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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Supreme Court and gun question Re: Was Video about Obama
  • Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 05:58:38 -0700


On Apr 2, 2008, at 8:29 PM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:



So they will finesse the written decision to meet, not the meaning of
the founders, but the will of the people.


Don't think so, Gene.

I've read the verbose comparison of this passage to other such late 18th
century constructions which show that the wording, in the parlance of the fathers,
could not possibly mean the state's right to a militia.

First, in the minds of the people of the late 18th century, the militia was
the whole and entire population, not a select group like our present national
guard. The constitution of the State of Virginia, viewed as the source text
for the 2nd amendment, is more verbose and more precise and says:

Article I, Section 13: "That a well regulated militia, composed of the body
of the people, trained to arms,is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a
free state, therefore,the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not
be infringed."

We might all profit if this precise writing had been used in the 2nd Amendment. The meaning is clear.


The militia is the body of the people, all the people, not those with the
leave or approval of the state and ALL of them have the right to keep and bear
arms.

Yes.


Here's what the founding fathers themselves said about the 2nd at the time it
was being composed and just afterwards:

Well done, James. Thank you for all that. My shallowness as a Constitutional scholar is now revealed in all its shamefullness.

Seriously, I very much appreciate your post. And I can see how much easier the decision will be in the Washington, D.C. case.

Whenever my knowledge is so enhanced, it always seems to me I should be reading something more than I am.





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