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Originally Posted by Aramike
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Originally Posted by August
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Originally Posted by Aramike
The "cornerstone" of our nation is the fundamental freedom we receive from God (by God, I mean bestowed not by man) - not the means of securing nor defending said freedom.
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But the right to self defense is about as fundamental as it gets. |
That's true, but remember: the 2nd Amendment says nothing about self-defense. Also, regardless of gun ownership, one has a right to defend oneself. The means of doing so is in question. And, to my great disdain, many states include a "duty to retreat" rather than the "castle rule". Unfortunately, the Constitution doesn't include rights of self-defense.
But more importantly, being allowed to defend oneself isn't the principle this nation was founded upon, or even the purpose of its founding.
Don't get me wrong - the right to bear arms is unequivocally important. But I don't believe it is our nation's cornerstone. Perhaps I'm quibbling over semantics, but I believe the 1st Amendment is just that powerful.
PS: Just noticed I'd been spelling "amendment" with two m's. We need to go back to Roosevelt's "simpul speling". |
Well you're right Mike, it is semantics. But I for one refuse to order my constitutional rights by their "cornerstoneness". They are all equally vital and all worth defending to the last drop of our blood if necessary.