(none) Quintin Stone - Editorials
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The Second Amendment
Monday, June 16, 1997 11:54 AM

A lot of people are under the impression that the Second Amendment is defunct, that there no longer exists a need for the average citizen to own or carry a gun. "That's what police are for", they say, "and if you're talking about defense against invasion, well that's what the US Army is for." I won't even get into the effectiveness of the police here. My response to this kind of statement is that you really ought to get a better understanding of the 2nd Amendment and what our founding fathers had in mind when they created it:

"Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life, secondly to liberty, thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can." - Samuel Adams

"Arms in the hands of the citizens may be used at individual discretion for the defense of the country, the overthrow of tyranny or private self-defense." - John Adams

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun." - Patrick Henry

You see, the colonists of infant America had just overthrown a tyrannical government; they had no desire to create another one. The Second Amendment was an attempt to prevent it from happening here, to, not just symbolically, but literally put the power in the hands of the people. Our founding fathers were so wary of government, they did not even trust the one they themselves were creating!

So to say that the people have no need to bear arms because we have police and a standing army just reaffirms the true purpose of the Second Amendment. I have the highest respect for our police and military units, but it is because the government controls these forces that we should remain wary.

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