Category Archives: Second Amendment

Why protecting the Second Amendment matters

I disagree with the recent letter urging the Tiverton Town Council to rescind the Second Amendment-related resolution passed two years ago. Had the writer researched the resolution, she would have discovered that it did not make Tiverton a sanctuary city.After some emotional testimony by a few individuals predicting that, if made so, the streets would run red with blood, the council adopted a compromise. The resulting resolution became a bulwark against the potential abuse inherent in so-called Red Flag laws, stating that the town will expend no resources in supporting them. It also reaffirmed that the citizens of Tiverton believed in the rule of law, specifically the state and federal constitutions, a concept frightening to progressives.

While red flag laws were sold to legislators by anti-firearms groups as public safety measures,their real intent was the creation of a tool to isolate and persecute individuals who choose to exercise their civil right to own a firearm. They allow anyone to make a phone call claiming someone they know (or don't like) is planning a mass shooting. With no warning, local police then descend on the individual, search their homes, confiscate their private property (firearms), arrest them and begin a lengthy investigation certain to ruin their lives and reputations, whether or not the accusation is true. The accused is never told who their accuser is and there is no penalty for making a false accusation. These are laws with the potential for extreme abuse. They also have the potential for wasting vast amounts of scarce police resources, things the town council, two years ago, recognized. If the current council rescinds the resolution, then theirs is a vote to sanction, and pay for with tax dollars, the persecution of local firearm owners, something that will not endear them to the majority of town residents.

Finally, I infer by the tone of the writer's letter that she is either a member of, or has been influenced by, one of the small, but noisy, anti-Second Amendment groups operating in the state. Her assertion that firearm owners are protected by the Second Amendment is laughable, considering that there are now 11bills (more on the way) in the R.I. Statehouse specifically designed to destroy firearms ownership in this state; all of them crafted with the heavy-handed aid of these groups.

And this prompts a gentle warning to all those reading this. These groups are notorious for lying to and deceiving their members in order to create and spread hysteria, thus advancing the political agenda of their wealthy out-of-state benefactors. Sadly, this callous practice often makes believers look foolish, at best, when faced with the truth.

Scott McCarthy,Tiverton

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OPINION/LETTER: Why protecting the Second Amendment matters - newportri.com

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) West Virginia voters could see an amendment to the state constitution in the next general election.

Its related to the second amendment the right to bear arms.

The Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week passed a number of pro-gun rights legislation, one of which is called The Protection of the Right to Bear Arms Amendment, or Senate Joint Resolution 1.

It would require a two-thirds vote of the house and senate before being put on the ballot.

The state of West Virginia currently has an F letter grade on gun safety from the Giffords Law Center.

The Mountain State also has the 13th-highest gun death rate in the country according to the CDC.

While gun safety and banning assault rifles are back in the national conversation following three mass shootings the latest overnight in Virginia Beach the West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee is busying itself upholding gun rights.

This is a very 2nd Amendment right state, said Senator Jack Woodrum (R-Summers).

Woodrum is one of 11 republican senators sponsoring SJR 1 which would amend the state constitution to read: No agent, agency, municipality, county, or any other political subdivision of state government may restrict this right by means of locality, ammunition capacity, caliber, modification, accessory, decibel, method of carry, or by any other means.

Put another way, cities and counties could not pass gun control measures more stringent than what is set by the legislature.

Were trying to guarantee peoples constitutional rights here in West Virginia and some of that is dealing specifically with the second amendment which is under attack kinda seems like every day right now by our counterparts in the federal government, said Woodrum.

Reaction on 13 Newss social media to enhanced gun control was mixed.

Sounds good. Guns are only as dangerous as the owner, wrote one follower.

My children are talking about leaving this state with all of this idiotic legislation being passed, they certainly arent making the wild and wonderful state inviting to others, wrote another social media follower.

Still, Woodrum says he doesnt see how banning firearms would put a stop to people committing harm.

The firearm didnt go out and kill people, youve got an individual who used a firearm in the commission of that crime, he said.

SJR 1 is on its first reading in the state senate.

Its important to note that federal law trumps state law, so it remains to be put into context how any federal legislation if passed would affect this state constitutional amendment.

