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It turns out, nation's founders got it right
Albany Times Union ^ | November 4, 2007 | CARL KOCHERSBERGER

Posted on 11/05/2007 10:05:28 AM PST by neverdem

November 4, 2007

An Oct. 26 letter writer suggested limiting the Second Amendment to 18th-century firearms. What an interesting idea.

I'm sure she would also be in favor of limiting free speech to 18th-century forms of communication, and she certainly must oppose the requirement for agents of the government to obtain warrants in order to listen in on telephone conversations or intercept other forms of electronic correspondence.

After all, the telegraph was not invented until the 1840s, more than 50 years after the Fourth Amendment was written.

Certainly, our Founding Fathers wouldn't be so "daft," as the writer suggests, to have given us the First and Fourth Amendments if they could have foreseen the advent of the World Wide Web and the BlackBerry.

Our Founding Fathers, however, were not daft. They had experienced life under an oppressive government and they understood quite well that in order for a people to be truly free, they need a variety of protections, including free speech, the ability to redress grievances (I'd like to ask our founding fathers about McCain-Feingold), freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and the ability to defend themselves against tyrants, both foreign and domestic.

Why not have one standard of interpretation for the entire Bill of Rights? Additionally, let's not be in such a hurry to give up our rights, even those we may not be particularly interested in exercising.

As Benjamin Franklin so eloquently said, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

CARL KOCHERSBERGER

Kinderhook


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; banglist; billofrights; bor; secondamendment
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When our political elites treat the rest of us with obvious contempt, it is such a joy to read a letter to the editor with such obvious common sense from a peon.
1 posted on 11/05/2007 10:05:31 AM PST by neverdem
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To: neverdem

OK, I laughed when another Freeper told me the left was making this argument. I guess I was wrong to laugh.


2 posted on 11/05/2007 10:12:38 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: neverdem

Well said Carl.


3 posted on 11/05/2007 10:33:40 AM PST by RJL
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To: CharlesWayneCT
OK, I laughed when another Freeper told me the left was making this argument.

TMTC is an abbreeviation from microbiology meaning Too Many To Count when viewing microorganisms under a microscope. I've heard the argument that the Founding Fathers would never have considered the Second Amendment in the context of modern firearms TMTC.

4 posted on 11/05/2007 10:35:39 AM PST by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
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To: neverdem

How many of these morons fail to grasp that the LC expedition was packing a rifle that had a 20+ round capability and those lead balls coming out of said rifle had ballistics similar to a .45ACP round??

Yes buy a gun grabbers own terms, Lewis and Clarke had an assault rifle!

If that was the case, free speech would be limited to 18th century printing presses...


5 posted on 11/05/2007 10:39:55 AM PST by MD_Willington_1976
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To: neverdem

Below is from George Washington’s Farewell Address!

Warns against the party system.
“It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration....
agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one....
against another....
it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption...
thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”

Stresses the importance of religion and morality.
“Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths,
which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice?”

On stable public credit.
“...cherish public credit.
One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible...
avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt....
it is essential that you...bear in mind, that towards the payments of debts there must be Revenue,
that to have Revenue there must be taxes;
that no taxes can be devised, which are not...inconvenient and unpleasant...”

Warns against permanent foreign alliances.
“It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world...”


6 posted on 11/05/2007 10:49:54 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)
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To: MD_Willington_1976

http://www.beemans.net/lewis%20assault%20rifle.htm

The above URL is, New Evidence Points to the Lewis and Clark Air Rifle – an “Assault Rifle” of 1803.


7 posted on 11/05/2007 11:00:20 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

Exactly...

I actually live 20 minutes from a couple towns named for these guys, Lewiston Idaho, & Clarkston WA... my FFL dealers are there ... LOL


8 posted on 11/05/2007 11:06:01 AM PST by MD_Willington_1976
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To: neverdem

She must’ve been the typical idiot commie female from around my town.


9 posted on 11/05/2007 11:10:19 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue.)
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To: MD_Willington_1976

http://www.horstheld.com/default.htm

Antique Handguns Horst Held
interested in collectible small arms: derringer, pistol, revolver, engraved, cased, odd system,
early self-loading = semi-automatic,
self-employed since 1965

Have you seen my favorite handgun porn site.

