for all you gun owners, why is the second amendment important?

[JD7.62]

There are MORE guns in the US then people.

The reason why I and MANY MANY MILLIONS of people like me have guns is to protect our country from enemies foreign and DOMESTIC. These people are civilians, police officers, teachers, doctors and military members...a militia...a militia then and now is the same thing...a group of able bodied people willing to band together to protect the Constitution.

Guns also save lives. Unfortunately, there is no way to keep track of how many times guns have saved lives, but it is more common then not. In the past two weeks Ive known two people that used a gun to prevent a crime against them, yet neither will be recorded as a plus for gun ownership.

The Second Amendment ensures the rest. One does not have to be a history scholar to see that populations of people that have been deprived of arms have ALWAYS been subject to harsh times. An armed populous keeps its government in check.

 

[jcardona1]

The argument that times have changed and the 2nd amendment should no longer apply is cowardly. In that case, lets just give up the rest of our bill of rights, since times have changed so much. Lets just burn the constiution and re-right the whole damn thing, would love to see what it would look like these days. Freedom of speech and religion, lets get rid of it too, since it seems you people like being controlled by your government.

It's scary to see how things are changing. Giving up our rights one at a time sets a dangerous precedent, and could be a sign of thigns to come. But i can say with certainty that the second amendment will NOT be taken away, and if the government tries, it will get UGLY

 

[Noto]

Is that directed at me? I am not arguing for the second amendment to be discarded, just pointing out that we have already given up most of what it was supposed to protect us from (i.e., freedom from a standing army). In that sense the second amendment has long since failed in its intended purpose. The citizens of the US have a snowball's chance of withstanding occupation by our own military. We just have to hope that the other safeguard in place (control of the military by civilian elected officials) can do the job.

I am in favor of people being permitted to own weapons (with proper precautions in place, such as licensing and registration). If anything I think regulations should focus more on who should be able to get a gun rather than what kind of gun they should be able to have. There's an impingement on liberty either way, but sometimes such impingements must be tolerated to prevent the chaos of an unregulated gun trade or the likley reaction to that chaos, a total ban on firearms.

 

[JD7.62]

Actually it wouldnt be fighting our military. MOST members of the armed forces are pro gun, pro god, and a bit red...just like gun owners. It wouldnt be a fair fight for the people trying to take our liberties. Its hard to fight with fairy dust and unicorns and hopes and wishes.

Those that are willing to sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither...

What is this "chaos of unregulated gun trade" you speak of? Just last weekend I was at the machine gun shoot at KCR...the largest gathering of Civillian Machine Gunners (there is a 15 year waiting list to get on the line at this shoot!) and there was no un-regulated chaos there! Even with tens of thousands of people in attendance!

 

[Noto]

A group of hobbyists meeting is a lot different from nationwide free access to guns by anyone who can pony up the cash. Ever seen a wild west movie? Or for something a bit more contemporary, Somalia?

Anyways, I'm not talking about the army trying to take your guns away, I'm talking about a military junta like you see in, say, Guinea, where 150 people were recently gunned down for standing up for their rights.

 

[JD7.62]

A group of hobbyists meeting is a lot different from nationwide free access to guns by anyone who can pony up the cash. Ever seen a wild west movie? Or for something a bit more contemporary, Somalia?

Anyways, I'm not talking about the army trying to take your guns away, I'm talking about a military junta like you see in, say, Guinea, where 150 people were recently gunned down for standing up for their rights.

I thought you meant that CURRENTLY there was a chaos of unregulated gun trade.

Your second point is a GREAT reason why people are armed. That will NOT happen in America as long as we are armed. It will be hard to find people to carry out the orders to engage 150 armed Americans standing up for the Constitution.

 

[Noto]

No, the current gun-trade in the US is reasonably well-regulated, though there could be better enforcement.

Here's something I found interesting: Mexico has a very tightly controlled gun trade; it is difficult to get a gun permit and there is only one legal gun vendor in the whole country. This vendor sells to the military and police as well as civilians. The preapproval process requires a month and all weapons must be registered with the Defence Ministry. So...Mexicans often come to the US where our relatively lax gun laws allow them to readily purchase guns. Some of these Mexicans are just ordinary citizens, but most are gangsters, drug-runners, and other criminals. Even some police and other government agents smuggle American guns across the border because the Defence Ministry regulations are so annoying!

 

[JD7.62]

No, the current gun-trade in the US is reasonably well-regulated, though there could be better enforcement.

Here's something I found interesting: Mexico has a very tightly controlled gun trade; it is difficult to get a gun permit and there is only one legal gun vendor in the whole country. This vendor sells to the military and police as well as civilians. The preapproval process requires a month and all weapons must be registered with the Defence Ministry. So...Mexicans often come to the US where our relatively lax gun laws allow them to readily purchase guns. Some of these Mexicans are just ordinary citizens, but most are gangsters, drug-runners, and other criminals. Even some police and other government agents smuggle American guns across the border because the Defence Ministry regulations are so annoying!

THAT IS COMPLETE UTTER BULL ****!!

Please back that up with some facts other that that BS that ***** Pelosi spewed a few months back. Most of these weapons are FA and come from their VERY VERY corrupt military and police as well as being imported from Asia and come in from their very loose ports or are coming north from South America along with the drugs. Why would you cross the border and get a semi AK for $700 when you can buy one from Columbia that goes RocknRoll for $200 along with that kilo of coke?

Mexicans are NOT coming across the border to buy guns from gun dealers...you obviously know NOTHING about guns.

 

[DavidW]

If owning gun is a patriotic thing to do then is it also patriotic to buy non US manufactured guns?
If the constitution was legally changed , as it could conceivably be at some time, by the required majority vote then would gun owners give up their guns to protect democracy? or would they then defy the law? It seems that some only cite the constitution when it suits them.
Is majority rule and the principle of democracy and the rule of law more or less important than gun ownership?
just asking

 

[DavidW]

THAT IS COMPLETE UTTER BULL ****!!

Please back that up with some facts other that that BS that ***** Pelosi spewed a few months back. Most of these weapons are FA and come from their VERY VERY corrupt military and police as well as being imported from Asia and come in from their very loose ports or are coming north from South America along with the drugs. Why would you cross the border and get a semi AK for $700 when you can buy one from Columbia that goes RocknRoll for $200 along with that kilo of coke?

Mexicans are NOT coming across the border to buy guns from gun dealers...you obviously know NOTHING about guns.

calm down man, its just a discussion, hopefully we are mature enough that we can debate and discuss in a civil manner?

You demand for numbers to support what Noto has said but don;t provide any to support your own opinion.

Here's a link to something that does support what he said, so I'm guessing you don;t know so much about Mexicans


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/26borders.html

but this is all a derail from the original question, about the importance ( or possible lack of) of the 2nd amendment