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Right to bear arms amendment could be on West Virginia ballot - WVNS-TV

To a far-right state senator who wants to knock off a suddenly unpopular Wyoming Republican congresswoman next year, sponsoring a bill called the Second Amendment Preservation Act probably seemed like a sure vote-getter.

Instead, Sen. Anthony Bouchard (R-Cheyenne) looked stunned at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Senate File 81 Second Amendment Preservation Act as law enforcement officials compared him to the GOPs No.1 anti-gun villain, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).

[SF 81] merely copied [President Joe Bidens] administration and Nancy Pelosis effort to demonize law enforcement in the name of, in this case, the Second Amendment, said Byron Oedekoven, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police.

I see that the hypocrisy of this bill knows no bounds, Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle said, and frankly its a sad, sad day for law enforcement in the state of Wyoming if this bill proceeds the way it is.

Ouch! What did Bouchard do to offend his law-and-order constituency?

His bill is intended to send a message to Washington, D.C., Bouchard said, that Wyoming wont stand for any new federal laws that put gun owners at risk of losing their constitutional rights.

Bouchard is aiming to go to D.C. himself. Hes challenging Rep. Liz Cheney in next years Republican primary.

If a message is what the former director of Wyoming Gun Owners was after, he should have sponsored a joint resolution that, while not a law, would have passed overwhelmingly and made voters feel good about telling the fictional yet infinitely politically useful gun grabbers they shouldnt mess with Wyoming.

Instead, Bouchard went the full Monty, sponsoring a bill that would make cops vulnerable to lawsuits and the possible termination of their jobs by stripping them of so-called qualified immunity.

Bouchards first mistake was to declare that the federal government has no constitutional right to enact any federal statutes, executive orders, court orders, rules, regulations or other actions that collect data or restrict or prohibit the manufacture, ownership and use of firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition exclusively within the borders of Wyoming.

Because it does have such powers, of course. States cant simply ignore federal laws, as several people reminded the Judiciary Committee.

From the inception of this country, constitutional law has been very clear on this issue: There are no states rights to nullify federal law, said Linda Burt, former director of the ACLUs Wyoming chapter. The Supreme Court has repeatedly struck down these laws, and will continue to. The case law is very strong as far back as 1824.

Legislators pushing SAPA laws here and in 14 other states know this. They just dont care. Thats because their real objective isnt nullification, its scoring political points. That theyre wasting the peoples time and money very real money when it comes to defending unconstitutional laws in court is of no concern, so long as they get to blast the Biden administration and beat their chest about being gun champions.

Polls show that nearly 90% of Americans support the types of expanded background checks the administration is calling for are. But Bouchard and his ilk arent running to represent or uphold mainstream American values. Theyre running to win red-state Republican primaries where extremism is the order of the day the gun nuttier the better.

The whole idea is that we have a shift in Washington and they actually want to use everything they can to go after our guns. We have an out-of-control federal government, Bouchard said.

WASCOP officials said SF 81 puts peace officers in the untenable position of being sued and/or terminated for working on cases with federal law enforcement agencies.

The law could have some gun owners thinking federal laws dont apply to them, Sen. Tara Nethercott (R-Cheyenne) said. Bouchard replied that his bill is part of a push and shove, and [the feds are] going to shove back and were going to see where were at.

Essentially, Bouchard is willing to put residents at risk of prosecution to prove that the federal government overstepped its bounds. Law-abiding citizens, he contended, dont have anything to worry about.

Burt cited an example that showed the folly of such laws. After Kansas passed its SAPA in 2013, she noted, a military surplus company relied on the state law to manufacture and sell short-barrel rifles and silencers that were against federal law.

The business owner and a customer were both convicted of a federal felony, and the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear their appeal in 2019.

Bouchard sponsored SF 81 to capitalize on gun owners fears. Instead, he had to swallow Grossnickles claim: With this legislation, Wyoming is going to become the little sister to some in Washington, D.C., who believe abolishing qualified immunity, demonizing law enforcement and ultimately defunding the police is the answer to the problem.

Imagine Bouchard, figuratively joined at the hip with the Black Lives Matter movement and other progressive protesters. That had to sting. So must the Senates decision Wednesday to gut his bill, which he ended up voting against.

