[tahiti]

Redleg Duke, you state,

"They seem to think that possession or and use of a car is a God-given right. When I patiently explain to them that it is a priviledge..."

Then you go on to state, ...and that gun ownership is a right affirmed by the US Constitution."

Substitute "enumeration" for "affirmed," and consider the following:

AMENDMENT IX

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

You also have a "right affirmed by the Constitution" to drive a privately owned automobile, as well.

Contrary to a common misuderstanding, driving a privately owned automobile, especially on public roads, is a right, retained by the people, that shall not be denied or disparaged because it is not "named" in the constitution.

The authors of the Constitution were extremely worried that future generations would limit "rights" to only those "enumerated" (named) in the Constitution.

Thus, they inserted the 9th amendment into the Bill of Rights.

Many authors of the Constitution thought that the Bill of Rights were redundant. That there was no need for the Bill of Rights because governments do not grant rights. The list of rights retained by the people is much too extensive to name all of them and no where in Article I through Article VI was the power granted to goverment to deny or disparage rights.

You have just made the exact error of declaring a right a privilege, just because it was not enumerated in the Constitution, that some of the authors of the Constitution had feared.

You have played right into the liberals favorite retort for denying and disparaging your rights, "compelling state interest," because you are willing to concede driving a privately owned automobile, on roads, financed by your taxes, as not a right.

It is too bad that the 9th amendment has been relegated to obscurity by the liberals and not resurrected by the conservatives.

I am hoping that since your are a member of this forum, Freerepublic.com, that you will now revised your thought process, to accept the power of the 9th amendment and reject the socialist notion that "rights" are only those that are enumerated.

[MosesKnows]

I had taken this post in a bit lighter vein but I applaud your observation. I have not taken a position yet because I want to give it more thought. However, I feel it is worth spending the time to think about it.

[Redleg Duke]

Naw, I'll just stay socialist. Funny, I never realized I was socialist until you pointed it out. All this time I thought I was a conservative who believed in the Representative Republic as defined by the US Constitution. I guess I need to be grateful to you brownies and brigadeers to point out the error of my ways!

After listening to your pompus tirade, I guess I had better register as a Democrat and start multiple votes for Democrats. That is kinda neat! If you are a Republican, you can only vote once and only in the district of residency, but if you are a Democrat, you can vote as often as you like and anywhere you like, particularly if you are a minority or an illegal alien!

Thanks ever so much, tahiti! What a stunning civic service you brownies and brigadeers provide!