Does the second smendement really grant us the power to protect ourselves against the government?

Question

How many times has a citizen actually used a gun against a government official and been protected by the constitution? And in what circumstance do you think that the second amendment could be used and you would be protected? I am just trying to imagine what scenario would occur where you could use your weapon against the government and be protected by the second.

If we rose up against the government, would we even need that right granted to fight that battle?

no one has answered the actual question. i don;t care what your thoughts on gun ownership are, I asked a specific question regarding the second amendement

azred, how many times has the national guard sided with the people? Certainly NOT at Kent State, and certainly you don;t think it can happen when the gov't grants itself the ability to name an american 'enemy combatant' and hold them without charge.

censored, try and do that with a weapon, and you will be shot dead. I am talking about reality here, not fantasy

ATTENTION CONS WHO CAN"T READ: The answerer said that the MILITARY Would be required to side with the people, NOT the government. Now shut up and answer my question!

Answer 1

On paper we should be able to defend ourselves against a government that has overstepped its privileges. However, if anyone nowadays were to try and start a revolution they would most certainly be deemed "terrorists" instead of constitutional defenders.

The fact of the matter is that the constitution has been destroyed by the government now in power. Sure, you can go and see it in D.C. or buy a copy at a bookstore, but the meaning is no longer there.

Be afraid.

Answer 2

Why, why, WHY do Liberals ask "questions" like this? What possible purpose could it serve except to stroke their fragile egos? Look, your mind is obviously made up, but you're dead wrong. In history, not one country has been overtaken by a totalitarian government where the citizens had the right to gun ownership. Let's imagine your doomsday scenario is real. There is an oppressive, Constitution-burning totalitarian government in place. Well, the first problem is power. You see, we have checks and balances. If the government oversteps its authority then the Judiciary branch declares their actions unconstitutional. This oppressive government would literally have to disband the Supreme Court. At this point, we'd have armed rebellion, and yes.... the citizens would swamp the "evil government", because our soldiers are patriots who would not follow non-Consitutional orders, and neither would the generals. Tens of millions of Americans own guns, not only in rural areas but in cities. Any attempt by some Star Wars-type stormtroopers to run roughshod over the citizenry would be met by absolutely massive resistance. Of course, it would never get to this point, because our military would not obey orders that contradict the Constitution. Since you are implying some sci-fi, doomsday scenario, then I encourage you to see this vision on film, an old 1980s movie called "Red Dawn". Watch it, and ask yourself if you don't agree I'm right. . . . . EDIT: One person wrote: "look what happened at Waco and Ruby Ridge". The people in these places were fringe element "wackos" in the eyes of most Americans, and hence they got no sympathy nor support from the public. We are talking about something quite different, an actual "Us vs Them", The People vs The Government smackdown. No way a government can handle a completely out of control populace. And no way a non-Constitutional government can use the military or work within the legal system. They'd have to attempt a coup, and that would not happen.

Answer 3

?? The second amendment IS about gun ownership.

You should not have to protect ones self form the government, it sets a stage upon which the government can operate. That the people have the right to fight. That's the idea behind the amendment. But, take the time to read this and envision the scenario imagined here:

"The second amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed. Where the government refuses to stand for re-election and silences those who protest ; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once."

Alex Kosinski (Federal appeals judge & immigrant from Eastern Europe)

And if this amendment did not exist... Does one really have to spell out what the world would be like if one has no right to protect ones family and property. Even in todays age, I may not last long but at least I have a chance to say, "Who wants the first bullet ?" And take a few with me when I go.

Answer 4

The thing is, the founders protected the ability of the people to be able to take down a government, even though taking down the government is illegal and unconstitutional.
It is a strange one, you can have the tools to do it, and you have the power as a member of the people to do it, but the legal issue is something else.
The only case where you could use your weapon against the govt and be protected is if you defeat the government, like in all wars.

Answer 5

Rising up in armed action against the government would be treason, and would not be protected by the Constitution. The Second Amendment was written to provide for the citizenry to be able to defend their country against outside hostility, thus the requirement for a well-regulated militia. Simply saying that the government is denying your rights or is acting illegally does not change the fact that you would be acting against government authority, which is illegal, especially if you use force. However, as a previous answerer noted, if it ever occurs where the government has itself abandoned the Constitution, then it won't matter if you're allowed to act or not.

Answer 6

If it really gets to the point where people have to take up arms against the government, it isn't going to matter whether the Constitution says we can...even though it implies that we can.

The citizens of a nation *always* have the right to rise up and depose an oppressive government. In such cases, the military--being made of people--has an obligation to side with the people, not the government.

Answer 7

It's a stupid question. The progun lobby has bent the Second Amendment far enough out of shape, claiming it provides a right to just about anyone to own just about any type of weapon. But only an idiot would contend that it provides a constitutional right to shoot a government official. Even the NRA wouldn't make that claim.

Answer 8

Attention Libs who cannot READ:

It DOESN'T SAY NATIONAL GUARD.

It says MILITIA.

As in Lexington and Concord?????? As in the British regulars - then the national government's army, came to confiscate the militia's guns, and the militia got there first and shot back at the regular???? Ring a bell????? Ya know, one if by land, two if by sea?????

So the answer to your question is YES. This is NOT A GRAY ISSUE.

Answer 9

So far we haven't had to use our rights to protect ourselves against the government, let's hope it never gets to that, but it's nice to know we have that power

Answer 10

Name any dictator in history,soon as they have power,they disarm the people.
The people might disagree with them and rise up,without weapons the people are harmless.