Veteran Wyoming journalist Kerry Drake has covered Wyoming for more than four decades, previously as a reporter and editor for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and Casper Star-Tribune. He lives in Cheyenne and can be reached at kerry.drake33@yahoo.com.

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What a tangled web Wyoming senator weaves to preserve Second Amendment - Wyoming Tribune

The bill was so 'out of left field' one outspoken GOP refused to vote on it; with Rep Jim Walsh refusing because the very bill was un-Constitutional.

House Bill (HB) ESSB 5038, whose abbreviation was changed because it's an enhanced Senate subsitute bill (ESSB) passed by a margin of 57-40. It's a bill that would prohibit the open carry of guns or weapons during protests or rallies on Capitol grounds in WA State (Olympia). The bill originally began in the Senate, and moved onto the House.

The bill was a kneejerk reaction, say many GOP Leaders, to the D.C. 'riot' or tumult that happened back in January, and was related to Inslee ordering fencing put up around the legislative buildings in Olympia.

Rep. Walsh, (R-Aberdeen) argued along with other legislators for nearly five hours in a debate of the un-Constitutionality of the bill. Walsh and others said it violates 2nd Amendement rights, that persons who are legally allowed to or possess open carry permits shall not have that right infringed regardless of any state law.

Walsh also bemoaned the brief and seemingly nonchalant media coverage of the debate as well as the vote.

After the vote passed, John Sattgast, the Republican House Communications Director reported GOP members felt this about the bill:

"During the five-hour debate, Republicans arguedSenate Bill 5038is unconstitutional, violating not only second amendment rights, but other amendments, including the right to free expression."

Sattgast also reported:

"Republicans also said the 250-foot prohibition is not clearly defined, meaning that anyone walking peacefully near a permitted event with a holstered gun, knife or other weapon could be charged with a gross misdemeanor crime."

Rep. Ed Orcutt of the 20th District (Kalama) said he's heard from many of his constituents, who say this proposed bill frames them as a lawbreaker:

Thats what I hear from my constituents. Why are you needlessly turning me into a criminal when I have no criminal intent? Im just exercising my Second Amendment right."

The bill will go back to the Senate for more consideration.

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State House Passes Another 2nd Amendment 'Erosion' Bill - newstalk870.am

Governor Tom Wolf proposed an executive order on gun violence which has people talking.

We spoke with a gun shop owner and others to get their reaction on the governors proposal.

The governors recent proposal has a lot of people taking, especially here in Erie.

Some people oppose this proposal while others believe there should be a balance.

The right of the citizens is to bear arms in the defense of themselves and the shall never be questioned, said Timothy Parker, Owner of Presque Isle Gun Shop.

What you hear from Timothy Parker is paraphrasing Article 1 Section 21 of the Second Amendment.

Parker is the owner of Presque Isle Gun Shop. He said that the governors proposal is vague and interferes with ones 2nd Amendment rights.

The governor proposes stricter background checks closing loopholes that allow some buyers to avoid them.

He supports the Red Flag Law that temporarily removes guns from those who pose a danger to themselves or others.

Parker is not sure if Governor Wolfs proposal would change how gun shop owners would run their business, but he said that gun sales are at an all time high.

I dont know what probably due to the last election cause people I dont know fearful or that theyre going to lose their Second Amendment rights, said Parker.

Although the Second Amendment is part of the constitution, others believe that there should be some kind of law to reduce gun violence.

Jaime Stoeger works at the Crime Victim Center. She believes stricter laws will have better outcomes.

Studies show that sexual assault and domestic violence do go down when theres stricter gun laws, said Jaime Stoeger, Co-Assistant Director of the Crime Victim Center.

Now its a matter of finding a balance between safety and the rights that you have as a gun owner.

If this proposal becomes law in Pennsylvania, there may be a lot of changes many would face.

Continued here:
Residents have mixed reactions to Governor Wolfs proposed order on gun safety - YourErie

BOULDER, CO - MARCH 22: Tactical police units respond to the scene of a King Soopers grocery store ... [+] after a shooting on March 22, 2021 in Boulder, Colorado. Dozens of police responded to the afternoon shooting in which at least one witness described three people who appeared to be wounded, according to published reports. (Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images)

On Tuesday morning the hashtags #EnoughIsEnough and #SecondAmendment were trending and each had more than 30,000 tweets while there were an equal number of posts related to the topic of "Well Regulated" another reference to the wording of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

All of this was of course in response to the most recent mass shooting on Monday inside a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. Ten people were killed, including a veteran police officer. As of Tuesday morning the motives remain unclear.

