Frank Merton Posted May 15, 2013 #151 Share Posted May 15, 2013 There's no point in arguing with this guy. From his point of view, we should all be sheep and do what the government tell us to. I kinda like this idea of equating being sheep to doing what the government says. We should be strong he-men with hairy chests resisting the government and never obeying the law.If the government creates a law against guns, it should be obeyed, whether you agree with it or not. That is why we have government. No one exists who approves of everything the government decides; fine -- we still obey it. What if the government does something illegal? That is a contradiction in terms; it is the law. One is provided provision to protest, to petition, generally to appeal to the courts, and of course to vote, but not do disobey. Without rule of law you have rule of tyrants, because when law breaks down the most brutal will prevail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman76 Posted May 15, 2013 #152 Share Posted May 15, 2013 But I don't think having such a dialogue is reason to become paranoid and overly emotional. Right, will it be ok to show some humanity when the swat team busts down your door to "inspect your weapons". There is no need for this dialogue. Its long been established that no one has a right to enter my home with out a warrent stating what they are looking for and why they feel I have it, signed by a judge. Rational minds will steer this nation. If you want to be part of the conversation loosen some of the mistrust and deepen your partnership to dialogue. Yea right. We have been rational. We have went along with the program. Its gotten us no where with the white house. You people just act like these long established laws dont exist. My ideas have already been poured into the foundation. And at least half this country feels the same. So good luck erasing this from the black board, cause you have no ability to push anyone out of the conversation. In fact your main stream is losing ground by the day. Dropping out of it all will only insure others who do participate in discussion get to make up the rules for all of us. Getting mad isnt dropping out. In fact, its all the government understands. We are talking about people who enforce thier laws with loaded guns. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F3SS Posted May 15, 2013 Author #153 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Just because a government makes laws doesn't mean everything it does is lawful. Government is not "the law". 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 15, 2013 #154 Share Posted May 15, 2013 First, let's not mischaracterize anyone's position by making ridiculous analogies that do not reflect (even remotely) the reality at hand. Doing this only serves to inflame the discussion. Next, when talking about the United States it's The Constitution that's "the law", not "the government". 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 15, 2013 #155 Share Posted May 15, 2013 If the government creates a law against guns, it should be obeyed, whether you agree with it or not. That is why we have government. No one exists who approves of everything the government decides; fine -- we still obey it. In the United States it will take a Constitutional Amendment to completely ban ownerships of guns. Control and licensing of guns is another thing though. What if the government does something illegal? That is a contradiction in terms; it is the law. One is provided provision to protest, to petition, generally to appeal to the courts, and of course to vote, but not do disobey. Without rule of law you have rule of tyrants, because when law breaks down the most brutal will prevail. No, not in the US, the government can (and has) engaged in illegal activities (Iran/Contra and Watergate come to my mind). When caught these folks are as amenable to trial as anyone else. Everyone from the President on down is bound by The Constitution. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman76 Posted May 15, 2013 #156 Share Posted May 15, 2013 In the United States it will take a Constitutional Amendment to completely ban ownerships of guns. Control and licensing of guns is another thing though. No, not in the US, the government can (and has) engaged in illegal activities (Iran/Contra and Watergate come to my mind). When caught these folks are as amenable to trial as anyone else. Everyone from the President on down is bound by The Constitution. No it isnt Lilly. The right to keep arms isnt to be infringed, in any way. By law this isnt a subject that the federal government has the authority to concern themselfs with at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 15, 2013 #157 Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) No it isnt Lilly. The right to keep arms isnt to be infringed, in any way. By law this isnt a subject that the federal government has the authority to concern themselfs with at all. Tell that to the Supreme Court (they've concerned themselves with the 2nd Amendment many times) For example: (quote from our friends at Wikipedia) In District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment "codified a pre-existing right" and that it "protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home"[9][10] but also stated that "the right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose". They also clarified that many longstanding prohibitions and restrictions on firearms possession listed by the Court are consistent with the Second Amendment. Edited May 15, 2013 by Lilly spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman76 Posted May 15, 2013 #158 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Tell that to the Supreme Court (they've concerned themselve with the 2nd Amendment many times) For example: (quote from our friends at Wikipedia) Oh Im more then aware of the SC's distain for the constitution. There is a very clear pattern of that in every branch of government. But the term "shall not be infringed" means exactly that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 15, 2013 #159 Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) The Bill of Rights itself is a collection of Amendments to The Constitution. The Supreme Court is the branch of government that is charged with the interpretation of Constitutional Law. The Supreme Court decides what is, or is not "infringement" and what is, or is not amenable to change. You can't say that your interpretation of The Constitution is correct and supecedes The Supreme Court. I guess you can say it as being your personal opinion, but be advised such holds no validity (none/zip/zero/nada) from a legal perspective. BTW, it's highly, highly unlikely that there will ever be any Amendment that will serve to somehow supercede The Bill of Rights. The right to bear arms is indeed a 'right' in the United States. However, the interpretation of such can (and has) changed over time. This is