Posted on 07/24/2012 8:49:16 PM PDT by jcsjcm
The Founding Fathers on the Second Amendment
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason - Co-author of the Second Amendment during Virginia's Convention to Ratify the Constitution, 1788
Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
George Washington - First President of the United States
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
Richard Henry Lee - American Statesman, 1788
With guns, we are 'citizens;' without them, we are 'subjects'.
You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.
SWITZERLAND
SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN! SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE EACH A RIFLE.
SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
IT'S A NO BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.
Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late! The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.
2nd AMENDMENT
Just think how powerful our government is getting! They think these other countries just didn't do it right. I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment as I know all here are too!
Why didn't he say "all of the individuals"?
For that matter, why doesn't it say, "We the Individuals..."?
Hmmmm?
In the time of the Founders, one could accurately speak of “the whole people” because we were not multi-cultural. That “whole people” also believed themselves to be individuals.
What do you think? Who are “the whole people”?
I’m not sure? I think I like “it is the whole people” better than “all of the individuals”.
It is the whole people sounds more grand and less 21st Century, do you not agree?
I don’t understand your point. Could you explain it for the slow ones among us?
“The right of the people to keep and bear...arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country...” (James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434 [June 8, 1789])
“A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves...and include all men capable of bearing arms.” (Richard Henry Lee, Additional Letters from the Federal Farmer (1788) at 169)
“The whole of the Bill (of Rights) is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals.... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.” (Albert Gallatin of the New York Historical Society, October 7, 1789)
“As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms.” (Tench Coxe in `Remarks on the First Part of the Amendments to the Federal Constitution’ under the Pseudonym `A Pennsylvanian’ in the Philadelphia Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789 at 2 col. 1)
“Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American... The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state government, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people” (Tench Coxe, Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788)
“The prohibition is general. No clause in the Constitution could by any rule of construction be conceived to give to Congress a power to disarm the people. Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretense by a state legislature. But if in any blind pursuit of inordinate power, either should attempt it, this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint on both.” [William Rawle, A View of the Constitution 125-6 (2nd ed. 1829)
“The Constitution shall never be construed....to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms” (Samuel Adams, Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 86-87)
“To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike especially when young, how to use them.” (Richard Henry Lee, 1788, Initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights, Walter Bennett, ed., Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republican, at 21,22,124 (Univ. of Alabama Press,1975)..)
“And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms....The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants” (Thomas Jefferson in a letter to William S. Smith in 1787. Taken from Jefferson, On Democracy 20, S. Padover ed., 1939)
“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined” (Patrick Henry, 3 J. Elliot, Debates in the Several State Conventions 45, 2d ed. Philadelphia, 1836)
“The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” — (Thomas Jefferson)
“Individual” in the time of the Founders meant what it seems to mean today - a single person, distinct from a group of persons.
Since the passing of the 14th Amendment and the extension of its reach through rulings like the Slaughterhouse Cases and others, it now ALSO means a human person acting in a corporate capacity.
The difference between the two jurisdictional statuses is night and day. Without corporate capacity, a person has rights. With corporate capacity, rights are replaced by privileges.
So I always try to note its usage, in order to understand what is actually being addressed as the subject matter.
Sadly, it’s usually the opposite of what it appears to be.
In virtually every case in the Constitution where it mentions "the People," it has been repeatedly affirmed by the Judiciary to embody the unalienable rights of Individuals (as well as rights of the People collectively, where applicable.)
Specific examples of Individual rights being described with the words "the People" are found in the Second, Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments. This is a long-settled debate.
“It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.”
**************************
Boy - how far we have come. From “unalienable rights” (bestowed by God Almighty) to “things that the government will let you do, maybe, if you sign all the proper forms”.
And this is for SO MUCH MORE than just gun rights! (Property rights, health care rights, etc.)
Interesting. Yet some of the justices try to parse the English language the way the founders used it — namely Justice Thomas.
I have not studied this I admit, but I am not and have never been MileHi Inc.
Feel free if you have something to enlighten me. For now I will consider "the people" to mean the body of individual citizens.
FReegards
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.