Across social media, especially Twitter, many users made their opinion quite clear.

"We aren't numb - over 90% of Americans support stronger gun laws. It's a handful of US Senators beholden to the gun lobby who have refused to act. The Second Amendment wasn't meant to be a suicide pact," posted Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts), founder of @MomsDemand action.

On the other side of the issue, the NRA (@NRA) responded by sharing the wording of the Second Amendment, "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."

Anti-social Response

The responses that followed on Monday evening and Tuesday morning were anything but social. Many users called for greater gun control, casting blame at Republican lawmakers, while supporters of the Second Amendment blamed mental illness.

As with so many issues, both sides dug in and offered sharp and concise opinions. The issue of "Well Regulated" as in the well regulated militia, wasn't so much debated but rather a read through shows that it was an echo chamber. Many who see that the wording is to mean a government-regulated military force, akin to the National Guard, repeated that argument.

Across social media the opinions of the Founding Fathers was debated; and those who are opposed to firearms and the Second Amendment clearly see this as an opportunity to push for greater gun control, while supporters of the Second Amendment seemed as determined to make their counter arguments.

But the question must be asked whether any of this is remotely productive?

"Social media discussions are primarily about reaffirming your identity in a group," explained Dr. Matthew J. Schmidt, PhD, associate professor of national security and political science at the University of New Haven.

While today the discussion is about the Second Amendment, similarly hostile discourse has been seen for any hot button issue and people seem unwilling to even listen. The posts on social media don't seem to be aimed at changing opinions, but rather reaffirming one's point of view.

"Everyone has been cooped up for months, and we're living through the most tumultuous time in history, so for some people they just want their voices heard even if no one is actually listening," said technology futurist and brand strategist Scott Steinberg.

"Social media is a great platform to do just that right now," Steinberg added. "People aren't actually going to social media to have productive casual conversations. They tune into more to be part of crowd in fiery debates and hear from those that have similar opinions."

This is absolutely true of any issue and isn't limited to gun control or support for the Second Amendment.

"I doubt the issue of gun control will find resolution on social media, and it's now a well-established fact that social media tend to have a polarizing effect on most topics," said Mike Lawlor, associate professor of criminal justice at the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at University of New Haven.

"That being said, social media does present the most user-friendly platform for grass roots organizing," said Lawlor. "You saw that in the post-Parkland 'March for Our Lives' event and organization."

Different Topic Same Responses

In many ways social media has allowed people to feel like they are part of a group or movement, even if the debate isn't all that social.

"Think of it as shouting into the void there is something cathartic about that," said Steinberg. "People need a forum right now. The downside is that because there are two sides of every issue it becomes very polarizing."

Steinberg added that we'd have to get back to a baseline where we agree to listen to one another before we can have any chance of having a meaningful debate, and that is unlikely to happen given the tone and open hostility.

"People use language that signals their strong belief in the ideas of their own group and some people attack the other side by way of reaffirming their own position as fighters in the culture war," added Schmidt. "This kind of speech starts to look like sectarian warfare. It's not reasoned debate designed to reconcile differences or find spaces of compromise. And conducting these arguments on platforms other than social media is unlikely to resolve any differences. People have picked their sides and very, very few will change."

Given that fact there is little chance that social media will result in any social change.

"There are, of course, two extremes in this debate," said Lawlor. "But there is also a soft, persuadable middle.Those without critical thinking skills will fall victim to conspiracy theories and paranoia.Those will critical thinking skills will focus on the events surrounding yesterday's shooting and consider whether reasonable steps could have been taken to prevent it or at least make it less likely. Each one of these tragedies is a teachable moment.Our challenge is to present the facts and analysis and hope people are willing to listen."

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Second Amendment And Gun Control Debated On Twitter Is Social The Place To Have This Discussion? - Forbes

Selectman Glenn Bear Zaidman wants to bring his resolution to make Bridgton a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary back before the board and questioned why he was told he couldnt.

