[DBrow]

Long Cut, one of the first Supreme Court decisions involving the second amendment was Cruikshank, and it clearly stated that the rights enumerated in the constitution existed before the constitition, and do not depend on the constitution.

The antis can do what they will to turn the constitution into a meaningless scrap of paper- we all will have the same rights we had before.

And the antis will have a bunch of problems to deal with.

[Long Cut]

I am sorry to say that I am not as confident as you both about liberty-loving Americans "standing in the door" for gun rights. They've already swallowed all previous infringments, including some cities' total bans, without much more than some grumbling. Most young Americans, moreover, have absolutely NO concept of what rights they actually posess. Witness the cops who invaded the high school down in the Carolinas recently...most parents and students worried about only the "safety" and "procedure" of that blatant violation of their rights. None that I saw even used the word "Constitution".

Californians basically surrendered their Second Amendment rights without little more than a lawsuit (now denied cert by the SCOTUS). New Yorkers and Massachussetts people welcomed the loss of their rights.

Are there a few who would "stand in the door"? Of course. And after they are dispatched with appropriate ceremony on national TV, with sneering commentary by Peter Jennings, few will decide to follow them.

I know I sound defeatist and pessimistic, but the actual history gives one little real evidence to believe it could happen.

However, my point about them losing was valid. Gore LOST the election in 2000 partly because of his gun-grabbing, and tha same can be said for the elections in '94 and '02. The only elected Leftists even willing to bring upp the issue are both unrepentant marxist liars and perversly safe as a babe in its mother's arms in their districts (Schumer, Feinswine, Kennedy). Though they are shrill and well-publicized, it seems they are not enough.

My rant before was a vent of frustration...I am TIRED of the political "spinning" of these issues. Just declare: Repeal the Second or respect it like all the others. No spin. No qualifiers ("sporting, "hunting", etc.). I guess I'm asking far too much from those whose overall political philosophy was designed by master dissemblers.