The Founders on the Second Amendment

[Doktor_Jeep]

Here are the reasons behind the rhymes.


"For a people who are free and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security. It is, therefore, incumbent on us at every meeting [of Congress] to revise the condition of the militia and to ask ourselves if it is prepared to repel a powerful enemy at every point of our territories exposed to invasion... Congress alone have power to produce a uniform state of preparation in this great organ of defense. The interests which they so deeply feel in their own and their country's security will present this as among the most important objects of their deliberation." --Thomas Jefferson: 8th Annual Message, 1808. ME 3:482



"None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army. To keep ours armed and disciplined is therefore at all times important." --Thomas Jefferson, 1803.



"It is more a subject of joy [than of regret] that we have so few of the desperate characters which compose modern regular armies. But it proves more forcibly the necessity of obliging every citizen to be a soldier; this was the case with the Greeks and Romans and must be that of every free State. Where there is no oppression there can be no pauper hirelings." --Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 1813.



"A well-disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace and for the first moments of war till regulars may relieve them, I deem [one of] the essential principles of our Government, and consequently [one of] those which ought to shape its administration." --Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural, 1801.


"[The] governor [is] constitutionally the commander of the militia of the State, that is to say, of every man in it able to bear arms." --Thomas Jefferson to A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy, 1811.



"Uncertain as we must ever be of the particular point in our circumference where an enemy may choose to invade us, the only force which can be ready at every point and competent to oppose them, is the body of neighboring citizens as formed into a militia. On these, collected from the parts most convenient, in numbers proportioned to the invading foe, it is best to rely, not only to meet the first attack, but if it threatens to be permanent, to maintain the defence until regulars may be engaged to relieve them."--Thomas Jefferson: 1st Annual Message, 1801. ME 3:334




"We must train and classify the whole of our male citizens, and make military instruction a regular part of collegiate education. We can never be safe till this is done." --Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 1813.



"I think the truth must now be obvious that our people are too happy at home to enter into regular service, and that we cannot be defended but by making every citizen a soldier, as the Greeks and Romans who had no standing armies; and that in doing this all must be marshaled, classed by their ages, and every service ascribed to its competent class."--Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 1814.




"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."--Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824.



"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."--Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1796. ME 9:341



"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the Body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind . . . Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks."--Thomas Jefferson, Letter to his nephew Peter Carr, August 19, 1785.



"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." --Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria in On Crimes and Punishment (1764).




Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man gainst his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American...[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people. " --Tenche Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.



[W]hereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them; nor does it follow from this, that all promiscuously must go into actual service on every occasion. The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding against it. " --Richard Henry Lee, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.



Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. "--Patrick Henry



[W]hen the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually...I ask, who are the militia? They consist of now of the whole people, except a few public officers. But I cannot say who will be the militia of the future day. If that paper on the table gets no alteration, the militia of the future day may not consist of all classes, high and low, and rich and poor... "--George Mason



The whole of that Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals...[I]t establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of. --Albert Gallatin to Alexander Addison, Oct 7, 1789, MS. in N.Y. Hist. Soc.-A.G. Papers, 2.



Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth. -- George Washington



The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good. -- George Washington



"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should
have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence
from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own
government." -- George Washington



A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.
--James Madison


Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
--James Madison


Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. --James Madison


Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First a right to life, secondly to liberty, and thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can. " --Samuel Adams


The Constitution shall never be construed... to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." -- Samuel Adams


What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins. -- Elbridge Gerry


To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.
--Richard Henry Lee

[Banana]

Too bad you won't see those quotes in a mainstream media discussing about why we have gun rights in first place.

Before I knew better, I always hear of "gun nuts" insisting that they have a right to use AK-47 to shoot down a pig. Obivously, it only served to give me poor impression of pro-gun rights people.



Also, I note that Thomas Jefferson felt that military instruction is very important. When I think about Switzerland's high gun count and low crime, I can't help but think some of that has to be attributed to mandatory service. I do not believe that one can effectively and safely handle any firearm by taking a two-hour class; it has to be a mindset, and a two-year commitment to military service seems a good way to get in that mindset.


Of course, I'd be totally against deploying those people outside US borders. Mandatory service shouldn't be a mandatory death warrant.

[STRATIOTES]

"A standing army we shall have, also, to execute the execrable commands of tyranny; and how are you to punish them? Will you order them to be punished? Who shall obey these orders? Will your mace-bearer be a match for a disciplined regiment? In what situation are we to be? The clause before you gives a power of direct taxation, unbounded and unlimited, an exclusive power of legislation, in all cases whatsoever, for ten miles square, and over all places purchased for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, etc. What resistance could be made? The attempt would be madness. You will find all the strength of this country in the hands of your enemies; their garrisons will naturally be the strongest places in the country. Your militia is given up to Congress, also, in another part of this plan; they will therefore act as they think proper; all power will be in their own possession. You can not force them to receive their punishment: of what service would militia be to you, when, most probably, you will not have a single musket in the State? For, us arms are to be provided by Congress, they may or may not furnish them."
Patrick Henry, Shall Liberty or Empire be Sought?, from a June 5, 1788 speech in the Virginia Convention, called to ratify the Constitution of the United States.
;)

[Doktor_Jeep]

Jefferson was implying that people should make training important but at that time there was no Constitutional warrant, nor precedent, for a draft.

There must be something to the training. I see all kinds of attempts to prevent people from it. Laws against shooting in the woods, taxes and artificial shortages on ammo (The Carlisle Group, owned by elitists, owns the companies that make most of the ammo and ammo has nearly doubled in price since). Once upon a time high schools had rifle teams but now if you bring a gun within 1000' of a school it's a federal crime.

Yet at the same time the government has it's minions, even those not directly tactical operators, getting all kinds of taxpayer paid training, special tactical schools, equipment that only a regime that prints money can buy, and laws that remove responsibility for their actions.

As for using an AK to hunt. I used to have a variant called a MAK-90 and used that to hunt many times in Florida. There is nothing wrong with that for Florida hunting lands are mostly swamp and engagement with wild game is inside 100 yards. That rifle was perfect for that wet, sandy environment and I wager anyone with an expensive rifle to try getting it through a Florida swamp without getting it wet.

Most states let you hunt with an autoloader provided that a 5 round magazine is used. Therein lies the big rub on this subject. How is the AK variant different than some politically correct fud gun that operates the same way but looks different?

So when people are tricked into looking at some rifle that is deemed "unusable" for hunting, it does two major blows to 2A: first it enforces the incorrect notion that the right to arms is all about hunting when, as seen in the quotes, it is not. Hunting is never mentioned. Second, it opens a door for the gun grabbers to selectively ban guns for their appearance. The joke is that all guns look bad to them and that selection will not remain static.

And those hunters with their bolt guns and big scopes might think they are in the clear because they don't want any "assault" rifles but if the ugly unPC guns were banned, there is no doubt that the hunting rifles will be deemed "sniper rifles" and targeted later on. The enemy is always working to make "gun owner" and "hunter" two different groups in the usual divide and conquer tactic.

[jsgolfman]

Nicely said, DJ.