At first this may seem like a standard (though well-done) lib-conserv historical analysis of the 2A. But the conclusion about what the Second actually protects? Now that’s a bit more intriguing. (Via Jerry the Geek)
The Adaptive Curmudgeon has some related thoughts. Not directly about the 2A. But about the state of mind of a seemingly complacent populace.
AC has it right. There are a million fuses out there looking for a match.
I’ve been noticing something. Or more accurately, not noticing something. We are almost through August. The Presidential Election is November 8. That’s 80 days, minus early voting.
In every presidential election I remember (since Johnson/Goldwater in 1964) by this time there have been bumper stickers, campaign pins, and yard signs all over the place.
This time, you can count them on your fingers.
Reminds me of how I felt in the jungle, when everything got quiet.
He’s begging the question of whether the repeal of the 2nd Amendment would result in revolt. In the current long train of abuses and usurpations, I won’t argue the possbility that the 2nd is the lynchpin here; maybe it is. But I don’t take that as a foregone conclusion.
The only thing I can think of that would be worse than open civil war is massacres of the unarmed peasantry by the minions of Leviathan.
_revjen45
And the only yard signs I do see in my very blue state are for Trump.
Of course, my next door neighbor put his Trump sign in the back yard out of consideration for the community.
It would be nice if to save our republic all we would have had to do is elect the right person president, even if we had good choices (which IMHO we do not) the system has gotten so corrupt there is a valid question to be asked of whether it can be saved but you know something if it could be saved the other question to ponder is are the American people up to and capable of doing the saving.
As the first link implied something doesn’t have to be in writing to be the law of the land; what is right is right no matter how it is written or said.
Everyone will need to decide what they actually stand for because if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.
IMHO we may be approaching a time in this country again where those who stand for liberty may just about have had it with falling for tyranny no matter what disguise it may be wearing.
When tyranny becomes law
Rebellion becomes duty
As Jefferson and many others wrote at the time, the 2d Amendment is primarily intended to preserve an armed public’s ability to overthrow the government. Hunting and self defense were regarded as natural rights, regardless…
The people who think they have the answers are as out of touch as Marie Antoinette. Lord knows what might happen.
All the Second Amendment does is order the government to refrain from interfering with our right to arms. Those rights don’t disappear if the amendment is repealed, the government simply has free rein to interfere. How that would play out with state and local authorities in states that have their own constitutional protections for arms-bearing I don’t know. Your rights remain in place, however. All the gummint can do is violate them. The only obligation you have to cooperate with that is what you choose to accept.
The conservatives are thinking hard, not rioting, not burning cars, etc. for one reason: They still have too much to lose. They still love to wash the suv, cut the grass, clean their neighborhoods, etc. They are hoping it will stay that way even if Hillary gets elected, and so far things are barely holding together. When talking to relatives about 2A they like the idea but really shooting somebody would get the cops on your ass, possibly no travel list to your favorite location. Until they realize there is no other option they will continue to read the news and think about it. They still think law enforcement will come to their rescue. Schoolboy
The Preamble to the Bill of Rights spells out its purpose: To guard against the abuse of power by the State.
Without the Second Amendment, we’d have the Bill of Nine Privileges.
Desertrat — A big +1 on that.