What if there never was a 2nd Amendment?? Your thoughts...?

Question

I am positive we don't need or want the Government or an Amendment to the Constitution to realize that all citizens who want them for Defense, Hunting, Target Shooting, Collecting and Survival etc.. shall have them without the approval needed from Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime.. Sport and Survival and Recreation are all thats needed to be taken into consideration..Basically its a matter of FREE CHOICE AS WHETHER OR NOT TO POSSESS THEM.. The Government or no other human being or law should even be needed before one can own and use them...

Answer 1

The second amendment needs to be updated when it was written the people could own the same type of guns they would have to defend against now it is a mismatch we need to be able to own more powerful and full auto weapons.Without having to be put on a government hot list.

Answer 2

If there was no 2nd Amendment "We the people" would never be free.

[Tyranny cannot be safe] without a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace."
James Madison, In his autobiography


"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia Constitution, 1776

"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks."
Thomas Jefferson's advice to his 15 year-old nephew

"I hope, therefore, a bill of rights will be formed to guard the people against the Federal government as they are already guarded against their State governments, in most instances."
Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788. ME 7:98

"(The Constitution preserves) the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation...(where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."
James Madison, The Federalist Number 46

"Arms in the hands of the citizens may be used at individual discretion for the defense of the country, the overthrow of tyranny or private self-defense."
John Adams (1735-1826) Founding Father, 2nd US President

Answer 3

Well there is one... the reason there is one is that (some) of the framers of the Constitution realized that the ideal of a small hands off federal government and more powerful (but still hands off) state and local governments might not actually continue to exist and future legislators would want to regulate and control *every* aspect of a citizens life. So the "Bill of Rights" (the first 10 amendments) were written into the constitution to try and slow down the inevitable lust for power and control.

Answer 4

I happen to beieve gun ownership should be legal. But that doesn't mean I can defend the interpretation of the Second Amendment as a hands-off policy as far as gun ownership is concerned.

Had the Founding Fathers wanted that interpretation they would have written it far more plainly, as they did with the First Amendment.

The Second Amendment would read:

"Congress shall make no law restricting the freedom of citizens own and bear arms...."

Instead, the amendment is introduced with a conditional clause. It is followed by a far murkier statement than the First Amendment.

Answer 5

The right of the common people to possess arms has been recognized in many societies for 2,500 years.

In the past 500 years, various writers such a Blackstone have made it clear that the purpose is not just hunting etc. The point is to empower the common people as much as possible so they can at least somewhat resist the tyranny of their government. That is why guns should never be registered.

A ballot counts when it is backed up by a bullet.

Your resources to defend your freedom, to be applied in this order:
- Mail box
- Ballot box
- Jury box
- Ammo box

Answer 6

Without a Constitutional guarantee that you CAN own your own weapons, they would most certainly have been taken away long ago. Just look at countries that have already done so, like England.
America's character is defined by our freedoms. We would not BE who we are without that Amendment.

Americans' ability to own guns IS our guarantee that the government will continue to obey the Constitution. But I believe a 'well regulated militia' would be better achieved if every Citizen could have a 'Shooters License', similar to a Driver's License. That way, nutcases and criminals can have their license revoked. The rest of us can then own/carry ANY kind of weapon necessary for defense from a government gone awry.

Answer 7

I think that the Amendment isn't there to tell you that you can. It is to prevent the government from passing a law that states that you CAN'T.

I like having the laws there that state who can and can't own them. I also like the laws making a mandatory waiting period, and the background checks needed. Matter of fact, I think there should be more of a wait, and a standardized test created that would weed out the mentally unstable from obtaining a fire arm. Look at VA Tech. I think that a test would have identified the gunman as one that shouldn't obtain firearms. It would have saved 32 lives. Police officers and elite military teams have to subject themselves to psychological evaluations. Why not the general public? I think that true collectors and honest people looking to own weapons would be willing to wait, and they would be willing to take a test to prove themselves capable of handling a weapon respectfully and carefully without killing 32 innocent people simply because of their unstable mental state.

Answer 8

The second Amendmant was not about owning guns but more about the nesesity of a local militia. It came with the basic assumption of your right to free choice. Many have fallen into a clever trap of believing the 2nd Amendment is about owning guns, alowing them to hide the truth that it is about your local comunities rights to take the guns they own to the street in order to protect the security of there own lands and comunities.

Answer 9

I consider myself very progressive (extremely Liberal for you buzz worders) A gun is a tool, should we out law hammers and Nails ? NO of course not... having said that, there is a difference between owning a weapon for self protection or taking on an out of control government, verses a bloated wasteful Military... remember, when Guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

Answer 10

The constitution would remain as before after the 1st amendment!