🚀 go-pugleaf

strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:

>Michael T. Palmer argues that owning guns is a right guaranteed by the
>Constitution which the State has no right to intervene in.

>He is mistaken, and the argument itself is a tired piece of NRA propaganda.
>A careful reading of the Constitution, as well as the interpretation of
>many Constitutional scholars and the courts is that the relevant provision
>is a Militia clause, not an individual gun clause. NRA types always
>omit the Militia part of the language of the Constitution, and quote
>the second part "the right to keep and bear arms" completely out of
>context, often concealing their shoddy rhetoric by capitalizing the
>leading "the" in the phrase to conceal that lead-in material has
>been suppressed.

Wrongo, dude.  You and I are the militia, according to federal law.  That's
why the Director for Civilian Marksmanship is funded by Congress.  "NRA-
types" do NOT conceal the first part of the ammendment... it is crucial to
understanding the intent.

Now, perhaps you believe Parade magazine and other constitutional "scholars"
that the militia is really the Army.  I suggest you read the Constitution
again.  The language used is very important.  Whenever the army or navy or
other land forces are referenced, they are NEVER referred to as the "militia."
Please... actually READ the thing.

And it is NOT the interpretation of the courts that the 2nd ammendment
refers to the national guard or anything.  I suggest you find "The
Embarrasing Second Ammendment," which was published in the Yale Law
Review.  The author set out to prove just what you said, that the 2nd
did not, in fact, guarrantee individuals the right to bear arms.  But in
his research, he found just the opposite was true.  I don't have the
issue and date handy, but I'll find it for you if you're interested.

Tsk, tsk.  "Shoddy rhetoric."  "Tired piece of NRA propaganda."  Whenever
you don't have a case, just try to yell louder than the other guy, right?

-- 
Michael T. Palmer, M/S 152, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681
Voice: 804-864-2044,   FAX: 804-864-7793,   Email: m.t.palmer@larc.nasa.gov
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