My letter to my congressman
Sir,
In light of recent events and talk of possible new laws, I feel it necessary to address a serious flaw I see on both sides of most of the arguments I see when it comes to our rights and the Constitution.
This does not apply only to the 2nd amendment but all 10 of the original amendments known as the Bill of Rights.
These are NOT a list of rights for the people but rather a list of rules for what the government CAN and CANNOT do.
I have heard no one state this more clearly than a man I have a great deal of respect for, I frequently read his posts on an internet forum. He goes by the name 44 AMP and the following is a direct quote from one of his posts.
Quote:
“Virtually every other discussion I have heard in many years about the 2nd Amendment misses one fundamental point.
And that is, that the Amendment is NOT about our right to arms, but about what the government may DO about our right to arms. And that is the key point "shall not be infringed".
The Constitution & Bill of Rights does NOT give us any rights. Our rights, ALL OF THEM come from our Creator, and are God given or if you prefer, Natural Rights. We have them simply because we draw breath in this nation. They do not come from the govt. They are an inalienable part of us, simply because we exist.
The Bill of Rights is just a list of things the government CANNOT DO with, and about our rights.
It’s not about hunting, and not about personal protection. The 2nd Amendment isn't even directly about us having that "equal force" to the military, it’s about the government not being legally able to prevent us from having that "equal force" while remaining within the boundaries of the Constitution.
Look also at the wording of the First Amendment. It doesn't say we have the right to free speech, religion, & assembly (those were understood). It says "Congress shall make no law...."
It is a check on the power of the government, not a gift of rights to the people. Our founders believed our rights did not come from a government, neither a king, nor a democracy.
Is it important to the current gun control discussion? I don't know. What I do know is that our Constitution is a list of rules for the Government, NOT us, the citizenry. The Founders set it up to control the government, NOT the people. They felt the government should be restricted, and the people should be free.
Seems to me, that hasn't been the case, for far too long. Perhaps, that is part of the reason we are where we are today?”
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Please remember this fact when you debate on either side of any discussion relating to our Constitution. Any other twist one would choose to put on this is a perversion of our founding fathers’ intent.
Whether we agree with the Constitution or not is irrelevant it is the foundation of this great nation. It is not to be changed or tampered with to suit our current beliefs or political interests. The Constitution was written to protect these United States of America and her people.
Thank you for your time.