Second Ammendment

 SECOND AMENDMENT

There is a much maligned document called the United States Constitution.  In the clearest possible language it says that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

There is a reason for the Second Amendment. It's not just some afterthought or triviality.  When the constitution was written we had just fought a war of revolution with a tyrannical government.  The only reason that we were able to win this war was because the people had the will and the means to effectively resist.  The will came from a desire for freedom and liberty, and the means was firearms. If collectivist style “gun control” had been in effect in 1776, we would still be singing 'god save the king' instead of the Star Spangled Banner.

The founders understood history and human nature, and they knew that a tendency to tyranny was part of that human nature.  They knew from history and personal experience that the only way to oppose tyranny is with force, and the only to prevent it is by vigilance and the threat of force.  A potential tyrant needs to know that his intended victims have the will and the means to resist.

It follows from this, and is proven by history, that a man seeking personal power first seeks to disarm his intended victims. The constitution forbids the government from doing this.  Which is of course why so many power seekers attack the second amendment, and seek to disarm the citizens. 

But beyond the constitution and any social/political considerations there is a fundamental principle which is beyond the scope of any law.  And that is the principle of the right of self defense.  This is not a privilege granted by the state for good behavior.  It is the fundamental human right without which all other rights are meaningless.  Staying alive precedes any other interest you might have.

A right without the means to exercise it is meaningless.   Therefore  if you are to have a right to life and the right to protect and preserve that life, then any attempt to restrict your ability to do so is tyrannical. Providing the means to exercise your right to life is the purpose of the Second Amendment.