DON’T MESS WITH THE 2ND

People in the Lone Star state warn outsiders “Don’t mess with Texas.” Americans should warn their fellow citizens, “Don’t mess with the Second Amendment.”

A blogger has noted that James Madison in one of the Federalist papers explained that people needed the right to keep weapons for joining their state militias to fend off, if need be, a national government intent upon taking away other  rights granted to it by its citizens. Citizens give authority to the government; not the other way around.

Today, that is the real reason to uphold the Second Amendment and to turn away attempts to weaken it, even in the face of horrendous events such as happened at Newtown.

Opposing restraints on the purchase of assault weapons and high-capacity ammo clips is being characterized as – can this be too strong? – Barbarian. Defense of the amendment is not the same as acquiescence to more slaughter of children in their classrooms, although some control-control advocates seem to argue that.

All right, what if some autocrat should appear in Washington and to erode the freedom of the citizenry to an untenable reality?  Armed bands could form and unite, only to face the Army and elite military units such as the Seals and the Rangers. Any quick success for the citizen bands would be unlikely. Look at Syria.

No one wants such a confrontation. Although it might be sanctioned by the message of the Declaration of Independence, the structure of the Constitution, and the existence of the Second Amendment, such rebellion could very well end America as the haven it has been for people from all corners of the earth. The hope of America’s promise must, nonetheless, be kept alive.

On the other side, to those who would erode the American system, the very fact that the Founders foresaw the need for strong reaction to unconstitutional usurpation of freedom should be a strong disincentive.

Our current situation does not – repeat, does not – demand any overt action against legitimate political forces. What exactly what would engender such action need not even be the subject for speculation.

Still, the principle that the source of governmental authority in the United States of America originates with the consent of the governed cannot be tinkered with. A fight to retain the Second Amendment’s integrity must be waged.

One does not have to own a gun to believe that.