Waiting to Exhale

Well it's happened friends. The Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments in regards to the Washington DC gun ban. The lower court found that the city's outright ban of handguns was unconstitutional. Up until this point liberals have used the notion that the Second Amendment only guaranteed the right of the states to maintain a national guard force as an excuse to impede our right to keep and bear arms. Of course nothing could be further from the proper interpretation of the text of the Second Amendment. Anyone with even a modicum of common sense would question why the founding fathers would toss something detailing the rights of the states right in the middle of the bill of rights, especially considering their own outspoken feelings on the subject. Common Folk Using Common Sense has a nice sampler of statements from the framers of the second amendment:

Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall be debarred the use of arms.” Patrick Henry said, “The great object is, that every man be armed.” Richard Henry Lee wrote, “To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms.” Thomas Paine noted, “[A]rms . . . discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property.”

Prominent Federalist Tench Coxe asked, “Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves?. . . Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right 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.”

The reason I selected the name for this article that I have is because we now sit on pins and needles. This is the first serious consideration of the meaning of the second amendment. This is the first real test of of what I call George Bush's real legacy; his supreme court appointees. Will these men have the courage to provide us with a ruling in line with the true and intended meaning of the amendment? Only time will tell.

If they come down with an appropriate ruling, the flood gates will be opened and one law after another can be properly challenged and adjudicated in accordance with that proper court finding. If we are fortunate and these are men of courage, we will still not be free from danger. Unfortunately, the liberals are persistant and will find other routes to disarm us.

On the other hand, if Bush's appointees lack the moral fiber to find this case in the favor of the people, the gun grabbers will be unstoppable. The draconian confescations will follow very shortly thereafter. I'm afraid that the domestic peace and tranquility that we have enjoyed in this country since the end of the Civil War will come to a jarringly abrupt end. There are far too many people who fear that unimpeded, the government's advance on their rights would be relentless. We're talking about rights beyond the right to keep and bear arms.