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What the Elites Think Americans 'Need' Has Nothing to Do with Individual Rights
American Thinker.com ^ | August 20, 2019 | William Sullivan

Posted on 08/20/2019 5:57:01 AM PDT by Kaslin

You may have noticed that all advocates of federal gun control are arguing for the same end result, which is federal limitations upon the individual right to own firearms. But the underlying arguments as to why they believe that the federal government should be allowed to do so can vary, and often pretty wildly.

There are some who argue, for example, that the Second Amendment was never meant to guarantee any individual right, as CNN’s Chris Cuomo recently argued. Some others may argue that the Second Amendment only protects guns owned for the purposes of hunting or sport. That’s all intellectually indefensible, given the precise words of the Second Amendment and ample facts which provide the historical context for its inclusion in the Constitution. As such, these examples are rarer than the other, more honest argument among gun control activists that I’ve encountered.

Generally, this latter group of gun control advocates rightfully concede that the Second Amendment does protect an individual right to own firearms, but that the Founders just never imagined weapons as deadly as an AR-15, for example. They argue that it was never meant to protect those kinds of deadly firearms, despite the fact that the deadliest firearms on the planet at the time of the Constitution’s ratification (the same used by regulars in the British army, for example) were clearly meant to be legally kept in law-abiding American citizens’ homes.

But in the end, all these arguments boil down to one thing -- what gun control advocates think Americans “need.” Irrespective of the mental gymnastics needed to philosophically get there, the closing statement in these arguments for gun control invariably goes something like this: “Why does anyone need a [insert any arbitrarily chosen gun, or gun accessory, of some specific caliber, muzzle velocity, rate of fire,

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; chriscuomo; clintonnonnews; cnn; nra; secondamendment
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To: Kaslin

To the best of my recollection, the first ten amendments to the Constitution aren’t listed as the Bill of Needs. Rosa Parks didn’t NEED to sit at the front of the bus. Which RIGHT will the Left decide we don’t NEED any more after disposing of the RKBA? After that one is gone, so are all of the rest. Note my tag line.


21 posted on 08/20/2019 7:27:33 AM PDT by Pecos (My rights as an individual are not subject to a public vote.)
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To: mjp

I don’t need the NYT or NPR, so let’s ban them!


22 posted on 08/20/2019 8:25:29 AM PDT by allwrong57
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To: Kaslin

It’s because the left are “collectivist” in their thinking. They start with the question, “what is in the best interests of the COLLECTIVE?”. From there, they decide, for everyone, that guns aren’t in the best interests of the collective because they believe, simply, that if you get rid of guns you get rid of gun crime.

This is monumentally stupid on multiple levels. First, and this is what makes the USA unique, we believe the best interests of the collective are INDIVIDUAL rights, that the rights of the individual trump the collective. This is what European’s, along with our Canadian friends, don’t understand. Second, criminals will be the only people with guns. Third, it’s a right to protect from a tyrannical government. Fourth, we can also organize militia - this is hugely understated. No other western nation comes close to contemplating an armed populace and allowing them to organize as an armed militia.

In the UK, the concept of individual rights has been completely eroded. You can now commit the crime of ‘offending somebody’. Of course the offended are Muslim’s that demonstrate they’ll become violent. Instead if arresting those that will be violent due to being offended it’s far easier to arrest the person speaking offensive remarks. This means speaking truth is now illegal, supported by the social media platforms.

The world is starting to notice what makes the USA special, be it the UK or Hong Kong. It’s the same reason why the left here have become so rabid, they’re losing and they know it. Their only recourse is to drown out all voices other than their own in an attempt to brainwash everyone. The problem is, for the most part, everyone already sees their game - they’ve already lost but don’t know it.


23 posted on 08/20/2019 8:28:05 AM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: Kaslin
There are some who argue, for example, that the Second Amendment was never meant to guarantee any individual right, as CNN’s Chris Cuomo...

Fredo's a fool who lives in a safe (gated) home with massive security. HE doesn't need to protect himself - he pays others to protect him...

I'm willing to talk to these phony elites when THEY agree to outlaw all bodyguards and PAID security.

24 posted on 08/20/2019 9:01:33 AM PDT by GOPJ (Epstein - Child-Rape Pimp for White Liberal Elites... FOB - Friend of Bill...Invisible to the NYT's)
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To: Kaslin

The elites have nose rings and the media pulls them to where ever the want them.


25 posted on 08/20/2019 9:59:15 AM PDT by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: beef

“What this country “need” is a good five cent cigar.” Vice President Thomas R. Marshall of President Woodrow Wilson administration.


26 posted on 08/20/2019 11:12:15 AM PDT by cargocruiser
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To: Kaslin

what gun control advocates think Americans “need.”


As a free American citizen, I think I’m entitled to determine what I ‘need’.


27 posted on 08/20/2019 5:10:12 PM PDT by hanamizu
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To: Kaslin
“Why does anyone need a [insert any arbitrarily chosen gun, or gun accessory, of some specific caliber, muzzle velocity, rate of fire,

My answer is always so that I can shoot the SOB who wants to take it away from me.

28 posted on 08/20/2019 5:40:42 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Human beings don't behave rationally. We rationalize our behavior.)
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To: cargocruiser

And a good twenty dollar piece of tail


29 posted on 08/20/2019 7:49:06 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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