Matthews Challenges 2nd Amendment Advocate Over…Bazookas?

http://radioviceonline.com/ ^ | April 20, 2010 | Jim Vicevich

[Biggirl]

Oh brother, I hate it when 2nd amendment arguments descend to this level. Chris Matthews has a Second Amendment activist on his show clearly with the intent of turning him into a kook.

[taxcontrol]

Mostly .... though it would be easy enough to create a couple of quick rules like you mentioned.

Ordnance:
Crew served weapon (takes 2 or more to operate)
Fires an explosive projectile
Fires a non-explosive projectile greater than 3/4 inch in diameter

Arms (thus qualifying for 2nd Amendment protections):
designed to be operated by an individual
fires a non-explosive projectile equal to or less than a 3/4 inch in diameter (covers most shotguns and black powder rifles).

[bvw]

It was a recognition of the important role that private citizens owning and operating the most fearsome and powerful weapons platform of the time played in national security. Those platforms? ‘Men of War’ — battleships fully armed with cannon, men, grenades, rifles, pistols, sabers and all other weapons as might be used.

[Dead Corpse]

And yet it was perfectly legal to own ships with multiple cannon and deck guns on them.

Kinda makes your attempt at drawing a distinction silly.

[ClearCase_guy]

Okay. I see the connection. Thanks.

[grumpygresh]

The Constitution authorizes the federal government(and only the federal government) to raise an army as one of its specific enumerated powers. An army is required to have certain capabilities such as waging offensive warfare and protecting an entire nation against other nation states and enemies. This necessitates weapons of immense destructive capability. Of course, an army requires many things that individuals require such as food, clothing, housing and handguns, rifles for self defense and other operations. The Constitution does not give an individual or even a state the authority to create an army. If an individual or state tried to create an army, it would obviously be an illegal act as when the US declared the Confederacy and its army to be in a state of rebellion and not a war on a separate sovereign power.
Handguns, rifles, automatic weapons are used for self defense and hunting. Cruise missiles, tanks, warships, or nuclear weapons are used only for purposes suited for armies and expressly not for individuals.
The libs always seem to have a simple logic deficit.

[TXnMA]

Response: "Chrissie, have you ever actually seen a bazooka? Well, neither have I. What's your next dumb@$$, irrational question?"

[mikelets456]

I looked that up... Very interesting. Thanks....

[Lazamataz]

Chris, you are a freakin' moron. I would never want a bazooka.

Bazookas are from WWII. I would want a M47 Dragon, a Javelin, a SRAW, a BGM-71 TOW, or a AGM-114 Hellfire.

[TChris]

FGM-148 JAVELIN

Yeah, baybeeeee!

[shibumi]

Every home should have a crew served weapon:

[Old Teufel Hunden]

If little Chrissy would simply read what some of the founders said about what kind of arms a citizen is allowed to have, he would have his answer. Tenche Coxe was a member of the first Congress and therefore debated and helped pass the Bill of Rights. He said in this regard:

"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American"

Tenche first defines who the militia are. The citizens of the United States. He further goes on to state that the militia will carry every terrible implement of the soldier. It is our birthright. Therefore, we should be allowed to carry every terrible implement of the soldier. Regular soldiers do not carry nuclear weapons or missiles or even bazookas.

A regular soldiers arms are fully auto M-16s and sidearms. The only change I would make to what we are allowed to have is that our semi autos should be fully auto.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I would want a M47 Dragon"

I've never fired a dragon. Heck, our dragon gunners never fired many of them. I've watched them fire them. It's so cool because they go downrange so slow you can actually see the missle going down range. Wire guided technology is good stuff...

[tillacum]

Isn’t a bazooka a firearm although it’s fired from the shoulder?

[Dead Corpse]

So.... The Second actually reads "keep and bear arms, except for crew served weapons, shall not be infringed."

Or are we still trying to justify "some" infringement where none is allowed or necessary?

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

We used electrically fired eight gauge shotgun shells as a
seismic source for several years.

There were no problems but the Government declared them to
be bad and stopped the manufacturing of these useful item.

[taxcontrol]

Actually the more accurate way to represent your point was that during the time of our founding fathers, Congress made no law restricting the ownership of either ordnance or arms. Further, that they did not feel threatened by citizens owning both ordnance and arms.

It wasn’t until the National Firearms Act 1934 that an attempt by Congress was made to codify explosives via the “destructive device” provisions of the act.

Thus, I would represent while it is possible to distinguish between the two .... as congress did, it does not serve the purpose of freedom to do so.

[Dead Corpse]

What power was given in the Constitution to the Fedgov for them to control/prohibit private ownership of such items?

The only thing that comes close was an explicit prohibition in the form of the Second Amendment.

[SoldierDad]

It would have. Problem is, that little nudge would have sent the Navigator into other cars.

[colorado tanker]

Some things never go out of style, Laz.

[Hacklehead]

The answer to Chrissy’s question is a personal defense weapon such as a pistol or revolver. Handguns are defensive weaopns, long guns are often considered offensive weapons. The citizens should be entitled to the same armament as that of a police officer.