I believe that our Constitution and our Bill of Rights are under attack in more ways than one, Zaidman reiterated at Tuesdays meeting, two weeks after his resolution failed on a tie vote.

Selectboard members Paul Tworog and Carmen Lone voted March 9 against Zaidmans resolution to create the sanctuary to oppose unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms for its citizens, and Zaidman and Fred Packard voted in favor. Chairperson Liston Lee Eastman, who would have cast the tiebreaking vote, was absent, but said later he would have voted for it.

Declaring the town a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary would have no effect on the law, according to Geoff Bickford, an attorney and director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.

Some folks have said that some of the Amendments are not under attack, that is their opinion. It might not be under attack in their minds, Zaidman said.

He did not provide details on what the attacks are, nor did any members of the board mention the shootings in the Atlanta area that killed eight people and another mass shooting in Boulder, Colo., that killed 10 one week and one day earlier.

Zaidman said it was not his intention Tuesday to get another vote on the resolution at that meeting, but he questioned Town Manager Bob Peabodys apparent rejection that the resolution could not be renewed.

According to Roberts Rules of Order, the parliamentary procedures the Selectboard follows, renewing a motion is the only method by which to put a motion back on the table after it has been defeated.

Zaidman said that when he approached Peabody following the March 9 vote about renewing his motion to adopt the resolution, Peabody told him that he would be challenged.

Peabody said defeated motions cannot be brought up again until after the next board is sworn in so that things dont come up meeting after meeting after meeting.

Zaidman said he will not renew this motion at least for the next couple of weeks and would seek clarification.

Tworog, who voted against the resolution, said that resolutions are not typically of a controversial nature.

The usual intent is to do it on an item that the town is basically in agreement on because as soon as this type of resolution passes, it brands the town as a whole with that, he said.

Tworog said he reviewed all of the letters for public comment sent to the board and of those, 30 residents wrote in favor of the resolution and 55 wrote on the record that they were against it.

In this case, those put in writing overwhelmingly rejected the idea of doing this resolution, he said.

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Bridgton selectman wants reconsideration of Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution - pressherald.com

Another mass gun murder just happened in America, the seventh in 7 days, and already "Second Amendment legislators" are offering the 2021 version of thoughts and prayers. Lauren Boebert just tweeted, "May God be with them." Standing in front of her wall of assault weapons, most likely.

And, of course, today on rightwing talk radio and Fox News they've already begun lengthy bloviation about the Second Amendment. So, let's just clear a few things up.

The real reason the Second Amendment was ratified, and why it says "State" instead of "Country" (the Framers knew the differencesee the 10th Amendment), was to preserve the slave patrol militias in the southern states, an action necessary to get Virginia's vote to ratify the Constitution.

It had nothing whatsoever to do with making sure mass murderers could shoot up public venues and schools. Founders including Patrick Henry, George Mason, and James Madison were totally clear on that, and we all should be too.

In today's America, you have the "right" to a gun, but no "right" to healthcare or education. In every other developed country in the world, the reality is the exact opposite.

In the beginning, there were the militias. In the South they were called "slave patrols," and were regulated by the states.

In Georgia, for example, a generation before the American Revolution, laws were passed in 1755 and 1757 that required all plantation owners or their male white employees to be members of the Georgia Militia, and for those armed militia members to make monthly inspections of the quarters of all slaves in the state. The law defined which counties had which armed militias and required armed militia members to keep a keen eye out for slaves who may be planning uprisings.

As Dr. Carl T. Bogus wrote for the University of CaliforniaLaw Reviewin 1998, "The Georgia statutes required patrols, under the direction of commissioned militia officers, to examine every plantation each month and authorized them to search 'all Negro Houses for offensive Weapons and Ammunition' and to apprehend and give twenty lashes to any slave found outside plantation grounds."

It's the answer to the question raised by thecharacter played byLeonardo DiCaprio inDjango Unchainedwhen he asks, "Why don't they just rise up and kill the whites?" It was a largely rhetorical question, because every southerner of the era knew the answer: Well-regulated militias kept enslaved people in chains.

