75 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
75 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
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INTERPRETING THE MEANING & PURPOSE OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT
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By: Bernadine Smith
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The framers of the Constitution were quite skilled in the use and drafting
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of the English Language. By putting the MILITIA at the forefront of the
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sentence which composes the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights, they
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stressed the importance of the collective use of the right to arms. The
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collective right used in this manner, has equal status with the individual
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aspects of this abosolute right.
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When the 1787 Consitution was ready to be submitted to the governors of the
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states for ratification, Patrick Henry, the immortal voice for liberty,
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lectured daily against it in the Virginia State House for three weeks,
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criticizing the Constitution, warning that it has been written "AS IF ONLY
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GOOD MEN WILL TAKE OFFICE!" He asked what they would do when EVIL MEN took
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office. "WHEN EVIL MEN TAKKE OFFICE, THE WHOLE GANG WILL BE IN COLLUSION,"
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he declared, "AND THEY WILL KEEP THE PEOPLE IN UTTER IGNORANCE AND STEAL
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THEIR LIBERTY BY AMBUSCADE*!"
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(* Entrapment from a concealed position)
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Patrick Henry asked, "WHAT RESISTANCE COULD BE MADE IF THE PEOPLE HAVE NO
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GUNS?" ... "YOUR GUNS ARE GONE!" ... "YOUR LAWS ON TREASON ARE A SHAM AND A
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MOCKERY BECAUSE OF THEIR MUTUAL IMPLICATIONS." Henry told the Constitutional
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Congress that a major reason for his objections to the Constitution was that
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"IT DOES NOT LEAVE US THE MEANS FOR DEFENDING OUR RIGHTS OR WAGING WAR
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AGAINST TYRANTS!" He Declared, "THIS CONSTITUTION WILL TRAMPLE ON YOUR
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FALLEN LIBERTY!" Patrick Henry warned that the new federal government was
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being given "TOO MUCH MONEY AND TOO MUCH POWER," and that it would end up
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"CONSOLIDATING ALL POWER UNTO ITSELF," convert us "INTO ONE SOLID EMPIRE."
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Amongst other things, one of the areas upon which he felt the need for
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modification and limitation was the use of the treaty power, an area in
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which he predicted that "THE PRESIDENT WOULD LEAD IN THE TREASON." His
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fervor and graphic descriptions of "EXECRABLE TYRANNY" which would befall
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the people if they could not take up arms against evil men who might take
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office, placed Patrick Henry in the forefront of the effort to protect the
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natural rights of the people. He wanted the immediate opening of another
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Constitutional Convention to strengthen particular parts of the Constitution.
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That suggestion not being workable, he proclaimed, "THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS
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GUARD IT WITH A BILL OF RIGHTS!"
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Young James Madison, at the time, saw no need for a Bill of Rights, since
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the new federal government was to exercise only those powers which were
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delegated to them. Patrick Henry thus said, "LET MR. MADISON TELL ME WHEN
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DID LIBERTY EVER EXIST WHEN THE SWORD AND THE PURSE WERE GIVEN UP FROM THE
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PEOPLE? UNLESS A MIRACLE SHALL INTERPOSE, NO NATION EVER DID, NOR EVER CAN
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RETAIN ITS LIBERTY AFTER THE LOSS OF THE SWORD AND THE PURSE." At first,
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James Madison could not ever envision the possibility of tyranny happening
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under this Constitution. However, Madison was later blocked from taking a
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seat in the first Senate. That blow to a man who had been the Secretary of
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the Constitutional Convention, caused Madison to re-think the probability
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of danger. His promise to follow through with a proposed Bill of Rights
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garnered support for him to take a seat in the first House of
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Representatives. So it was that the Bill of Rights, palladium of man's
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natural rights, was finalized on December 15, 1791 and it became the
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un-revocable and superior part of the Constitution of the United States.
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Patrick Henry placed all his hopes upon the viglance of the people of the
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future to protect the liberty that he helped win the WAR of Independence, by
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their standing behind the Bill of Rights, forbidding any infringement or
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curtailment of not only the Second Amendment, but of the sworn oath taken
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"TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION."
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Thomas Jefferson, our Third President, supported the idea of a Bill of
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Rights, confirming the authority of the people by saying: "THE STRONGEST
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REASON FOR THE PEOPLE TO RETAIN THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS IS, AS A
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LAST RESORT, TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST TYRANNY IN GOVERNMENT."
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May the words that Patrick Henry spoke always be heeded through all the ages
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to come, as he cautioned:
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"GUARD WITH JEALOUS ATTENTION THE PUBLIC LIBERTY. SUSPECT
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EVERYONE WHO APPROACHES THAT JEWEL! UNFORTUNATELY, NOTHING
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WILL PRESERVE IT BUT DOWNRIGHT FORCE, AND WHENEVER YOU GIVE
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UP THAT FORCE, YOU ARE INEVITABLY RUINED!"
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