Posted on 04/01/2011 6:39:19 AM PDT by Slump Tester
The Supreme Court's landmark 2008 ruling, DC v. Heller, either confirmed or created the individual right to bear arms from the text of the Second Amendment, of which two versions were ratified by various states:
1.A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
2.A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
There had long been debate as to whether "People" referred to individual people, what types of arms one can bear, and whether one must actually be in a militia. But, the Supremes have settled this matter, proclaiming that people have an individual right to handguns and rifles without membership in any militia. We are still waiting to hear whether the Second Amendment applies only to the federal government, or whether states are also prohibited from infringing upon the right to bear arms (McDonald v. Chicago), and whether individuals have a right to weapons of mass destruction (no court case pending, yet).
Victimization Of The Homeless
The homeless are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and some have even characterized the level of violence against them as an epidemic. According to one study, from 1999 to 2008, there were 244 recorded murders of the homeless.
Handguns for the Homeless
Given that the safest and most secure way to self-defense is to arm yourself, surely these homeless people should be exercising their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Alas, guns are expensive, and the homeless can often not afford them.
And so, handguns should be provided for them, through private charity.
Most of the homeless do not have convictions that would bar them from gun ownership, nor have they been legally certified as dangerous to themselves or others. They have as much a right to a handgun as any landowner or renter.
According to one study, from 1999 to 2008, there were 244 recorded murders of the homeless.Who is committing all these murders? Is this homeless-on-homeless crime? Ghetto gangs having fun? Other?
Whoa there, slump tester (a civil engineer maybe?);
If you are suggesting that providing “the people” a firearm is a debt owed to these homeless persons, I must disagree. While they may indeed have the “right” to a firearm, the are not owed one by anybody, privately or collectively.
Your suggestion will be quickly decried as either a statist taxpayer requirement or a silly ridiculous notiopn.
Why stop there? Why not declare that the homeless have a right to a house, and car a job and family and....
Not sure where you intended your statement to lead...
Homeless or any other non-prohibited (under current law)persons have equal right and equal opportunity to arm themselves or feed themselves or care for themselves, often, they chose not to...
As the Lord stated “you will always the poor”. Democrats nothwithstanding.
God Bless.
1 posted on Friday, April 01, 2011 6:39:23 AM by Slump Tester
Another advantage to your proposal is: if they had guns, the homeless could hunt for food. Give a man a hamburger, feed him for a day, give a man a varmint gun, feed him for a lifetime!
Wow.
I like it-Natural Selection!
Darn. I’m jealous. I can’t afford a MAC-10.
Setting aside the whole “owed” silliness, current D.C. gun laws state that a person must keep his/her gun in the home, thereby prevneting the homeless from ever having a safe haven. [As a CCW holder in a nieghboring jurisdiction, I won’t to into the issues of traveling in the area.]
Another case to take to court?
Try telling a homeless person that his box or tent isn't home!
I'll bet you'd think twice about that if you knew he was strapped.
“..., current D.C. gun laws state that a person must keep his/her gun in the home, thereby prevneting the homeless from ever having a safe haven.”
If He (or She) sleep in the park, then is the park there home?
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