Scholars Debate Second Amendment to US Constitution
VOA News
July 23, 2012
For many Americans, the most meaningful part of the U.S. Constitution is the Bill of Rights. These 10 amendments were written to protect individual Americans from tyrannical rule. Like the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and worship, the Second Amendment — proclaiming the right to bear arms — has often been at the center of debate. But in the wake of last week’s mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater that claimed 12 lives, there have been relatively few calls for increased gun control in the United States. Many scholars point to the importance of firearms in American history as the reason.
When America’s Founding Fathers added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in 1791, they wanted to protect individuals from potentially dangerous central and state governments.
Most scholars say the Constitution might not have been ratified had Americans not been assured that 10 special amendments would be added to check the power of the government and to guarantee individual liberties.
Many early Americans feared the tyranny that a standing army might impose, so they wanted to keep military power under civilian control by allowing private citizens to keep arms.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Continue reading
NRA-ILA Seeking Nominations for 2011 Volunteer Awards
Do you know a person or volunteer organization that really fights for our Second Amendment rights? Here is your opportunity to allow them to be recognized for their efforts with the NRA-ILA “Jay M. Littlefield Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award” or the “NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the Year Award.”
The Littlefield award is an annual honor that recognizes an NRA member who demonstrates exceptionally meritorious activism in defense of our Second Amendment rights while the Volunteer Organization award is given to a group that really shines in defending and promoting our gun rights over the past year.
If you know a person or organization who fits this bill, you can submit your nominations by mail to:
NRA-ILA Volunteer Awards
c/o Miranda Bond
NRA-ILA Grassroots Division
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA, 22030
by fax to Miranda at (703) 267-3918 or by email to mbond@nrahq.org.
Nominations must be submitted by current NRA members and be accompanied by a one-page description of why the nominee is deserving, based on his or her 2011 activities in defense of Second Amendment rights and must be received on or before July 13, 2012. Winners will be selected by NRA-ILA staff and will be acknowledged at this Fall’s NRA Board of Directors Meeting.
Looking for National Gun Rights Organizations? You Have Options.
A while back, a member of the GunLink Forums posted a message asking about pro-gun organizations that might not be quite as well known as others. There are a number of national gun rights organizations which, for various reasons, some gun owners feel contempt for. Whether it is because they feel that these organizations have made too many compromises with anti-gun politicians, don’t get enough done, send too much junk mail, ask for too much money or for other reasons, these gun owners are left with a bad taste in their mouth and a feeling that they don’t have anyone on their side who can get anything done for gun rights.
There is hope, however. There are numerous national organizations fighting for our second amendment rights and many, many smaller regional or local organizations fighting on a grassroots level. No matter what your personal feelings are about a particular organization, there is almost certainly one out there with which you can align yourself. Throwing your hands up in frustration and walking away from the fight is exactly what anti-gunners want you to do and it will allow our rights to be trampled on even more than they already have been.
Take a look at these national gun rights organizations and see what they have to offer: Continue reading
The global hatred for our Second Amendment
by Kirby Ferris
NOTE: This article is by JPFO contributor Kirby Ferris, who is not associated with the GunLink.info website.
© Copyright 2012 JPFO
Nothing raises the hackles of dictators, tyrants, and oligarchs more than the idea of a substantially armed citizenry. Disarming present or potential opposition has been the fundamental game plan of murderous rulers since Ancient Egypt and Rome.
From the more complex mass murderers like Adolf Hitler, and Mao, to tin pot lunatics like Idi Amin, the key to seizing power, and then maintaining it, has always been a disarmed opposition.
It is sadly ironic that the Founders of this nation had a better grasp of the concept “never again” than most modern Continue reading
