly accepted the intent to box in the judiciary with the language of Amendment 3. It passed with over 72% of the vote. With 98% of the precincts reporting, it had 72.5% of the vote. The exact number will be available in a day or two.
The new wording voids those decades of precedent.
I know there is the school of thought that the alabama constitution his bloated with way too many amendments etc etc. Lots of local amendments and crap in there. However I voted yes for this one.
Fundamental right = God given right.
I did, too. Got a flier from the NRA.
Indeed so. I wish that state constitutions would make explicit some things which shouldn't need saying, including the principle that activities which are unlawful or unconstitutional can by definition form no part of a government agent's legitimate duties, and that any protections which would extend to government agents in the furtherance of legitimate duties cannot apply when the agents in question are acting unlawfully.
Government agents who enforce statutes which are later shown to be illegitimate should have no more protection than ordinary citizens who do something which they reasonably believe to to be lawful, but which turns out not to be (citizens generally have less protection in such cases than they should; requiring those in government to extend such protections to the citizenry if they want them for themselves would likely cause citizens to be better protected).
This article is so good, and I’m so happy about our ballot measure passing, that I’ll forgive ya for calling us Alabamians “Alabamans”!
I was just discussing this today with two native Alabamians. I'm not native, but I got her as quick as I could ;-)
I was just discussing this today with two native Alabamians. I'm not native, but I got here as quick as I could ;-)
Thanks for the kind words. I will correct “Alabamans” where I can.
Can’t do it on freerepublic. Against policy.
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