The United States of America has lost its way. What used to be a great country has been overtaken by a rabble of self-centred, emotionally retarded super nationalists who have turned the constitution into a charter for the ultra-conservative right wing of the body politic. It is all a matter of interpretation and what was the clear intent of the founding fathers has been usurped.
Yet again we have a school shooting. The most obvious and sane thing to do is to remove the guns. It is a matter of will. The current supreme court has lowered itself to such an extent as to no longer be a truly functioning Supreme Court. It merely gives the stamp of approval to bigotry and fundamentalism of the worst kind. It no longer has any respect for the safety and life of the individual citizen. It no longer protects the state of the Union and has given over to the mob. It has lost touch with integrity.
Recent decisions relating to the possession of guns and the rights of free women over control of their own bodies is a sham. Its archaic interpretation of the constitution is deeply depressing for anyone with an understanding of the prime intention of the constitution, that the citizen should have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The right to life applies to the living who are fully conscious and breath air. They have a right to be and feel safe.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of the state” is no longer applicable. The existence of a National Guard in the various states, and the existence of a professional, highly equipped Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps renders the amendment entirely redundant, not to mention the existence of the numbers of State and Federal agencies dealing with law enforcement (local Police, State Police, Sheriff’s, FBI, Marshalls ad nauseum) all of whom are armed to the teeth. The people who form part of that well regulated militia do indeed have a right to keep and bear arms. That does not mean that the ordinary citizen has such a right. The right will only exist if they become part of the existing regulated militia.
What has happened is that the current view is “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. The caveat has been omitted. The first eleven words have been effectively erased. The supreme court has ignored the full text for some time and has adopted the narrow minded view of the likes of Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene and the National Rifle Association. They claim the necessity of self-defence.
In law, an individual is entitled to defend him/herself against an attack. One is not entitled to retaliate. Defence yes, but anything that goes beyond defence becomes retaliation which is contrary to the rule of law. So far as carrying a weapon is concerned, one can only do so if one is in imminent danger of attack or has reason to believe such attack is imminent and one can only use such force as is necessary in the circumstances.
Boebert and her ilk would have you believe that every citizen in the Unites States is in imminent danger of attack. The fear and anticipation of bodily arm is constant and therefore one is required to bear arms. This is such a depressing point of view, which is why I say the United States has lost its way. On the face of it, given this latest school shooting and the multiple deaths that have been caused by guns since the assault on the Capitol on 6th January 2021, let alone what has gone on before, it does indeed seem that every citizen, immigrant and visitor to the United States is in imminent danger of deadly assault. This is presumably why one can buy an assault weapon over the counter at Walmart. (I don’t really know if that is the case, but what with what is going on in the United States at the present time, it sounds like it’s true.)
The typical ad for your average AK47 is, I suppose, where we are now. It should probably be made available on arrival as one passes through customs when entering the United States.
Is it not about time to simply repeal the second amendment. I am sure quite a few would be willing to sign a petition to do so. Why doesn’t the President just start a petition now? There are many people out there who would welcome the attempt.
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