The 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees that every citizen of the United States has the absolute right “… to keep and bear arms …” !
But every time that some maniac uses a gun to commit murder, every limousine-liberal politician in the country starts whining that we need more gun control. Obama, Clinton, Bloomberg and Cuomo are just a few examples.
But these political elites don’t have to worry about their safety — their homes and workplaces are surrounded by numerous heavily armed guards 24/7 and they have armored limousines when they travel. To these hypocrites, their safety is of utmost importance — yours and mine is of no importance.
The authors of the 2nd Amendment understood that people who are unable to defend themselves will invariably become subjects of an oppressive government. And the very first thing that dictators and other political elites have always done is disarm the people. But let’s be realistic here: (1) Government will never be able to remove all firearms, (2) As an individual, police have no obligation to protect you. and (3) The only reliable protection is self-protection.
That is why there are no restrictions contained in the 2nd Amendment, nor anywhere else in the Constitution, for that matter, as to where, when or how these arms can be carried. It does not place any restrictions pertaining to, for example, schools, post offices or town halls, nor does it restrict concealed carry. It states simply that the right to bear arms “… shall not be infringed.”
Furthermore, it is a direct violation of the Constitution for any judge at any level of government, be it federal, state, municipality or otherwise, to uphold any law that diminishes, in any way, a person’s right to carry arms. The Constitution is quite specific. It states in Article VI that “This Constitution … shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.”
Adding to the centuries-old understanding of that right, Section 20 of Article 1 of the Bill of Rights of The Delaware Constitution of 1897 as amended states that “A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and State, and for hunting and recreational use.”
But in violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights, liberal politicians across the country have enacted numerous “gun-control” restrictions. Even the state of Delaware maintains that citizens must have a state-issued license to carry a concealed firearm (Title 11, §1441) and that failure to have a license is a felony (Title 11, §1442).
Also, the city of Dover maintains that “It shall be unlawful for any person to have in his possession, carry or use a revolver or pistol of any description …” (Code of Ordinances, §70-2).
Now, I have never claimed to be a constitutional scholar. But, then again, the U.S. Constitution was, and is, a document intended to be understood by the common man — no advanced law degrees or black robes have ever been required. The problem with understanding the true meaning of the Constitution is not the document itself; it is the misinterpretation and misapplication by liberals who have tried to change its meaning in order to satisfy their own personal biases.
It is not that they do not understand — it is that they do not concur. Their rationale is always the same: Guns kill people — as though any inanimate object could suddenly, of its own accord, be dangerous — or that more laws (despite the tens of thousands already on the books) are the answer.
Einstein was correct — liberals are insane. They keep trying the same thing over and over again — and each time, they expect that THIS TIME, it will work. But the real problems remain. All of these gun-control laws are unconstitutional!
I challenge anyone in law enforcement and any attorney, judge and politician to explain on the pages of this newspaper why all of these so-called “gun control” laws can remain law in spite of the language of the 2nd Amendment. Also why judges and others who uphold them are not charged with malfeasance and removed from their positions and why senators, representatives and governors, who are bound by oath the support the Constitution, are not removed from office for failing to do so.
And finally, why do “we the people” allow such flagrant violations of our rights?
David C. Pleasanton
Smyrna