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First of all, the Supreme Court has ruled that everywhere the Constitution says, "The People" it is talking about all the people, no exceptions. The 2nd Amendment guarantees the right of "The People" to keep and bear arms. That means all of us; you, me, Dick Cheney, everyone.
Your claim about the 2nd Amendment being about putting down slave rebellions does not fit the historical facts. Massachusetts — which never allowed slavery — introduced the 2nd Amendment. Why did they do that?
One of the ways the British Empire oppressed its subjects was a monopoly on violence. Soldiers, being agents of the King, could bear arms; citizens could not. The Founders realized that a country needed soldiers to defend itself — especially the US of A, which was under attack from Britain until 1812.
In order to prevent the US from forming a Samurai class, they made it a Constitutional provision that all citizens were allowed to keep and bear arms. Therefore, the soldiers could keep and bear arms not because they were soldiers, but because they were citizens.
If you look at the Third Amendment in this context, you can see why they enumerated that right as well.
The Second Amendment says that the army is a civilian organization, answerable to the people and comprised of the people. Do you have a problem with that?
by The Red Pen on Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 04:38:52 PM PDT
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