THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
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| James Madison |
I have a good friend, (bless his heart) that is very anti-gun.. He is operating under the delusion that the Second Amendment was added to the Constitution because the word (amendment) is defined as a a change or addition to a legal or statutory document, or an article added to the US Constitution. This is one of the reasons that many of the Federalists who were Founding Fathers opposed a Bill of Rights in the first place. They argued that it was "not only unnecessary in the proposed constitution, but would even be dangerous". James Madison, who was a Federalist and Father of the Constitution was opposed to a Bill of Rights. He had to be persuaded to support it. Madison would come to be known not only as the Father of the Constitution but he would become the Father of the Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution. There was never an argument between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over whether the rights listed in these amendments were inalienable or God given rights. In their mind the results of the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence had confirmed the existence of those rights. The difference of opinion was over the fact that the Federalists feared that if they even wrote them down on paper, or parchment in this case, it would imply that government had granted these rights and it was in their power to remove them.
The Anti-Federalists on the other hand wanted these rights in writing as insurance against a tyrannical government assuming powers that it did not have. Time has shown that the Anti-Federalists were correct. Can you imagine where we would be today if not for the written Bill of Rights? We have a multitude of people in our government and people like my friend who are ignorant of the original arguments involving the Bill of Rights and what those rights really mean. There are those on the other hand, who know exactly what they mean but are committed to the usurpation of those rights. Usurpation ultimately leads to tyranny. The courts have usurped our religious liberty in cases like Everson vs the Board of Education in 1947, Engle vs. Vitale 1962, and Abington School District vs. Schempp in 1963. These three cases have turned the 1st Amendment in reference to our religious liberty on it's head.
Hate crimes laws concerning free speech and political correctness also undermine our 1st Amendment. States like Massachusetts and New York along with cities like Washington DC have usurped the right of self defense from it's citizens by imposing ridiculously strict gun laws. No one is arguing that we must not exercise restraint in order to avoid a chaotic society. In a state of nature men gave up some of their rights in order to secure most of their rights. For example the 1st Amendment recognizes that everyone is born with a right of free speech but that doesn't give you the right to shout fire in a crowded theater. The 2nd Amendment recognizes your God given right of self defense and the right of revolution. It doesn't give you the right, however; to needlessly endanger your fellow citizen or rebel against your government for light and transient causes. In conclusion the Bill of Rights simply lists those rights that existed before government was formed. If government fails in it role of securing those rights the 2nd Amendment gives us the right to alter or abolish that government and replace it with one that will. The Bill of Rights defines what our inalienable rights are and the primary role of government is to secure those rights.
The Anti-Federalists on the other hand wanted these rights in writing as insurance against a tyrannical government assuming powers that it did not have. Time has shown that the Anti-Federalists were correct. Can you imagine where we would be today if not for the written Bill of Rights? We have a multitude of people in our government and people like my friend who are ignorant of the original arguments involving the Bill of Rights and what those rights really mean. There are those on the other hand, who know exactly what they mean but are committed to the usurpation of those rights. Usurpation ultimately leads to tyranny. The courts have usurped our religious liberty in cases like Everson vs the Board of Education in 1947, Engle vs. Vitale 1962, and Abington School District vs. Schempp in 1963. These three cases have turned the 1st Amendment in reference to our religious liberty on it's head.
Hate crimes laws concerning free speech and political correctness also undermine our 1st Amendment. States like Massachusetts and New York along with cities like Washington DC have usurped the right of self defense from it's citizens by imposing ridiculously strict gun laws. No one is arguing that we must not exercise restraint in order to avoid a chaotic society. In a state of nature men gave up some of their rights in order to secure most of their rights. For example the 1st Amendment recognizes that everyone is born with a right of free speech but that doesn't give you the right to shout fire in a crowded theater. The 2nd Amendment recognizes your God given right of self defense and the right of revolution. It doesn't give you the right, however; to needlessly endanger your fellow citizen or rebel against your government for light and transient causes. In conclusion the Bill of Rights simply lists those rights that existed before government was formed. If government fails in it role of securing those rights the 2nd Amendment gives us the right to alter or abolish that government and replace it with one that will. The Bill of Rights defines what our inalienable rights are and the primary role of government is to secure those rights.
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