The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Do you think our forefathers had current guns in mind when writing the 2nd Amendment?

BlueTrain · January 9, 2013, 10:13 AM

Yes, I only worry a little about that. My worries are pretty well spread out over a lot of things and besides, I don't feel particularly affected by that, if in fact, it is a problem. If there really is a militarization of the police, it didn't happen over night. It is an interesting topic in itself. However, I remember how conservative people in the late 1960s wanted the police to do more to control problem groups, perhaps with some justification, in the name of public order.

As I think about it, there are some things about the federal government that are a little troublesome but it's congress, not the executive branch. It is the way congress works. I don't think it is necessarily resulting in tyranny so much as they are just running the country into the ground. In other words, they're doing a bad job. Maybe it's an inherent fault in the congressional system, as opposed to other forms of legislatures but maybe not. I don't think the problem can be traced to the consitution unless you think two houses are a bad idea. We have an inherited federal system (from the colonies) but so do several other countries. A core problem is the party system, in particular the two party system, coupled with the seniority system that gives long serving members a lot of power through committee chairs. Congressmen are apparently expected to toe the (party) line when it comes to important issues and woe to him who doesn't. There's also the issue of influence from big money donors, which is corruption in a very basic form. The end result is that citizens, even the voters, become irrelevant.

I don't think any of that results in any abuse of power aside from what I just said or in any particular threat to private gun ownership either. So, mostly it's irrelevant to the thread but don't imagine I'm completely happy with the way things are.

I tried to be coherent and I hope I was. You'd probably have trouble understanding half of what I said if we were talking face to face, just like when I was in the UK year before last. Could barely understand them.

January 9, 2013, 10:13 AM	#245
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	Yes, I only worry a little about that. My worries are pretty well spread out over a lot of things and besides, I don't feel particularly affected by that, if in fact, it is a problem. If there really is a militarization of the police, it didn't happen over night. It is an interesting topic in itself. However, I remember how conservative people in the late 1960s wanted the police to do more to control problem groups, perhaps with some justification, in the name of public order. As I think about it, there are some things about the federal government that are a little troublesome but it's congress, not the executive branch. It is the way congress works. I don't think it is necessarily resulting in tyranny so much as they are just running the country into the ground. In other words, they're doing a bad job. Maybe it's an inherent fault in the congressional system, as opposed to other forms of legislatures but maybe not. I don't think the problem can be traced to the consitution unless you think two houses are a bad idea. We have an inherited federal system (from the colonies) but so do several other countries. A core problem is the party system, in particular the two party system, coupled with the seniority system that gives long serving members a lot of power through committee chairs. Congressmen are apparently expected to toe the (party) line when it comes to important issues and woe to him who doesn't. There's also the issue of influence from big money donors, which is corruption in a very basic form. The end result is that citizens, even the voters, become irrelevant. I don't think any of that results in any abuse of power aside from what I just said or in any particular threat to private gun ownership either. So, mostly it's irrelevant to the thread but don't imagine I'm completely happy with the way things are. I tried to be coherent and I hope I was. You'd probably have trouble understanding half of what I said if we were talking face to face, just like when I was in the UK year before last. Could barely understand them. __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds. Last edited by BlueTrain; January 9, 2013 at 10:21 AM.