Sally E. Haden, in her brilliant and essentialbookSlave Patrols: Law and Violence in Virginia and the Carolinas, notes that, "Although eligibility for the Militia seemed all-encompassing, not every middle-aged white male Virginian or Carolinian became a slave patroller." There were exemptions so "men in critical professions" like judges, legislators and students could stay at their work. Generally, though, she documents how most southern men between ages 18 and 45including physicians and ministershad to serve on slave patrol in the militia at one time or another in their lives.

And slave rebellions were keeping the slave patrols busy.

By the time the Constitution was ratified, hundreds of substantial slave uprisings had occurred across the South. Blacks outnumbered whites in large areas, and the state militias were used to both prevent and to put down uprisings by enslaved men and women. As I detail in my book The Hidden History of Guns and the Second Amendment, slavery can only exist in a police state, which the South had become by the early 1700s, and the enforcement of that police state was the explicit job of the militias.

Southerners worried that if the anti-slavery folks in the North could figure out a way to disbandor even move out of the statethose southern militias, the police state of the South would collapse. And, similarly, if the North were to invite into military service enslaved men from the South, then they could be emancipated, which would collapse the institution of slavery, along with the southern economic and social "ways of life."

These two possibilities worried southerners like slaveholder James Monroe, George Mason (who owned over 300 enslaved humans) and the southern Christian evangelical, Patrick "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death" Henry (Virginia's largest slaveholder).

Their main concern was that Article 1, Section 8 of the newly-proposed Constitution, which gave the federal government the power to raise and supervise an army, could also allow that federal army to subsume their state militias and change them from slavery-enforcing institutions into something that could even, one day, free their enslaved men, women and children.

This was not an imagined threat. Famously, 12 years earlier, during the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, Lord Dunsmore offered freedom to slaves who could escape and join his forces. "Liberty to Slaves" was stitched onto their jacket pocket flaps. During the War, British General Henry Clinton extended the practice in 1779. And numerous freed slaves served in General Washington's army.

Thus, southern legislators and plantation owners lived not just in fear of their own slaves rebelling, but also in fear that their slaves could be emancipated through the newly-forming United States offering them military service.

At the ratifying convention in Virginia in 1788, Henry laid it out:

"Let me here call your attention to that part [Article 1, Section 8 of the proposed Constitution] which gives the Congress power to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States. . . .

"By this, sir, you see that their control over our last and best defence is unlimited. If they neglect or refuse to discipline or arm our militia, they will be useless: the states can do neither this power being exclusively given to Congress. The power of appointing officers over men not disciplined or armed is ridiculous; so that this pretended little remains of power left to the states may, at the pleasure of Congress, be rendered nugatory."

George Mason expressed a similar fear:

"The militia may be here destroyed by that method which has been practised in other parts of the world before; that is, by rendering them useless, by disarming them. Under various pretences, Congress may neglect to provide for arming and disciplining the militia; and the state governments cannot do it, for Congress has an exclusive right to arm them [under this proposed Constitution]"

Henry then bluntly laid it out:

"If the country be invaded, a state may go to war, but cannot suppress [slave] insurrections [under this new Constitution]. If there should happen an insurrection of slaves, the country cannot be said to be invaded. They cannot, therefore, suppress it without the interposition of Congress . . . . Congress, and Congress only [under this new Constitution], can call forth the militia."

And why was that such a concern forPatrick Henry?

"In this state," he said, "there are 236,000 Blacks, and there are many in several other states. But there are few or none in the Northern States. May Congress not say, that every Black man must fight? Did we not see a little of this last war? We were not so hard pushed as to make emancipation general; but acts of Assembly passed that every slave who would go to the army should be free."

Patrick Henry was also convinced that the power over the various state militias given the federal government in the new Constitution could be used to strip the slave states of their slave-patrol militias. He knew the majority attitude in the North opposed slavery, and he worried they'd use the new Constitution they were then debating ratifying to free the South's slaves (a process then called "Manumission").

The abolitionists would, he was certain, use that power (and, ironically, this is pretty much what Abraham Lincoln ended up doing):

"[T]hey will search that paper [the Constitution], and see if they have power of manumission," said Henry."And have they not, sir? Have they not power to provide for the 'general defence and welfare'? May they not think that these call for the abolition of slavery? May they not pronounce all slaves free, and will they not be warranted by that power?

"This is no ambiguous implication or logical deduction. The paper [the Constitution] speaks to the point: they have the power in clear, unequivocal terms, and will clearly and certainly exercise it."

