I was concerned with a comment in the Feb. 24 letter, "Obama isn't going to take away your guns." It said, "This (Second) Amendment is not to be foolishly construed as protecting oneself from our government."
I respectfully request citizens research why our Founders included this amendment. I offer comments from Jefferson, Story and Cooley as a starting point.
"The Constitution of most of our states assert(s) that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; ... that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; and that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of press," said Founding Father and President Thomas Jefferson.
"The militia is the natural defense of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections and domestic usurpation of power by rulers. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of the republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers and will generally ... enable the people to resist and triumph over them," said Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story.
"The (Second) Amendment, like most other provisions in the Constitution, has a history. It was adopted with some modification and enlargement from the English Bill of Rights of 1688, where it stood as a protest against arbitrary action of the overturned dynasty in disarming the people and as a pledge of the new rulers that this tyrannical action should cease. The right declared was meant to be a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers, and as a necessary and efficient means of regaining rights when temporarily overturned by usurpation," said Justice Thomas Cooley.
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Ron Rodriguez
Duluth
