I have a great deal of apprehension over any Supreme Court decisison right now.
For instance, the liberals are enjoying a good old time at the militia's expense. I was googling terms a few days ago and ran across nothing, except anti - militia links. Among the more prevalent were links which made the militia look as if it were a criminal enterprise.
This is accomplished by claiming that today's militias are "private armies" with self appointed leadership and the fabricated claim that only state governments can authorize a non - federal militia. Of course that flies in the face of the following historical quotes:
"Whereas civil-rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as military forces, which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms."
-- Tench Coxe, in Remarks on the First Part of the Amendments to the Federal Constitution
"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed."
-- Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-188
If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual State. In a single State, if the persons entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.
-- Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 28
Be that as it may, in recent years the people have petitioned the government to use their power to keep the people safe from their own actions. One area of legislation related to that is public safety.
Had I known years ago that supporting Georgians Against Public Smoking (GASP) would have led to precedents that gave the government the power over public safety... and that such power would come at the cost of gun control, I might myself be a smoker today.
I have written many times of the correlation between gun control and the laws purportedly passed to protect us from ourselves with respect to the immigration issues. You may want to reread my thread on the Last Illegal Immigration Thread in Patriot Central here.
Finally, we have to admit that we no longer live in a constitutional republic but, rather a Federal - Legislative Democracy owned and governed by a few multi - national corporations. We will have to deal with the fact that the government is not guaranteeing us that republican form of government as per Article 4 Section 4 of the Constitution.
I can leave you with this historical tidbit:
"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American...[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people."
--Tenche Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788. |