He added: "This is a local [Southern] matter, and I can see no propriety in subjecting it to Congress."

James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution" and a slaveholder himself, basically called Patrick Henry paranoid.

"I was struck with surprise,"Madison said, "when I heard him express himself alarmed with respect to the emancipation of slaves. . . . There is no power to warrant it, in that paper [the Constitution]. If there be, I know it not."

But the southern slavemasters' fears wouldn't go away.

Patrick Henry even argued that southerner's "property" (enslaved humans) would be lost under the new Constitution, and the resulting slave uprising would be less than peaceful or tranquil:

"In this situation," Henry said to Madison, "I see a great deal of the property of the people of Virginia in jeopardy, and their peace and tranquility gone."

So Madison, who had (at Jefferson's insistence) already begun to prepare proposed amendments to the Constitution, changed his first draft of one that addressed the militia issue to make sure it was unambiguous that the southern states could maintain their slave patrol militias.

His first draft for what became the Second Amendment had said: "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed, and well regulated militia being the best security of a freecountry[emphasis mine]: but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service in person."

But Henry, Mason and others wanted southern states to preserve their slave-patrol militias independent of the federal government. So Madison changed the word "country" to the word "state," and redrafted the Second Amendment into today's form:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a freeState[emphasis mine], the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Little did Madison realize that one day in the future weapons-manufacturing corporationswould use his slave patrol militia amendment to protect their "right" to manufacture and sell assault weapons used to murder people in schools, theaters and stores, and use the profits to own their own political party.

In today's America, you have the "right" to a gun, but no "right" to healthcare or education. In every other developed country in the world, the reality is the exact opposite.

Pointing out how ludicrous this has become, David Sirota (and colleagues) writes in his Daily Poster newsletter today: "Last week, the National Rifle Association publicly celebrated its success in striking down an assault weapons ban in Boulder, Colorado. Five days later, Boulder was the scene of a mass shooting, reportedly with the same kind of weapon that the city tried to ban."

The Second Amendment was never meant to make it easier for mass shooters to get assault weapons, and America needs rational gun policy to join the other civilized nations of this planet who aren't the victims of daily mass killings.

It's long past time to overturn Heller, which Ruth Bader Ginsberg repeatedly argued the Court should do, and abolish today's bizarre interpretation of the 2nd Amendment.

This post originally appeared at hartmannreport.com, but is published here with permission of the author.

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Boulder: Is it Time to End the Second Amendment? - Common Dreams

Caribou City Council narrowly voted in favor of becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary city on March 22. The resolution sends the message that the city is opposed to any unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms for its residents.

CARIBOU, Maine Caribou City Council narrowly voted in favor of becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary city on March 22. The resolution sends the message that the city is opposed to any unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms for its residents.

Caribou is now the third municipality in Aroostook County and the fourth in Maine to become a Second Amendment sanctuary city. Fort Fairfield was the first in The County, making the declaration on Jan. 20, and Van Buren did the same on March 2. Paris passed its resolution in 2019. And while the other two Aroostook towns passed the resolution unanimously, Caribous city council was split on the matter.

The topic was first brought to the council on March 8. Mayor Jody Smith said Deputy Mayor Thomas Ayer suggested putting the item on the agenda for councils consideration, and that he supported the resolution.

Four of the seven councilors expressed support for the resolution during the first read. Ayer and councilor Doug Morrell in particular explained their position during this meeting.

What were saying is, when it comes to the grand scheme of things, coming in and taking our firearms, any sort of magazine restriction were saying you cant do it, Ayer said in early March.

Morrell, during this meeting, said he was 150 percent behind the resolution, adding that stopping gun crimes is just as futile as the war on drugs.

Its not going to stop the criminals, he said, never has and never was. And what would I put up against that as proof? Look at the drug battle. We spent billions with a B and havent made a dent in it. The road to Hells paved in good intentions, but taking away somebodys right? I cant see that happening. I think thats one of the catalysts for the whole country to go in a very rough spot if they attempt to do that.

The remaining three councilors Joan Therieault, Lou Willey and Courtney Boma asked for more time to look into the matter before making a formal vote.

