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Former Justice Stevens: Change 2nd Amendment to Improve Constitution
Breitbart ^ | 2/22/2014

Posted on 02/22/2014 7:37:33 PM PST by Altura Ct.

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has released a new book focused, in part, on "improving" the Constitution through amending the Second Amendment--by making the rights protected therein applicable only to a militia instead of the citizenry at large.

Stevens' book is titled Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution.

As written, the text of the Second Amendment is: "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."

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Stevens believes recent court decisions--notably District of Columbia v Heller (2008) and McDonald v Chicago (2010)--placed too much emphasis on individual rights, rather than on what he believes was the Founding Fathers' primary goal: namely, to answer "the threat that a national standing army posed to the sovereignty of the states."

His solution is to amend the text of the Second Amendment so that it reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed."

In other words, the protection of the right becomes collective and is only protected for those serving in the militia.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; dienazidie; hesretarded; johnpaulstevens; secondamendment
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To: matt04

Stevens shows that is is absolutely ignorant that the militia consists of all able bodied citizens.


21 posted on 02/22/2014 7:51:51 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Haven't you lost enough freedoms? Support an end to the WOD now.)
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To: Altura Ct.

This is what is wrong with our current system. The tyrants in the Federal courts think that taking our rights away from us is an “improvement”. We’re fools if we let them do it.


22 posted on 02/22/2014 7:52:06 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Communism kills!!!)
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To: Altura Ct.

We need to change the Constitution alright. We need to impose a popular vote of confidence on the SCOTUS evey year! It’s time to purge the demigods from their super senate.


23 posted on 02/22/2014 7:52:29 PM PST by Theophilus (Not merely prolife, but prolific)
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To: Altura Ct.
Stevens believes recent court decisions... placed too much emphasis on individual rights, rather than on what he believes was the Founding Fathers' primary goal: namely, to answer "the threat that a national standing army posed to the sovereignty of the states."

Which is precisely why citizens would need access to military weapons. He makes our point.

24 posted on 02/22/2014 7:52:49 PM PST by marron
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To: Altura Ct.

Anyone wondering why our government and country is so screwed up need look no further than this idiot.


25 posted on 02/22/2014 7:54:00 PM PST by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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To: Altura Ct.
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has released a new book...

Thank the Good Lord.

26 posted on 02/22/2014 7:57:02 PM PST by upchuck (South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy for Speaker of the House!!!)
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To: Altura Ct.

What a nuanced old geezer. No different than Baldy Breyer currently on the bench.


27 posted on 02/22/2014 7:57:17 PM PST by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: Altura Ct.

One of the best things about when the Constitution was being crafted was that they were decent, simple, moral men, who tried as hard as they could to birth a document that would simply protect the rights of ordinary citizens from a government that went far beyond its respective boundaries.

Today, we have so many laws that are open ended and contain loopholes (intentionally many times) that can be exploited to serve an agenda that most Americans would not support if they were aware of the hidden intentions behind them.

That said, there is so much security in merely the simplicity of the document that “modernizing it” or “amending it” today would somehow complicate things so much and work in favor towards the interests of those who want it done away with for good.


28 posted on 02/22/2014 8:00:14 PM PST by Making_Sense [Rob W. Case]
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To: All

he probably doesn’t even know... HE’S A FRIGGEN RETARD


29 posted on 02/22/2014 8:00:42 PM PST by willywill
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To: grcuster

“we should wait for him to die when a republican(tea party) is President to nominate a replacement.”

He left the court years ago. You should, however, hope that Ruth Buzzy Ginzberg doesn’t decide to resign and let FUBO appoint Holder to the court. I use the small “c” when referring to the SCOTUS because that’s what I think of the lot of them.


30 posted on 02/22/2014 8:02:15 PM PST by vette6387
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To: Altura Ct.

The man is demented. The 2nd was written by the Founders for just such a scenario as Stevens envisions, i.e., a governmet attempt to disarm 100 million citizens of 300 million plus firearms. The jerk wants to start a civil war. That’s why I know he’s crazy - he has not thought out his position thoroughly. The consequences would be catastrophic. And good luck trying to get three fourths of the states to approve ANY changes to the Bill of Rights. The guy is an AW.


31 posted on 02/22/2014 8:03:39 PM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: Altura Ct.

Wowsa, and I thought Kelo was a doozy. Good thing he retired.


32 posted on 02/22/2014 8:04:30 PM PST by Girlene (Hey, NSA!)
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To: Altura Ct.

There’s nothing in the Bill of Rights that does not refer to individual rights. WE are all the “militia”. The militia is defined in the United States Code.


33 posted on 02/22/2014 8:08:03 PM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: Altura Ct.
According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Stevens believes recent court decisions--notably District of Columbia v Heller (2008) and McDonald v Chicago (2010)--placed too much emphasis on individual rights, rather than on what he believes was the Founding Fathers' primary goal: namely, to answer "the threat that a national standing army posed to the sovereignty of the states."

A militia made up of people who have never touched a gun in their entire lives wouldn't be a very effective militia.

The founders wanted an effective militia, John Paul Fudgepacker.

34 posted on 02/22/2014 8:09:21 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Islam is a religion of peace, and Moslems reserve the right to behead anyone who says otherwise.)
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To: 45Auto
The entire purpose of the bill of rights was to enshrine individual rights.
35 posted on 02/22/2014 8:10:07 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Islam is a religion of peace, and Moslems reserve the right to behead anyone who says otherwise.)
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To: Altura Ct.

I figure these damn liberals want to redefine the whole Constitution so that it reads: “All rights are granted by government and can be taken away or modified by will any time the corrupt Congress “feels” like it.” King Barack would approve.


36 posted on 02/22/2014 8:11:04 PM PST by 45Auto (Big holes are (almost) always better.)
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To: Altura Ct.

- The 2nd was intended and written so the citizens can stop an out of control tyrannical government - and install a new honest system

- Keep up the dictatorship crapola and see what happens you damned Nazi leftists -


37 posted on 02/22/2014 8:17:00 PM PST by devolve (- a 3 year boy on TV news today : "Please Jesus make it warm!" -)
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To: Theodore R.
Gerald (stupid) Ford appointed Stevens. What a sick bastard he is.

Incidentally, Stevens is wrong about the intent of the 2nd amendment. Someone wanted to put into the amendment for the common defense and that suggestion was rejected. The very Liberal Laurence Tribe of Harvard believes the 2nd amendment has an individual rights component (to the consternation and disapproval of his fellow Liberals).

38 posted on 02/22/2014 8:19:50 PM PST by Stepan12 (Sptar)
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To: Billthedrill

I was thinking the same thing. You and a bunch of your buddies form a militia.

You have a command structure.

You meet on the weekends and train in small group infantry tactics.

You practice handling, cleaning, firing your “arms”. Automatic arms at that. You know, because you’re well regulated.

Is this what libs really want??


39 posted on 02/22/2014 8:21:19 PM PST by ealgeone (obama, border)
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To: Billthedrill

I am shocked that a former justice can pretend not to understand that the militia is the people.


40 posted on 02/22/2014 8:25:16 PM PST by Defiant (Let the Tea Party win, and we will declare peace on the American people and go home.)
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