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NRA version of 2nd Amendment lacks common sense (ENGLISH TEACHER MISREADS BILL OF RIGHTS)
Daily Southtown (Chicago) ^ | June 5, 2015 | David McGrath mcgrathd@dupage.edu

Posted on 06/06/2015 1:33:53 PM PDT by Chi-townChief

A new Pew Research Center report states that 52 percent of Americans support gun rights, the highest percentage in the last two decades. Yet the gun rights that they believe are guaranteed by law may very well be an illusion..

That's because we have allowed lawyers instead of language professionals to interpret the Constitution of the United States.

Ask any high school English teacher to parse the Second Amendment, and they will say that it does not prohibit common-sense restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns, in spite of the National Rifle Association's claim to the contrary. The proof lies in the amendment's exact language — "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."

Literally, it means that the American people will retain the right to carry weapons as members of a state militia in order to safeguard their freedom.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; guncontrol; guns; liberals; secondamendment
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To: knarf

Perhaps “Professor” McGrath will finally learn that punctuation is our friend.


21 posted on 06/06/2015 2:51:56 PM PDT by Chi-townChief
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To: Chi-townChief

Sudden “Steve Canyon is dreaming moment”....

*Butt-strokes English teacher in face w/M1 Garand, in honor of D-Day* “Now hear this, English teacher! The Second Amendment to the US Constitution recognizes an individual right to bear arms in order to make a citizen militia a possibility! The Founders put it in there because they rightly understood that a standing army is a threat to liberty!” *Kicks English teacher before he can stand up* “Now pay attention, fool. The History teacher was not done speaking! No government in the history of mankind has ever or will ever deserve a monopoly on lethal force, because they will ALWAYS turn it on their own citizens in the end.” *Grabs English Teacher by the ear* “Your assignment is to write a research paper about the success of George III’s efforts to disarm Massachusetts in 1775. *KICK* Now get up and get to work!”

Then I wake up and realize that’s a lesson I won’t get to teach.


22 posted on 06/06/2015 3:06:50 PM PDT by GenXteacher (You have chosen dishonor to avoid war; you shall have war also.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

“Too many commas can cause lapses in consciousness. (commatose)”

It’s Saturday evening,,,,,,,,,and I’m working on it,,,,,,,,,,.!


23 posted on 06/06/2015 3:09:02 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: Chi-townChief
"That's because we have allowed lawyers instead of language professionals to interpret the Constitution of the United States."

I must have missed that in US Government class.

Where Constitutional rights are to be interpreted by "language professionals".

Maybe there was some extra amendment in the Bill of Rights that can only be read under UV light.

24 posted on 06/06/2015 3:10:59 PM PDT by boop (Hey, stoop, that's got gears. It ain't no Ford.)
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PO Box 9771
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Thank you all very much!!

God bless.


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Less than $4.7k to go!!

25 posted on 06/06/2015 3:11:39 PM PDT by RedMDer (Keep Free Republic Alive with YOUR Donations!)
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To: Chi-townChief

I remember reading this on FR years ago:

“A well educated electorate being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and read books shall not be infringed.”

Does that statement mean that only those that vote can own books or that the People in general are allowed to possess books? Wonder what the teacher would say about that?


26 posted on 06/06/2015 3:16:28 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
Yeah, me too

I could never remember the rules as given to me to memorize, (pause) but I too would "commatize", (pause) (parantheses) (LOVE that word) (close parentheses), (pause) as I went along (drop voice) (end)(period).

27 posted on 06/06/2015 3:51:25 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true .... I have no proof .... but they're true)
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To: knarf

Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!


28 posted on 06/06/2015 3:57:25 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: Chi-townChief

Perhaps this IDIOT David McGrath should request a consult with PROFESSOR COPPERUD; just in order to obtain a proper understanding of the English Language, both in past and present usage.


29 posted on 06/06/2015 3:57:26 PM PDT by 5th MEB (Progressives in the open; --- FIRE FOR EFFECT!!)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

I also have been guilty of that


30 posted on 06/06/2015 4:04:23 PM PDT by 5th MEB (Progressives in the open; --- FIRE FOR EFFECT!!)
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To: GenXteacher

Excellent post. That is the most concise, easy to understand explanation of the 2nd Amendment I have read in a long time. Bravo.


31 posted on 06/06/2015 4:06:32 PM PDT by rusty schucklefurd
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To: Chi-townChief
Ask any high school English teacher...

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Ha.

32 posted on 06/06/2015 4:11:07 PM PDT by Half Vast Conspiracy (PS I live north of San Diego. Come & get me.)
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To: Chi-townChief

The statement in the article which says of the 2nd amendment : “Literally, it means that the American people will retain the right to carry weapons as members of a state militia in order to safeguard their freedom” - implies that somehow “the people” can only be guaranteed arms when acting as an agent and part of the government. It assumes that government could never be in the wrong or tyrannical, which is the reason why the 2nd amendment exists.

That however is, however also false in the context of the constitution and the amendments, which are limits of government and protections of individual rights.

To be part of the National Guard is to be part of, and to act in the wishes of the government. Not a free militia which is the people.

Also, isn’t it a little ridiculous to think you need to assign a constitutional ‘right’ for the government militia to have the right of being armed? Governments will be armed anyway, or they have no power.

Indeed, governments have powers, not rights. Individuals have rights, and limits when they are in government to limit their powers.

That was the intention of the constitution.

Nobody seems to understand that.


33 posted on 06/06/2015 4:20:13 PM PDT by Wildbill22 (They have us surrounded again, the poor bastards- Gen Creighton Williams Abrams)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

I’ll work on it on this end, if that’s helpful.


34 posted on 06/06/2015 4:29:40 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves Month")
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To: Chi-townChief

He is from Chicago what do you expect. Moreover he is a teacher not a constitutional lawyer


35 posted on 06/06/2015 4:30:59 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: Chi-townChief
The first part is the why and the second part is the what. That is why the focus by the Supremes on the second part.

Also: regulated, properly translated, means armed. And as another poster quipped, militia is 18-45 year old males, but in this case I think it translates to populace.

36 posted on 06/06/2015 4:31:18 PM PDT by Revolutionary ("Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!")
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To: Chi-townChief

Justice Scalia’s Heller decision is the best refutation of this nonsense.


37 posted on 06/06/2015 5:01:36 PM PDT by MSF BU (Support the troops: Join Them.)
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To: Chi-townChief

so the First US president never got around to preventing citizens from owning guns....decades and decades civilians owned guns, all types, and only in the 21st century did politicians realize that wasn’t meant to be?????/s


38 posted on 06/06/2015 5:06:02 PM PDT by RginTN
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To: Chi-townChief

***Literally, it means that the American people will retain the right to carry weapons as members of a state militia in order to safeguard their freedom.***

Bunk.

Dred Scott vs Sanford.
What the SCOTUS thought about gun control in the pre Civil War era.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0060_0393_ZO.html

It would give to persons of the negro race, who were recognised as citizens in any one State of the Union, the right to enter every other State whenever they pleased, singly or in companies, without pass or passport, and without obstruction, to sojourn there as long as they pleased, to go where they pleased at every hour of the day or night without molestation, unless they committed some violation of law for which a white man would be punished;

and it would give them the full liberty of speech in public and in private upon all subjects upon which its own citizens might speak; to hold public meetings upon political affairs,

and to KEEP AND CARRY ARMS wherever they went.


39 posted on 06/06/2015 5:58:33 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Chi-townChief

The militia is everyone, faglord. And 52% is a sickenly low figure, I believe it’s higher.


40 posted on 06/06/2015 6:51:05 PM PDT by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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