Posted on 01/13/2013 2:33:11 AM PST by Evil Slayer
When the Supreme Court, or any other court for that matter, makes a ruling in a case they first look for precedent, in other words to see if there has been a court decision rendered on the same subject in the past and usually defer to the old decision in ruling on the case.
The greatest teacher in life is experience; it only takes one time of burning your fingers on a hot stove to know that you never want to touch another one.
The next greatest teacher is observation, paying attention to someone else's experiences and profiting from their wins and losses, trials and errors.
In my generation I have seen the rise and fall of fascism, communism, different experiments in socialism and the kind of downright social and fiscal foolishness that leads to what has recently happened in Greece.
There is an old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
There is at this time a huge debate in our nation about the private ownership of firearms. The president and the anti-gun crowd claim they do not want to do away with private ownership, that they only want to modify the existing laws having to do with assault weapons -which can be construed as anything in your gun cabinet of any heavy caliber - and clips for semiautomatic weapons holding more than 10 bullets.
I submit to you that what is going on here is the first assault on private gun ownership
They will take what ever they can get now and continue to chip away until all you can legally own to protect your family with is a baseball bat.
Did you know that one of the major reasons the Japanese did not attempt to land troops on the American
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
The nice thing about "select-fire" rifles is that one need not trust to an "armory" to store one's arms. One's machinegun is just a selector switch click away. If one needs only semi-auto fire, then select THAT.
Storing community owned weapons in a common location is just exactly what motivated the government to move on Lexington and Concord. We should learn from history and not repeat its mistakes.
Whoever has the keys to the armory is fully armed. Whoever doesn't have the keys, is, at least partially, disarmed.
Good point. But I was only speaking of armory weapons, which I'd define as explosives-projector and crew-served weapons such as mortars and HMG's.
One's personal weapons, whether a brace of flintlock pistols running all the way up a broad leather sash (a la Edward Teach) or a modern Uzi, would, of course, be the citizen's business.
Congress could attempt, still, to interfere in citizens' attempts to arm themselves, by using its Article I power to prescribe the armament of the Militia. If they say single-shot caplocks only, then that's a problem for the People.
No. Nor was it the National Firearms Act of 1934, nor was it the Sullivan Act of 1911 ... Gun control, as an evil act of repression, was invented in the 1800s. Weapons control laws predate guns ... and have ALWAYS bee designed to give government oppressors an advantage over the oppressed population.
This is what the Constitution says:
"To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, ..."
"To provide for arming the Militia" is not synonymous with "disarming the People". The federal government can provide all the weapons that it wants. It lacks the power to deprive any law-abiding person of their weapons.
Buried on the property of Jones' Tavern were "... three massive pieces, firing 24-pound shot, that were much too heavy to use defensively, but very effective against fortifications, with sufficient range to bombard the city of Boston from other parts of nearby mainland." [From Wikipedia]
The article says that the British commander knew there were arms buried there. These three pieces were destroyed. Those that were moved elsewhere were saved.
There's very little justification for storing ANY arms in a central location, known to the government, if it is at all practical to leave the arms in trusted private hands.
"Banning guns is an idea whose time has come.", 18 November 1993, as U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, Associated Press interview
Nelson "Pete" Shields III, known as "Peter Shields"
Founder of Handgun Control, Inc., now the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
"We'll take one step at a time, and the first is necessarily ... given the political realities ... very modest. We'll have to start working again to strengthen the law, and then again to strengthen the next law and again and again. Our ultimate goal, total control of handguns, is going to take time. The first problem is to make possession of all handguns and ammunition (with a few exceptions) totally illegal.", 26 June 1976, New Yorker Magazine
" Our ultimate goal - total control of all guns- is going to take time ... The final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition - except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs and licensed gun collectors - totally illegal.", 26 July 1976, New Yorker Magazine
"We're going to have to take this one step at a time, and the first step is necessarily - given the political realities - going to be very modest. Right now, though, we'd be satisfied not with half a loaf but with a slice. Our ultimate goal- total control of handguns in the United States- is going to take time...The first problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns being produced...The second problem is to get handguns registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of handguns and all handgun ammunition- except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors- totally illegal.", 26 July 1976 New Yorker Magazine
Sarah Brady
Chairman, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, formerly Handgun Control, Inc. & Wife of James "Jim" Brady
"The House passage of our bill is a victory for this country! Common sense wins out. I'm just so thrilled and excited. The sale of guns must stop. Halfway measures are not enough.", 1 July 1988
"Our task of creating a socialist America can only succeed when those who would resist us have been totally disarmed.", January 1994, In a letter to Senator Howard Metzenbaum, The National Educator.