why it is frequently said that The Constitution is a 'living' document. Edited May 15, 2013 by Lilly addition 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacherman76 Posted May 15, 2013 #160 Share Posted May 15, 2013 The Bill of Rights itself is a collection of Amendments to The Constitution. The Supreme Court is the branch of government that is charged with the interpretation of Constitutional Law. The Supreme Court decides what is, or is not "infringement" and what is, or is not amenable to change. You can't say that your interpretation of The Constitution is correct and supecedes The Supreme Court. I guess you can say it as being your personal opinion, but be advised such holds no validity (none/zip/zero/nada) from a legal perspective. Thats the thing though, they are not there to interprete constitutional law. They are there to uphold it, and protect it. The only time one decides something need to be interpreted, is when said document says something they dont want it to. The definition of infringe is very clear, and has long been established. in·fringedin·fring·ing Definition of INFRINGE transitive verb 1 : to encroach upon in a way that violates law or the rights of another 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RavenHawk Posted May 15, 2013 #161 Share Posted May 15, 2013 No it isnt Lilly. The right to keep arms isnt to be infringed, in any way. By law this isnt a subject that the federal government has the authority to concern themselfs with at all. As much as I hate to agree with someone who has *Moderator* next to their name, I have to agree with Lilly. The Constitution was setup so that anything could be amended or changed. However, I don’t see it as being that easy. The Constitution is a recorded interpretation of the intentions of the Founding Fathers. So if anything, that intention is the only thing above the Constitution. So if changes are made, they should preserve those original intentions. With that said, I don’t see how one could make any changes to the 2nd and not change its original meaning. Quote In District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment "codified a pre-existing right" and that it "protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home"[9][10] but also stated that "the right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose". They also clarified that many longstanding prohibitions and restrictions on firearms possession listed by the Court are consistent with the Second Amendment. Unalienable Rights are unlimited. It is our right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. That is the purpose of the 2nd. To clarify that the 2nd is an Unalienable Right. The primary reason of the 2nd is to be able to defend ourselves from a tyrannical government. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 15, 2013 #162 Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) Unalienable Rights are unlimited. It is our right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. That is the purpose of the 2nd. To clarify that the 2nd is an Unalienable Right. The primary reason of the 2nd is to be able to defend ourselves from a tyrannical government. The "right" may be unlimited in one sense, but not in another. The "whatever manner" and "whatever purpose" is indeed limited. For example, in order to own and/or carry firearms one needs to obtain the appropriate licenses to do so. Also, I do believe owning certain assault weapons is not allowed (?). I do agree that the 2nd Amendment was indeed added to place the power of defense into the hands of citizens so that government could not ultimately abuse power. Also, the military is ultimately controlled by a civilian...The President is The Commander and Chief of all branches of the military. Edited May 15, 2013 by Lilly clarification Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RavenHawk Posted May 15, 2013 #163 Share Posted May 15, 2013 The "right" may be unlimited in one sense, but not in another. The "whatever manner" and "whatever purpose" is indeed limited. It is unlimited – PERIOD! Unalienable Rights is only half of the equation. What you and the SC have forgotten or are looking for is the other half. And that is Personal Responsibility. The two go hand-in-hand. For example, in order to own and/or carry firearms one needs to obtain the appropriate licenses to do so. I have really nothing against being licensed as long as it is not abused. It shouldn’t be used to restrict anyone or be used to create a gun list. A license should only be a means of assurance that the gun owner can demonstrate Personal Responsibility. I.e. Personal Responsibility is what limits Unalienable Rights, not an artificial construct of a transient government. Also, I do believe owning certain assault weapons is not allowed (?). Why? If an individual can properly protect and maintain a nuclear device, he should do so. However, I don’t think such an individual exists. So getting a license would be almost impossible. Perhaps everyone should apply for an arms license. Grade weapons into classes. Have everyone work at familiarizing themselves with the different classes. They are under no obligation to own a weapon but at least they will know how to use them. Create a level of public interaction would help to lessen the atmosphere of fear around guns. I do agree that the 2nd Amendment was indeed added to place the power of defense into the hands of citizens so that government could not ultimately abuse power. The only way to do that is to assure that the people are as equally armed as the government. I’ve shown that there is a system here that will work without government infringement. And in turn leaving the 2nd and the Constitution and BoR alone. Also, the military is ultimately controlled by a civilian...The President is The Commander and Chief of all branches of the military. That civilian could possibly lose control or even abuse it. If that civilian tries to use the military against the people, I think you’ll find that the majority of the military will side with the people. