Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

To: robertpaulsen
Maybe you can stop dodging my question and tell me who "the people" are in the second amendment. If you don't know, then say so.

If your view of the BOR is so skewed that you believe a right only exists once you are accused then you must believe that anyone who buys a gun is "the people" and the right to keep and bear that gun is only invoked after the fact. What do you think the founders meant when they said the "people".

If they meant me then they meant you too. They meant all of the people (that they considered citizens at the time). The only exception would be someone who had forfeited freedom and rights under existing law.

121 posted on 10/18/2007 2:00:11 PM PDT by groanup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies ]


To: groanup
"They meant all of the people (that they considered citizens at the time). The only exception would be someone who had forfeited freedom and rights under existing law."

Instead of, "They meant all of the people (that they considered citizens at the time)" can we just shorten that to, "They meant citizens"?

Fine. Then why didn't they say "citizens" in the second amendment? They did elsewhere in the constitution -- Article IV, Section 2 says, "The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States."

I'm thinking they didn't mean citizens. Citizens included women and children. It included the elderly, the infirm, the insane, the crippled. Was it their intent to turn "the security of a free state" over to this group?

The Militia act of 1792 seems to negate that. It called for an "able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States", 18-45 years of age. Wasn't it their right that was protected from federal infringement? Weren't the Founders concerned that the federal government might disarm their militia?

123 posted on 10/18/2007 2:23:59 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson