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Upholding the right to bear arms
The Roanoke Times ^ | June 14, 2007 | Joe Painter

Posted on 06/14/2007 12:22:45 PM PDT by neverdem

My father, who was an educated man, used to often tell me that "you can't argue with ignorance." As I grow older these words seem to ring loud and clear at an alarming frequency.

The commentary by Larry Gaber and Polly Archer ("Shooting holes in gun proponents' arguments," June 1) is but another common example of this adage. I have also noticed several letters to the editor that reflect the same.

Gaber and Archer must think themselves wise on the topic of firearms and our culture. Their lack of logic is astounding. They probably buy every false statistic and lie put out by the Brady Institute.

Their rejection of the deterrence factor of firearms has been refuted over and over again by academic research. John Lott, an economist, researched the relationship of firearms ownership and crime while he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Chicago. His research, which has never been refuted, found that firearms ownership reduced the crime rate in cities where citizens were permitted to have firearms. His later book, "More Guns, Less Crime," expands on this thesis. Lott was not a gun owner nor an NRA member when he did his research. I defy anyone to challenge his findings.

Holding out the United Kingdom and Australia as examples is, to use their word, "specious." The ban on handguns in those countries and the extremely limited ownership of long guns has proven to be a mistake. What they fail to mention is the dramatic increase in the crime rate since the bans. The robbery rate in the United Kingdom has tripled.

I am not prepared to say that the tragedy at Virginia Tech would have been avoided by more guns on campus. As a criminal lawyer, I know we live in a dangerous world. Simplistic solutions as offered by Gaber and Archer are unrealistic.

I often see writers state that the Founding Fathers did not envision semiautomatic or other modern weapons. Such statements demonstrate a total lack of knowledge as to the intent of the Founding Fathers with respect to the Second Amendment.

Some even say that the Second Amendment is antiquated. I even had a distinguished professor at a highly prestigious university tell me that the Second Amendment was the product of the 18th-century mind. He may well be one of the leading experts in his field in the world, if not the world's expert, but his words struck me as odd. Guess what? The Bill of Rights was the product of the 18th-century mind. By his logic, we should junk the Bill of Rights. I do not think so.

Gaber and Archer make fun of what they called a National Rifle Association mantra "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." Gun bans in this country have never reduced crime. The so-called assault weapon ban of 1994 did absolutely nothing to reduce crime. It has since expired and there have been no adverse consequences.

The Washington, D.C., gun ban is another example. It did nothing to reduce the highest murder rate in the country. Recently, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (which is by no means conservative) ruled it unconstitutional on Second Amendment grounds. The best the dissent could do was to argue that it did not apply to D.C. because it was not a state. There goes the Bill of Rights.

There have been approximately 80 law review articles on the Second Amendment. Some 70, by distinguished law professors, have concluded that the Second Amendment is an individual right.

Critics of the NRA should understand the reason it was started. Shortly after the Civil War, former Union generals founded it to promote marksmanship and to oppose the infamous "black codes" that sought, among other things, to prevent gun ownership by freed slaves. These laws were the first attempt by government at gun control.

The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they wrote the Second Amendment. The Bill of Rights stands as a monument to freedom.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2a; banglist; secondamendment
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Painter is a lawyer in Blacksburg.
1 posted on 06/14/2007 12:22:47 PM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Nice.


2 posted on 06/14/2007 12:30:21 PM PDT by P8riot (I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop.)
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To: neverdem
"you can't argue with ignorance."

No, you can't. That's why we have the Second Amendment, so we can shoot ignorant tyrants who think they can argue away our freedoms.

3 posted on 06/14/2007 12:33:23 PM PDT by PeterFinn (Oderint Dum Metuant - "Let them Hate, as long as they Fear.")
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To: neverdem

“The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they wrote the Second Amendment. The Bill of Rights stands as a monument to freedom.”

Truer words were never spoken, which is why the Bill of Rights is under constant attack from both the left AND the right. Freedom requires less Government and NO Government guy supports that idea, no matter their campaign speeches.


4 posted on 06/14/2007 12:37:52 PM PDT by vetsvette (Bring Him Back)
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To: neverdem
HR1022, the new “assault rifle ban” with NO “sunset clause”, is in committee right now. I know many have taken action to call their congressmen, but we need to call them daily on this.

I contact mine on this issue and, as a soldier, on my desire for Congress to allow us to finish our mission and WIN without being stabbed in the back by the left. The stakes are far to high with either issue to “cut and run”.

5 posted on 06/14/2007 12:38:25 PM PDT by M1Tanker (Proven Daily: Modern "progressive" liberalism is just National Socialism without the "twisted cross")
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To: neverdem

excellent. printed hardcopy. thanx for posting.


6 posted on 06/14/2007 12:46:03 PM PDT by dashing doofus (Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber)
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To: harpseal; TexasCowboy; AAABEST; Travis McGee; Squantos; Shooter 2.5; wku man; SLB; ...
"you can't argue with ignorance"

And when you couple that ignorance with the arrogance often found in the civilian-disarmament crowd, you have a continual threat to our most fundamental freedoms.

Click the Gadsden flag for pro-gun resources!

7 posted on 06/14/2007 12:50:06 PM PDT by Joe Brower (Sheep have three speeds: "graze", "stampede" and "cower".)
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To: M1Tanker

Bump.


8 posted on 06/14/2007 12:54:38 PM PDT by stevio ((NRA))
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To: neverdem; PeterFinn

“you can’t argue with ignorance.”

Yeah, but you can shock the shiite out of someone by asking them “Are you willing to die to try to take away my guns? Because I am willing to die to keep them.”

That is what it comes down to, because this country will cease to be what it was, is and should be if guns are ever outlawed and confiscated. It’d be civil war - because if even a small fraction of this nation’s 85 million gun owners decided to fight for their freedom then thousands of politicians, and tens of thousands of the police officers ordered to do their dirty work, would likely be targeted. Highways would close down and food and fuel wouldn’t get to cities. Large parts of the National Guard and regular armed forces would likely not only refuse to pacify (i.e. kill) those refusing to turn in their guns, they’d revolt against any government giving such orders.

The blissninnies and their tyrant-wannabee masters had better understand this: Either you leave gun owners alone - now and in the future - or you’ll get a VERY nasty surprise. Its easy - just make believe that all gun owners are gays, and leave them in the closet. Or, if that image is uncomfortable, make believe that all gun owners are rattlesnakes. Just stay away - they’re generally harmless if left to their own devices. That’s all, just leave gun owners alone!!

By the way, 300 Spartans killed 20,000 Persians who tried to take away their weapons. http://www.moviesonline.ca/TheFeed/index.php?id=300-laydownyourweapons

85 million armed Americans will do more - that’s a certainty.


9 posted on 06/14/2007 12:57:25 PM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: M1Tanker

It “sunsets” in 10 years.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1022.IH:


10 posted on 06/14/2007 1:03:44 PM PDT by hophead ("Enjoy Every Sandwich")
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To: neverdem

“Founding Fathers did not envision semiautomatic or other modern weapons.”

They did nor envision CNN either!


11 posted on 06/14/2007 1:13:28 PM PDT by hophead ("Enjoy Every Sandwich")
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To: Ancesthntr

http://www.conservapedia.com/300

If your tired of Wikipedia, consider that source.


12 posted on 06/14/2007 1:16:46 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: neverdem
The Second Amendment recognizes and seeks to protect the most basic of all rights, that to protect one's life, family, property and society. It does not depend upon its utility to be right, but its utility is obvious, and both the fundamental right and that utility were well understood by the Founding Fathers.

For a summary of useful factors: The Right & Duty To Keep & Bear Arms.

William Flax

13 posted on 06/14/2007 1:29:30 PM PDT by Ohioan
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To: hophead; M1Tanker; All

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2007’.

SEC. 2. REINSTATEMENT FOR 10 YEARS OF REPEALED CRIMINAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO ASSAULT WEAPONS AND LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION FEEDING DEVICES.

Thanks for the info. Here’s the pertinent text. Links at Thomas to particular bills are only temporary.


14 posted on 06/14/2007 1:37:13 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: Joe Brower

No Guns ~ No Rights!


15 posted on 06/14/2007 2:00:30 PM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Ancesthntr

gungrabbing “blissninnies”

Heh, heh!

;^)


16 posted on 06/14/2007 2:20:31 PM PDT by elcid1970
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To: neverdem

BUMP


17 posted on 06/14/2007 2:27:36 PM PDT by dcwusmc (We need to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.)
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To: elcid1970

Actually, I prefer the term “hoplophobic blissninnies.” It is more descriptive of their mental problems - an irrational phobia, complicated (and simultaneously contradicted) by an intensely naive worldview.


18 posted on 06/14/2007 2:51:25 PM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: All
ARTICLE SNIPPET:

"The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they wrote the Second Amendment. The Bill of Rights stands as a monument to freedom."

19 posted on 06/14/2007 3:46:48 PM PDT by Cindy
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To: Ancesthntr

“Hoplophobic Bliss-Ninnies with Total State Power”

Like the police chief of NO, post Katrina?

Now, THAT is a problem!


20 posted on 06/14/2007 4:31:56 PM PDT by elcid1970
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