Friday, February 23, 2007

The Second Amendment's Clear Purpose

Clay Cramer puts the cards on the table.

Let me be very clear about this: the Second Amendment didn't guarantee a right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of hunting.

...The Second Amendment guaranteed a right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of revolution.

What sort of guns does the Second Amendment protect? Into the 1980s, Handgun Control used to cite decisions such as Aymette v. State (Tenn. 1840) which explained that the purpose of the right was:

being armed, they may as a body rise up to defend their just rights, and compel their rulers to respect the laws.

We can be sure that the WI Supremes (Screechin'Shirley'sGang) will not interpret the Wisconsin RKBA Amendment in the same fashion--

So what "kinds" of guns are American citizens Constitutionally entitled to own and use?

There's nothing wrong with your Remington 870 for hunting ducks. There's nothing wrong with your .30-30 for deer hunting. They can be used (with some limitations) for the Constitutional purpose of making the government remember for whom it works. But the guns that the Second Amendment primarily protects are those best suited to overthrowing an oppressive government. And yes, that's your AR-15, AK-47, M1A, and even nasty little assault handguns that I don't particularly like, such as the TEC-9 or MAC-10.

Not to mention the lovely and gracious .50 cal., whose persuasive powers can be demonstrated at 1,000 yards or so.

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