Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Luis Gonzalez
Are you suggesting that I support gun grabbing?

I don't wish to re-hash some of the gun control debates we've had in the past, but you do not support a literal interpretation of the 2nd Amendment and support the rights of states to grab guns at will. Nothing personal, but if I ping every libertarian freeper I know of and ask their opinion, I can assure you that they'll all agree that it is not libertarian in any sense of the word.

I suspect the reasons we libertarians may be so sensitive about perverting the term is that people such as Bill Mahar have tried to play themselves off as libertarians. Also the Libertarian Party itself has completely misrepresented libertarianism. If you're going to use the term, expect healthy skepticism.

540 posted on 03/29/2007 9:44:05 AM PDT by jmc813 (The 2nd Amendment is NOT a "social conservative" issue.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 538 | View Replies ]


To: jmc813
"...but you do not support a literal interpretation of the 2nd Amendment..."

That's a crock of #^%$#. I support the literal reading of the Second, and the original intent of the people who wrote it. But when I discuss it with some around here, the moment I get to the word "regulated", you all want to interpret that ONE WORD as something other than "relating to regulations" and call your reading a "literal" reading.

"but if I ping every libertarian freeper I know of and ask their opinion"

So, your idea of libertarianism has a certain amount of Borg injected into it?

"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."

"Regulated: In the context of government and public services regulation (as a process) is the control of something by rules, as opposed to its prohibition."

"Literal interpretation" is an oxymoron. You can either believe in the literal reading of the Amendment, or in an interpretation of the Amendment, but not both. And if you support a literal reading, you don't need an 8,000 word essay to explain what it means.

Last but certainly not least, you either support the Framer's original intent when writing the Constitution and the BOR, or the more modern "interpretation" of it.

Originally, the Framers wrote a Constitution to describe the powers granted to the Federal government, and the restrictions placed upon it, and they made it very clear that whatever powers weren't granted to the Federal government by the Constitution and the BOR, or prohibited to them by the same, fell to the States respectively, or to the people.

So, the people who wrote the Constitution and the BOR intended the grant of powers and the consequent restrictions to be applied to the Fed, not to any other level of government.

Since then, that has been changed by the Courts.

Can the Federal government write laws restricting gun ownership?

Not according to the Constitution.

Can State governments regulate gun ownership?

Nothing in the Constitution prohibits them from doing so.

Finally, the Constitution of every State upholds the right of the people to bear arms, so while they may "regulate" gun ownership, they can't prohibit it.

No one has the right to take my guns from me, as long as I am a law-abiding citizen.

543 posted on 03/29/2007 10:15:14 AM PDT by Luis Gonzalez (Some people see the world as they would want it to be, effective people see the world as it is.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 540 | View Replies ]

To: jmc813

Bill Maher is an a$$hole.


545 posted on 03/29/2007 10:19:14 AM PDT by Luis Gonzalez (Some people see the world as they would want it to be, effective people see the world as it is.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 540 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


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