And when the matter was taken up again on March 22, Theriault, Willey, and Boma expressed opposition while the other councilors voted in favor but did not make any additional comments on the matter.

Theriault said that while she has no problem with the Second Amendment, she opposed the resolution.

This is a big declaration, and for seven people to make that decision for 7,000-plus in the community, I dont think we should be doing this, she said.

Theriault said the decision should be made by the will of the people, one way or the other.

I think its sending the wrong message, perhaps, that if you dont like a specific law that mightve been passed or whatever, that youre going to deem it unconstitutional and youre not going to obey those laws, Theriault said. And actually its the [U.S.] Supreme Court that can decide whats unconstitutional.

Councilor Doug Morrell, who voted in favor of the motion, suggested that the council at a future meeting make Caribou a sanctuary city for the whole constitution.

Willey agreed with Morrells sentiment, but said it may be a superfluous gesture as councilors already swear to uphold the constitution. She added that she was opposed to the Second Amendment sanctuary resolution as it would likely not have any real impact.

Its probably not worth the paper youre signing it on, she said. When the government and state decide to change laws, theyre not going to say Oh, everyone but Caribou. Theyre going to change the laws and were going to have to abide by them like everyone else.

Willey said shes discussed this resolution with residents and that it has left many feeling angry, frightened and disappointed.

One person told her that the city might as well advertise bringing guns into Caribou on their welcome sign, and another woman in her 90s told Willey the resolution scared her.

I know you guys wont agree, but I just feel this degrades our city, she said. Caribou has always been, I cant say polished, but weve always been a proud community, and this is like bringing us down a level.

Boma said she has also received several messages and emails from community members who are opposed to the resolution.

I think Doug might have a good point if we look at this as more of a constitutional declaration, that might be one thing, but I think really honing in on this as a gun sanctuary is just not a good idea for our community, Boma said. I think this does send the wrong message to people who might be considering coming to this community, not just to the people who already live here, so I dont support it either.

Councilors Theriault, Willey, and Boma were opposed to the motion while Thomas Ayer, Morrell, and Mark Goughan voted in favor. Mayor Jody Smith broke the tie by voting in favor of the resolution.

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Caribou narrowly becomes Aroostook's third Second Amendment sanctuary city - The County

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Westmoreland County commissioners will approve a resolution to support gun rights this week.

Republican commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew, along with Democrat Gina Cerilli Thrasher, said they will declare Westmoreland a Second Amendment County, a move they concede has no teeth but shows support for gun owners.

There are bills seeking to take away our Second Amendment rights in the Legislature, and we want to work with our local law enforcement agencies, our sheriff, to protect our Second Amendment rights, Kertes said We want to protect our ability to own rifles and high-capacity magazines.

Commissioners did not disclose the text of the resolution they will consider at their meeting Thursday but said it is based on a similar resolution approved this month in Washington County. That resolution, according to Washington County commissioners, would enable nonenforcement of gun control laws prohibiting ownership of certain weapons if officials believe the law to be unconstitutional.

Kertes said Westmorelands proposed resolution will carry no specific policy directives.

Our powers are limited, but we want the public to know we are standing with them, Kertes said.

Thrasher called the resolution silly but said she will vote for its passage.

I am pro-Second Amendment, but I dont really understand the purpose of this resolution. We dont have any jurisdiction over the United States Constitution and the Second Amendment, Thrasher said.

In addition to Washington, commissioners in Greene and Fayette counties approved similar resolutions, and Westmorelands leaders said Thursdays vote is part of an effort to unify the region in support of gun rights.

Josh Fleitman, the Western Pennsylvania manager for the gun-control advocacy group Ceasefire PA, said resolutions such as the one under consideration in Westmoreland are unenforceable.

It does nothing to make the county safer and, in fact, makes counties less safe and creates confusion about how and when gun laws will be enforced, Fleitman said. Its kind a solution in search of a problem.

Chew said he will support the Second Amendment resolution, which he described as no different than other proclamations on key issues.

We are limited in jurisdiction, but governments all over pass resolutions in favor of key issues, Chew said. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania sends out resolutions they suggest we adopt annually. This isnt one sent by CCAP, but its the same: our support for the full Second Amendment rights granted in both the commonwealth and federal constitutions.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293, rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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