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorfindel Posted May 15, 2013 #164 Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) I kinda like this idea of equating being sheep to doing what the government says. We should be strong he-men with hairy chests resisting the government and never obeying the law. If the government creates a law against guns, it should be obeyed, whether you agree with it or not. That is why we have government. No one exists who approves of everything the government decides; fine -- we still obey it. What if the government does something illegal? That is a contradiction in terms; it is the law. One is provided provision to protest, to petition, generally to appeal to the courts, and of course to vote, but not do disobey. Without rule of law you have rule of tyrants, because when law breaks down the most brutal will prevail. If the law violates the Constitution, it was illegally passed to begin with. This is really quite simple, unconstitutional laws are void. You can't claim to support the "rule of law" by supporting illegal laws... The Bill of Rights is "inalienable", meaning an amendment to the Constitution that violates the first 10, is void and illegal. Come on guys, Im not even American and I understand this. This goes for democratic processes too, you can not vote to violate the Bill of Rights, that is anything but following the "rule of law". Edited May 15, 2013 by Glorfindel 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kowalski Posted May 15, 2013 #165 Share Posted May 15, 2013 If the law violates the Constitution, it was illegally passed to begin with. This is really quite simple, unconstitutional laws are void. You can't claim to support the "rule of law" by supporting illegal laws... The Bill of Rights is "inalienable", meaning an amendment to the Constitution that violates the first 10, is void and illegal. Come on guys, Im not even American and I understand this. This goes for democratic processes too, you can not vote to violate the Bill of Rights, that is anything but following the "rule of law". :clap: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorfindel Posted May 15, 2013 #166 Share Posted May 15, 2013 And really, for the most part the Bill of Rights is quite clear and succinct. Unless youre reading conprehension is so bad that you can't understand English from a couple hundred years back. It seems talk of "interpretation" mainly comes up when someone in government is interested in violating the BoR. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 15, 2013 #167 Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) Technically the 2nd Amendment reads as follows: "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." Being able to form a "well regulated militia" doesn't really address the issue of licensing guns, or the concept of assault weapons (which did not even exist at the time the Bill of Rights was drafted). Edited May 15, 2013 by Lilly oops! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted May 15, 2013 #168 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Technically the 2nd Amendment reads as follows: "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." Being able to form a "well regulated militia" doesn't really address the issue of licensing guns, or the concept of assault weapons (which did not even exist at the time the Bill of Rights was drafted). In fact, it did not even address uncontrolled gun ownership until some NRA lawyers decided that it should be that in the 1970s... what 200 years can do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RavenHawk Posted May 15, 2013 #169 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Being able to form a "well regulated militia" doesn't really address the issue of licensing guns, or the concept of assault weapons (which did not even exist at the time the Bill of Rights was drafted). A well regulated militia and muskets were the assault weapons of the day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F3SS Posted May 15, 2013 Author #170 Share Posted May 15, 2013 And really, for the most part the Bill of Rights is quite clear and succinct. Unless youre reading conprehension is so bad that you can't understand English from a couple hundred years back. It seems talk of "interpretation" mainly comes up when someone in government is interested in violating the BoR. Cheers to you and preacherman. I've been saying that same thing for a long time. A few years back I kept hearing all this talk of interpretation, probably when obamacare was initially being debated. Anyways, I decided to read the constitution and the BoR for a refresher and to take a closer look at the language. My conclusion: It's quite clear and your last sentence couldn't ring truer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 15, 2013 #171 Share Posted May 15, 2013 In the United States it will take a Constitutional Amendment to completely ban ownerships of guns. Control and licensing of guns is another thing though. No, not in the US, the government can (and has) engaged in illegal activities (Iran/Contra and Watergate come to my mind). When caught these folks are as amenable to trial as anyone else. Everyone from the President on down is bound by The Constitution. And the latest irs and doj. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 15, 2013 #172 Share Posted May 15, 2013 The Bill of Rights itself is a collection of Amendments to The Constitution. The Supreme Court is the branch of government that is charged with the interpretation of Constitutional Law. The Supreme Court decides what is, or is not "infringement" and what is, or is not amenable to change. You can't say that your interpretation of The Constitution is correct and supecedes The Supreme Court. I guess you can say it as being your personal opinion, but be advised such holds no validity (none/zip/zero/nada) from a legal perspective. BTW, it's highly, highly unlikely that there will ever be any Amendment that will serve to somehow supercede The Bill of Rights. The right to bear arms is indeed a 'right' in the United States. However, the interpretation of such can (and has) changed over time. This is why it is frequently said that The Constitution is a 'living' document. L The constitution does not give the supreme court the power to interpet. The first head justice took the right. Stating along this line. The government can pass any law they want, but it won't do any good if the courts won't inforce them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Sam Posted May 16, 2013 #173 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I am very glad some people outside of America understand the constitution. Getting tired of explaining it to people who will not even take the time to try to understand or even listen, all they want to do is force their ideology onto me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjadude Posted May 16, 2013 #174 Share Posted May 16, 2013 (edited) Unalienable Rights are unlimited. It is our right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. That is the purpose of the 2nd. To clarify that the 2nd is an Unalienable Right. The primary reason of the 2nd is to be able to defend ourselves from a tyrannical government. We've had this argument before. Where in the constitution does it say the 2nd amendment is "unalienable"? Edited May 16, 2013 by ninjadude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Wearer of Hats Posted May 16, 2013 #175 Share Posted May 16, 2013 We've had this argument before. Where in the constitution does it say the 2nd amendment is "unalienable"? Well the bit about "Congress shall not create laws limiting militias etc etc" seems to be fairly concrete that it's a right that shan't be infringed. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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