washingtonpost.com — Matt Apuzzo of the Associated Press reports: "In a case that could shape firearms laws nationwide, attorneys for the District of Columbia argued Thursday that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applies only to militias, not individuals."The case is Shelly Parker et al v. District of Columbia, case No. 04-7041
Dec 8, 2006 View in Crawl 4
muyosoDec 9, 2006
Digg 3 times for the phrase, "militia of one".
mabhatterDec 9, 2006
When they wrote the Constitution, much of the US was still subject to Indian attacks as pioneers pushed westward. The British tried to control arms.. .to make the Redcoats have a "monopoly" on public defense... That meet you had to live in a "sanctioned" settlement. Within distance so they could defend you. It was a blatant power grab by the King to keep the colonists in line. The milita was every able-bodied person able to fight when the indians, french, malcontents came to attempt to ravage the out-of-the-way settlements... it by nature is an ad-hoc thing and everybody has to be ready because you never know when the threat will be faced when the call goes out.... It was really the FBI in the 1920's that put the idea of citizens as defenders to rest... J. Edgar sealed the deal with the obsesive lockdown and harassment of anybody deemed "dangerous". After WW2 the Feds consolidated the true state militas into the "national guard" that is really just a thin attempt to put the Federal Army everywhere. In short our system is exactly what the founders tried NOT to have happen!! Think of the Iraq situation if the states could withhold the reinforcements... that would seriously put the president in line when starting fights he can't fund or finish.What 9/11 proves is that we need ALL citizens to be ready to face attackers...no matter what form... remember the only plane that DIDN'T reach it's target was taken down by CITIZENS!!! The Federal Govt, with 25% of the budget spent on guns and ammo and troops did NOTHING... not a plane in the air, not a shot fired... As a child of the 80's living with 24x7 nuclear bombers in the air that lack of defense from a few big planes shows an extreme failure on our Military's part... The first two planes were almost 15 minutes appart.. that we can't scramble the fastest jet fighters in the world to defend our largest city in that amount of time is disgraceful. Yet every law after 9/11 takes rights AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE... the military certianly can't defend this country... at least give US a chance!!!
iandeforDec 10, 2006
"...and seeing as how Thomas Jefferson himself predicted that there may be a time when the American government grew too big for it's britches..."Let's be really clear. Jefferson said in no uncertain terms that the US would grow much bigger than its britches:"The spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may become persecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated that the time for fixing every essential right, on a legal basis, is while our rulers are honest, ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the con- clusion of this war, will be heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion."From "Notes on the State of Virginia, Chapter 17"
loupDec 10, 2006
@lacronicusThe second amendment wasn't put there so that we could defend ourselves from foreign invaders, it was put there to make sure that we could defend ourselves from a corrupt government if need be.
m3xyDec 10, 2006
When did God have anything to do with your "right" to bear arms? Which verse in the Bible says that God descended from heaven and proclaimed, "Bless you my children--let none take away this right I have given you." as he let M16s rain down?Don't forget to "separate church and state". I don't think the prosperity of the United States government or its laws has anything to do with God. The government is quick to "trust in God", then quick to turn around and lie, cheat, steal, and murder as long as it benefits itself.I own guns and I am glad it is legal to do so. I just think it is ridiculous when governments (or people) think that God is going to somehow bless one human institution versus another.
fcraDec 10, 2006
If we no longer recognize the legitimacy of the US Constitution, we can no longer recognize the legitimacy of the government it created.
papahem3Dec 12, 2006
Here's what I envision: A dozen or so buddies going out to the field to target practice on a Saturday, discussing guerrilla warfare and laying out defense plans for their neighborhood, town, city. And I see that a thousand times over in every state and region of the country, the overt mobilization and brandishing of arms. The federal gov't must always fear the populous, lest it turn tyrannical. It must be a tacit declaration to D.C., "Don't ever think about turning on us, though we may suffer, we'll skin you alive in the end". Hasn't anyone seen Red Dawn? That's what some pissed off Americans with bolt-action rifles and Ruger .357s can do.
rawsharkDec 13, 2006
Brazil has not outlawed possession of firearms. They tried to do so by referendum but it got crushed.<a class="user" href="http://www.njcsd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123&Itemid=9">http://www.njcsd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123&Itemid=9</a>
Closed AccountDec 13, 2006
Then it's also not about what the Constitution says. The Constitution counted slaves as 3/5 of a person.
nsresponderJan 28, 2007
"The problem is authoritarian f**king loonies, all of whome come from the right wing"That's what is known as a baldfaced lie. Two extremely authoritarian lefties were Stalin and Mao, to name two.-jcr
revolution2Apr 12, 2007
Dude you SUCK, go back to sleep you Indiana University Computing BOY!
gkiltzJan 30, 2011
Somehow DC politicians would just feel better if more of those murders took place with knives, or baseball bats.