The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: IvanXD_40 on March 21, 2008, 12:48:06 AM
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This is an interesting description I found at: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/rightsof/
In the summer of 1787, delegates from 13 new American states, recently British colonies, met in Philadelphia to write a constitution for a unified nation.
At the height of the debate, in December 1787, Thomas Jefferson, then serving as ambassador to France, wrote a letter to his friend James Madison, one of the chief authors of the new constitution. "A bill of rights," Jefferson wrote, "is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference."
Much about this controversy at the beginning of the American experiment in democracy prefigures later developments in U.S. politics and constitutional law. Intense views on both sides were moderated by a complicated, yet highly pragmatic compromise. Also significant is that Jefferson saw explicit limits on government power as a necessity. In fact, the Bill of Rights can be read as the definitive statement of that most American of values: the idea that the individual is prior to and takes precedence over any government.
...Like Jefferson, many of the Founders feared the power of the federal government and demanded a bill of rights to limit its powers. They knew that the idea of a bill of rights had a long history that stretched back to England's Magna Carta in 1215. (our founding fathers learned their lesson about too much government from England).
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.
— Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
To me it is very simple. I am 29 years old and to me the the second ammendment as I read it states two things very clear: 1. That "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state. and 2. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms. These two things, "Shall not be infringed". It does but the people under the umbrella of a militia to bear arms. Quite the contrary, it clearly states that "the People" and "A well regulated Militia" their individual rights (the right to keep and bear arms) shall not be infringed.
It makes me mad how well educated people will try make it relate to the other. I wounder if our founding fathers were still alive how they would feel when they see educated men and women try to interpret what they "really meant when they wrote it". They wrote it plain and simple. Remember, back then there was not very much college, university, or prestigue education, so a lot of it had to be written in a way the commom men and women will understand. Here we are, more than 200 years past that time, and some liberals try to tell us what our founding fathers really meant.
I tell people, friends and co-workers just how far liberals will go to take away our rights. I read this quote, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
Ivan
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I know~~ :-\
It's like it is there in simple English.. How damned hard is it to understand.?? ???
In my opinion.. There is NO interpretation.
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I know~~ :-\
It's like it is there in simple English.. How damned hard is it to understand.?? ???
In my opinion.. There is NO interpretation.
But you don't think you "know whats best". You don't want to control a society.
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But you don't think you "know whats best". You don't want to control a society.
Very true.. I have enough on my hands trying to control you guys.. (http://www.cascity.com/howard/animations/chuckle.gif)
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A very fine line isnt it. I cant even imagine!
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This is why I quit grad school, I was in a public administration grad program but for three hours at a time I would hear constant bullshit about how more/extended government can only be beneficial for civilians. There really is such a thing as "too much education", turned out better for me in the end anyway. From my experiance, socialist (calling them liberal is an insult to libertarians) leaning professors will twist the wording of anything as long as it means they can spread their intentions and I can't believe that so many of my classmates would take it as fact. I can't tell you how many times I would say "That's complete bullshit and anyone with half a brain or a shred of common sense would know that". The fact is I'm surprised they didn't fail me because of it, maybe they just wanted to get rid of me, either way I got my degree and I'm fine with that.
I should add a note here that this is based on my experiance, I do know several people with more than their fair share of degrees who are both book smart and street smart. Unfortunately, they seem to be in the minority as far as college professors go.
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Teresa, I resemble that remark! :P
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Lile Popeye says" I mean what I says and I says what I mean" By the way my wife says theres no controling me ::)