[tpaine]

Jim Robinson wrote:

Appears to me that the second amendment protects our right to keep and bear arms from being infringed upon by any government.

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Thank you.

We can agree that States do not have the power to ignore the Constitution on basic individual rights.

Keyes often gives the impression, [mostly in the heat of his speeches], that he thinks otherwise.
This confuses some of his supporters into thinking he advocates State controls over some of our unenumerated rights.
Unfortunately, imo, he never gets around to clarifying those issues quite enough.
-- Maybe next year..

[Jim Robinson]

I don't think so. Paraphasing of couse, but I've heard Keyes say many times that our unalienable rights come from God and that no government can deprive us of same. I think it would go against his deeply held religious beliefs to say otherwise.

[Jim Robinson]

From Alan Keyes on the Issues:

On the source of our rights

We have forgotten the principle that our rights come from God and must be exercised with respect for the existence and authority of God. . . .

You can't have it both ways. Either our rights come from God, as our Declaration of Independence says, or they come from human choice. If they come from human choice, then our whole way of life is meaningless, it has no foundation.

On the role of government

All human beings are created equal. They need no title or qualification beyond their own simple humanity in order to command respect for their intrinsic human dignity, their "unalienable rights."

The purpose of government is to secure these rights, and no government is just or legitimate if it systematically violates them.

http://www.keyes2004.com/issues2.php