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Breyer: Founding Fathers Would Have Allowed Restrictions on Guns
Foxnews ^ | Dec 12, 2010 | Foxnews

Posted on 12/12/2010 11:33:59 AM PST by driftdiver

If you look at the values and the historical record, you will see that the Founding Fathers never intended guns to go unregulated, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer contended Sunday.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Breyer said history stands with the dissenters in the court's decision to overturn a Washington, D.C., handgun ban in the 2008 case "D.C. v. Heller."

Breyer wrote the dissent and was joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He said historians would side with him in the case because they have concluded that Founding Father James Madison was more worried that the Constitution may not be ratified than he was about granting individuals the right to bear arms.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; billofrights; davidsouter; johnpaulstevens; partyoftreason; ruthbaderginsburg; scotus; secondamendment; shallnotbeinfringed; stephenbreyer
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To: driftdiver

The same Founding Fathers who drafted a Constitution with an implicit right of civilian ownership of naval artillery? Those Founding fathers? Or the ones he wishes had existed, and based on the Constitution that exists only in Breyer’s head?


101 posted on 12/12/2010 3:10:17 PM PST by rmlew (You want change? Vote for the most conservative electable in your state or district.)
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To: Farmer Dean
The son-of-a-bitch is only 72. After that statement though, we should move to have him retired non compos mentis.

Nam Vet

102 posted on 12/12/2010 3:11:37 PM PST by Nam Vet (Are you better off than you were 4 trillion dollars ago?)
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To: elcid1970
This recalls an earlier chief justice who held that the Second Amendment only guaranteed the right to own weapons of the same technology as the year the Bill of Rights was ratified.

He actually held up a muzzleloader flintlock musket and said this is what you can own under 2A as he saw it.

Since the judiciary is clearly interested in precedent, this earlier justice would have to admit to ownership and use of all arms up to the first gun control legislation that was passed. I am curious if we are talking about the 1930's now.


103 posted on 12/12/2010 3:16:04 PM PST by magooey (The Mandate of Heaven resides in the hearts of men.)
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To: rmlew

implicit right of civilian ownership of naval artillery?
***Interesting. This is the first I’ve heard of this angle. Do you have some further references or links?


104 posted on 12/12/2010 3:16:07 PM PST by Kevmo (Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn't make any sense at all. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: Sender

When that happens, there is really nothing left to do short of a revolution or find another country that still has it’s values. Yes, there are some, you must have to do your4 research. We MUST win in 2012. It is a MUST!


105 posted on 12/12/2010 3:21:39 PM PST by mojitojoe (In itÂ’s 1600 years of existence, Islam has 2 main accomplishments, psychotic violence and goat curr)
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To: Kevmo
"implicit right of civilian ownership of naval artillery?" ***Interesting. This is the first I’ve heard of this angle. Do you have some further references or links?

The U.S. Constitution provides in Article I, Section 8:
The Congress shall have Power ... To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
Letters of Marque and Reprisal allowed armed civilian ships to capture enemy shipping in a manner that would otherwise be piracy. That these and other civilian ships would be armed was a given in the 18th century.
106 posted on 12/12/2010 3:22:09 PM PST by rmlew (You want change? Vote for the most conservative electable in your state or district.)
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To: DemonDeac

That is a pretty ignorant comment. Thomas has a very unique and Originalist view of the Constitution, and it is one that is both deep in thought and far more reflective of the founders intent than most others. Thomas sometimes gets things wrong (all of the Justices do) but he also gets a whole lot of things right. In fact, he sometimes gets things right when Scalia gets them wrong (IE: Raich).


107 posted on 12/12/2010 3:30:26 PM PST by freedomwarrior998
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To: elcid1970
"This recalls an earlier chief justice who held that the Second Amendment only guaranteed the right to own weapons of the same technology as the year the Bill of Rights was ratified."

Which leftwing blockhead said that? That's like saying freedom of the press only applied to printing presses and only to those of the type available in the 18th century.

108 posted on 12/12/2010 3:33:04 PM PST by drpix
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To: driftdiver

Damned right they would have supported restrictions. That’s why the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr never happened.


109 posted on 12/12/2010 3:35:54 PM PST by Enterprise (TSA - The Silly Agency)
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To: magooey

Indeed! Did that Justice, or his security own Tommyguns at the time? Precedent set! My christmas shopping just got a whole lot easier.


110 posted on 12/12/2010 3:40:11 PM PST by txhurl
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To: rmlew

Basically privateers, right? Sounds a lot like militia to me. Thanks for the link.


111 posted on 12/12/2010 3:47:19 PM PST by Kevmo (Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn't make any sense at all. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: SampleMan

Please send those quotes to each member of the SCOTUS.


112 posted on 12/12/2010 3:49:22 PM PST by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.CSLewis)
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To: driftdiver

He’s right about living in a visual age. Watching his interview two words came to my mind: Arrogant and Creepy.


113 posted on 12/12/2010 3:50:44 PM PST by carmody
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To: driftdiver
Yeah, those redcoats headed to Lexington and Concord to put perfectly legal restrictions on privately held cannons and powder, and those outlaws stood in the way!
114 posted on 12/12/2010 3:51:18 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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To: rmlew

There are so many laws & precedents & rabbit holes in the constitution now, that even members of the SCOTUS are just following their own emotional opinions rather than seriously deliberating the issues. It’s a tragedy, and a sign that this republic could be doomed.


115 posted on 12/12/2010 3:51:25 PM PST by Kevmo (Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn't make any sense at all. ~Ronald Reagan)
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To: allblues

I think a studied person would realize that Justice Thomas ia a steady proponent of natural law.


116 posted on 12/12/2010 3:51:47 PM PST by Yorktownpatriot
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To: Nam Vet

I’m siding with you on this one also!


117 posted on 12/12/2010 3:53:29 PM PST by Yorktownpatriot
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To: Nam Vet

>The son-of-a-bitch is only 72. After that statement though, we should move to have him retired non compos mentis.

What’s sad is that such a statement isn’t considered treason, which the Constitution defines as “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”

The reasoning is simple; the Second Amendment states:
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.

Now, obviously there is a relationship between the militia and the right to bear arms shown here, namely: an individual member of society cannot function as a member of the militia without the equipment thereof. Therefore to bar access to such “terrible implements of war” is exactly equivalent (constitutionally speaking) to refusing to supply the army.

Therefore, because this is an exact equivalence, forbidding the general citizen the right to keep and bear arms *IS* supplying aid and comfort to America’s enemies, precisely because it denies otherwise capable militia members from the militia which *IS* the security for the free state.

Q.E.D.


118 posted on 12/12/2010 3:56:08 PM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: trumandogz
The Constitution is clear, there are no restrictions on guns and there are no restrictions on speech.

Unless you're Assange, and you have the goods on banksters.

119 posted on 12/12/2010 4:01:52 PM PST by InternetTuffGuy
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To: Kevmo

From the Constitution:
“To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;”

From Wikipedia:
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government license authorizing a private vessel to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale. Cruising for prizes with a Letter of Marque was considered an honorable calling combining patriotism and profit, in contrast to unlicensed piracy which was universally reviled.
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque ]

So, obviously the Letter of Marque requires a fully stocked and armed warship.


120 posted on 12/12/2010 4:03:52 PM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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