I’m preaching to the choir here I suspect, but here is a couple of things to think on;
One of the most common arguments to be made against the 2nd Amendment at first starts with an acknowledgement that the 2nd is, in part, in place to resist a tyrannical government.
Once acknowledging the argument, a counter argument will be made of ”Opposing a tyrannical government, in 2021, is impossible because governments employ jets, tanks, and so forth, so therefore a citizen armed with an “assault rifle” has no hope of toppling an oppressive government.” . Then justifications will be made regarding application of the 2nd in an attempt to reduce the argument to justifying sustinance hunting only or some other “socially valid” excuse.
Except, this isn’t what we saw on January 6th. Instead, what we saw was quite a few thousand Americans outraged at the failure of their congressional and judical representation almost capture the Capitol without a single shot being fired, except by the Capitol police.
Imagine for a moment if the crowd we saw on January 6 was armed. Imagine if instead of walking away, Trump had instead marched with this imaginary crowd. What might the military’s reaction been when Trump approached the Capitol with thousands of armed patriots in support?
Would it then have been possible for this crowd of armed Americans to topple what they and many of us see a false and tyrannical government? Would their actions have been to hunt down oppression or instead solidify the guidelines of the Consitution? And I’m not asking here what Trumps actions would have been, but instead asking about those in the crowd and what their demands would have been.
It’s ideas like this and the consideration of them, whether to agree or disagree, which pose a threat to sitting tyrannical governments. When we consider what might have been, we can envision what can be. However to do that we need to be able to communicate. And that is what is truly under attack.
They don’t want us gathering with friends, or family, or in crowds, or anywhere else where we can sit down and simply discuss what we all think is bullshit. Don’t forget we need to keep social distancing and stop the spread or else we’re threats to society.
And we most certainly can’t risk spreading hate speech, or discussions of sedition, or fake news about voting, or anti-vaxx, or anything remotely dangerous to the staus quo because someone smarter than us decided what the status quo is and we really need to listen to them because they are an expert after all.
But don’t worry your freedom of speech is safe. You can say wherever you want online, so long as too many people don’t listen. If too many people listen we will need to make sure what you’re saying doesn’t violate the terms of service, which need to change regularly to reflect a dynamic social atmosphere.
Don’t worry! You can always just call into a radio show, and they might let you discuss this on air as long as what you are going to say isn’t inciting to anything illegal in the programmers opinion.
If it is, you can get a newspaper ad, as long as it meets the editorial opinion of your local newspaper.
Failing all of that, you could just go down the street and preach on the corner until the by-law enforcement officer fines you or calls a police officer to drag you away to a safe place.
Unless you have a gun, and a few thousand supporters, and a man willing to lead. Then there has to be a serious reconsideration of who gets to say what, when you get to say it and where it gets said, and who is Consitutionally bound to listen to it and act on it.
So just don’t forget this Easter Weekend when you are enjoying your right to free speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion that the main reason the 2nd Amendment exists is so tyrannical governments don’t fuck around with the 1st Amendment.
Happy Easter Conspiracies.win
Another cherry picking raid on the 2nd amendment. Any discussion that ignores the well regulated militia part is a waste of the time of everyone who reads it.
Who do you think comprised the “well regulated militia” in 1776?
James Madison (who introduced the 2nd Amendment) ”The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country."
Thomas Jefferson, in 1778, wrote “This difference is ascribed to our superiority in taking aim when we fire; every soldier in our army having been intimate with his gun from his infancy.” which is an odd statement if the intent of the 2nd was to only arm the militia... unless infants were permitted to serve in the milita also.
Jefferson doubled down on this idea later, in 1824 (long after the 2nd was passed), when he wrote ”The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
There are plenty more quotes regarding the 2nd in the Federalist Papers and later from pretty much every signatory to the Consitution.
So, the cherry picking which goes on is that of the uninformed making assumptions about the intent of the 2nd Amendment when those who wrote the Amendment were crystal clear on its intent and application.
*Edit; Had some time, so here is a few more for you ;
“A militia when properly formed are in fact the people themselves…and include, according to the past and general usuage of the states, all men capable of bearing arms… "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.” - Richard Henry Lee, 1788.
“Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of.” - James Madison, 1788.
“The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.” - Samuel Adams, 1788.
I have no objection to you having all the 1788 muskets you can handle in your well regulated militia. Not so happy about fruitcakes gunning people & kids down with automatic weapons. I know your logic makes sense to you and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise. Just stating another point of view. Other democracies don't have to send out so many thoughts and prayers to grieving citizens.
Thanks, and you’re entitled to your opinion, but I think if you want to have better and more rounded opinion I suggest you research the topic further. Your looking at the 2nd Amendement in a very “Made by 60 Minutes” framework, and there is a lot of very interesting information to be found on the topic literally leading back to 1776.