I drool over some of them.


10 posted on 11/05/2007 11:18:01 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

Nice, the oldest I had was a .22 breakdown lever rifle made in 1905, unfortunately it stayed in Canada when I moved to the USA, it was given to a collector.


11 posted on 11/05/2007 12:05:12 PM PST by MD_Willington_1976
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To: neverdem; Joe Brower; archy; Eaker; Squantos; Lurker
Guns were MORE deadly, not less, in the 1780s, given the relative state of medical treatment available.

Any limb wound was an amputation, with a 50-50 chance of survival. Any torso wound that didn't kill immediately meant slow, lingering, agonizing death.

And there were even "high capacity assault weapons" back then, such as this blunderbuss, which could launch dozens of lead balls or rusty nails with one pull of the trigger.

Note the flared muzzle, for faster reloading.


12 posted on 11/05/2007 2:18:58 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: neverdem
The left has used this argument before. The way to hit them back is to ask them if they believe the constitution is a "living" document, if they say yes, which most of them do, then ask them why that "living" document part doesn't extend to the 2nd amendment. They always start to sputter and stammer, they can't have it both ways and we need to point out this fact to them.

I, for one, don't believe it is a living document but a document that was written with specific aims and insights into the workings of government and tyrants in particular. I believe in the 2nd amendment and I refuse to let a bunch of left wing idiots deprive me of my God given rights.

They double standard when it comes to the constitution is typical of all communists thinking. Freedom of speech until it interferes with their ideas, freedom of the press as long as it is their press, freedom to own a firearm as long as it is for them and not the masses.

Wonderful people these socialists./Sar

13 posted on 11/05/2007 4:26:54 PM PST by calex59
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To: neverdem; Travis McGee; hiredhand; sit-rep; Larry Lucido; Jeff Head; Lurker; glock rocks

Old ways are good ways......the socialist seditious crap passing for intellect these days in the forms of polidiots, teachers , community leaders and presstitutes would not like the “old ways” of the old days ..........:o)

We go back .....we go back all the way. Where did I put that rope .......

Stay safe !


14 posted on 11/05/2007 4:54:44 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Travis McGee; Squantos

I hear those musket balls ranged from .50 to .75 calibre. Weapons of choice of terrorists, or so I’m told.


15 posted on 11/05/2007 5:01:17 PM PST by Larry Lucido (Hunter 2008)
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To: Larry Lucido; archy

Two little Howdah pistol’s loaded with humane buckshot will be my chl rig when they pass this new and improved law......:o)

http://www.kapszli.hu/image/forum/16548_1.jpg


16 posted on 11/05/2007 5:48:58 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

Agree......if I could have one custom made perfect replica of older firearms it would be a pristine clone of a Lemat......2 of those on a cavalryman’s belt and 2 or more on the pommels of his saddle just held a heck of a lot of firepower for that era and it was just one very neat firearm IMHO......

Great site BTW.....Thanks for sharing !!

Stay safe !


17 posted on 11/05/2007 5:57:07 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Squantos

As far as ‘old ways’ go, I wonder what they would think of their neighbors having a couple of 6 pounders loaded with grape shot emplaced around their blockhouse, and a swivel gun or two mounted on their sport-utility buggy?


18 posted on 11/05/2007 6:00:13 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Al Gore says, "Buy heat pumps...they globally cool OR warm, as needed!")
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To: ApplegateRanch

That was my first thought as well.....started to comment as to a 12 pounder with grape shot........:o)

Good points !.......LOL !

Stay safe !


19 posted on 11/05/2007 6:04:05 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Squantos

http://www.navyarms.com/html/le_mat_rev.html

NAVY Arms have 3 versions of the LeMat
ARMY MODEL LE MAT®
Features knurled pin barrel release and cross pin barrel selector.
Mod. No. LMT100 - $895.00

NAVY MODEL LE MAT®
Features knurled pin barrel release and spur barrel selector.
Mod. No. LMT101 - $895.00

CAVALRY MODEL LE MAT®
General J.E.B. Stuart’s sidearm. Features a lanyard ring, spur trigger guard, lever type barrel release and cross pin barrel selector.
Mod. No. LMT102 - $895.00


20 posted on 11/05/2007 6:06:56 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)
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