General Discussion

HereSince1628

(36,063 posts)

16. Not opinion so much as what I was taught...

Sun Jan 10, 2016, 05:53 PM

Jan 2016

The new United States didn't have and didn't much want a large, expensive to maintain standing army. Yet, the founders appreciated the need for volunteer militias to rise as needed to meet immediate needs of local, regional and national defense without waiting for arms to be delivered.

At the same time, self-defense and hunting were so common and so accepted that approval to have weapons for that purpose was largely taken for granted.

If we were writing an amendment about firearms in 2016, we would undoubtedly write something about 100 pages long trying to meet all the circumstances experienced over 200+ years and those anticipated by our imaginations. What the bill of rights did was keep its statement on guns short and to the point of the government's need. Not really addressing in any specific or limiting way the needs of citizens

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

27 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

For the constitutional scholars amongst you... [View all] 63splitwindow Jan 2016 OP

Not bolded in the original, elleng Jan 2016 #1

"The Amendment�s prefatory clause announces a purpose" 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #3

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: elleng Jan 2016 #5

Notice it addresses "a free state" as opposed to "the State." Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2016 #2

But why announce purpose at all? 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #4

Because it was drafted by a different group of people dumbcat Jan 2016 #9

That makes sense. nt 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #11

In other 18th century writing, yes. X_Digger Jan 2016 #23

Semantics Old Codger Jan 2016 #6

I am not asking what it means... 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #8

Ok I get that Old Codger Jan 2016 #14

:) Ask the NRA why they carefully did not engrave the Hortensis Jan 2016 #19

I really Old Codger Jan 2016 #24

Strictly speaking, my humor was directed at Splitwindow, Oldcrabby. Hortensis Jan 2016 #25

Oldcrabby??? N/T Old Codger Jan 2016 #26

Oh, sorry! Hortensis Jan 2016 #27

Apparently it's semantics until it isn't. Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2016 #20

Our opinions on this don't much matter. Judges have given interpretations HereSince1628 Jan 2016 #7

I agree on both your points... 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #10

Not opinion so much as what I was taught... HereSince1628 Jan 2016 #16

Thank you. nt 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #17

The first clause does not limit the second clause. It's actually common to Constitutions. NutmegYankee Jan 2016 #12

Its justificatory. beevul Jan 2016 #13

Several of the Founding Fathers were opposed to America having a standing army jmowreader Jan 2016 #15

Thank you. nt 63splitwindow Jan 2016 #18

Just ignore that part. moondust Jan 2016 #21

"Because I'm out of soda, I'm going to the store." -- do stores sell more than soda? X_Digger Jan 2016 #22