“The happy State of Matrimony is, undoubtedly, the surest and most lasting Foundation of Comfort and Love; the Source of all that endearing Tenderness and Affection which arises from Relation and Affinity; the grand Point of Property; the Cause of all good Order in the World, and what alone preserves it from the utmost Confusion; and, to sum up all, the Appointment of infinite Wisdom for these great and good Purposes.”
—Benjamin Franklin, Rules and Maxims for Promoting Matrimonial Happiness, 1730
On occasion some elected officials read the Constitution as what it really says......(Note: he proposed this legislation in 2000)
Finally, A Sensible Non-Gun Registration Plan
“Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution as well as Vermont’s own Constitution very carefully,
and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some
eyeballs in New England and elsewhere.
Maslack recently proposed a bill to register non-gun-owners and require
them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the first
state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and
assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.
Maslack read the “militia” phrase of the Second Amendment as not only
affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a
clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was
advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a
“monopoly of force” by the government as well as criminals.
Vermont’s constitution states explicitly that “the people have a right
to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State” and those
persons who “conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms” shall be
required to “pay such equivalent.” Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters
have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves so that they are
capable of responding to “any situation that may arise”.
Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required
to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver’s
license number with the state. “There is a legitimate government
interest in knowing who is prepared to defend the state should they be
asked to do so,” Maslack says.
Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along with the least
restrictive laws of any state - it’s currently the only state that
allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This
combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted
in a crime rate that is the third lowest in the nation.”
From an email - Bruce Hopkins owner of:
http://www.internet-grocer.net