"We must get rid of all the guns.", September 1994, Phil Donahue Show Interview
"There is no personal right to be armed for private purposes unrelated to the service in a well regulated militia.", 6 June 1997, Richmond Times-Dispatch
"I don't believe gun owners have rights.", October 1997, "Handguns in America", Hearst Newspapers Special Report
"I believe that the interpretation of the second amendment does not necessarily give every individual the right to keep and bear arms. However, I, personally, am not against the ability for any law abiding person to keep and bear arms for legitimate purposes.", 9 February 2001, ABC News Interview
James Brady
Board Member, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, formerly Handgun Control, Inc. & Husband of Sara Brady
"It is not a loss of freedom. It's a measure to protect it.", 21 March 1991, On gun control, congressional testimony.
"I just believed that what I was doing was right. I told the NRA (National Rifle Association) I would make it my life's ambition to see you all don't exist anymore and I will do this until I put them out of business. That keeps me going when I have to deal with rude people.", 21 May 1994, Hartford Courant
"For target shooting, that's okay. Get a license and go to the range. For defense of the home, that's why we have police departments.", 26 June 1994, Parade Magazine Article
Diane Finestein
United States Senator, Liberal Democrat, California
"And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms. I'd walk to the hospital when my husband was sick. I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me.", 27 April 1995, C-Span
"Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe.", 18 November 1993, Associated Press
"If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them, 'Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them all in,' I would have done it.", 5 February 1995, CBS, 60 Minutes, Interview
Janet Reno
United States Attorney General, Clinton Administration 1993-2001 Dade County Florida State Attorney
"The most effective means of fighting crime in the United States is to outlaw the possession of any type of firearm by the civilian populace.", 1991, Speech to B'nai B'rith, Ft. Lauderdale FL Gathering
"Waiting periods are only a step. Registration is only a step. The prohibition of private firearms is the goal.", December 1993
"Gun registration is not enough.", 10 December 1993, Good Morning America Interview
Howard Metzenbaum
United States Senator, Liberal Democrat, Ohio
"I don't care about crime, I just want to get the guns.", 1993, Brady Bill Debate
Charles Schumer
United States Senator, Liberal Democrat, New York
"We're going to hammer guns on the anvil of relentless legislative strategy! We're going to beat guns into submission!", 8 December 1993, NBC Interview
Michael K. Beard
President of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
"Our goal is to not allow anybody to buy a handgun. In the meantime, we think there ought to be strict licensing and regulation. Ultimately, that may mean it would require court approval to buy a handgun.", 6 December 1993, Washington Times
Mary Ann Carlson
Vermont State Senator
"We must be able to arrest people before they commit crimes. By registering guns and knowing who has them we can do that. .If they have guns they are pretty likely to commit a crime."
Charles Krauthammer
Washington Post, writer
"In fact, the assault weapons ban will have no significant effect either on the crime rate or on personal security. Nonetheless, it is a good idea ... Passing a law like the assault weapons ban is a symbolic - purely symbolic - move in that direction. Its only real justification is not to reduce crime but to desensitize the public to the regulation of weapons in preparation for their ultimate confiscation.", 5 April 1996, Washington Post
Jose Cerda
President Clinton White House Official, Specializing in gun control
"We are taking the law and bending it as far as we can to capture a whole new class of guns [to ban]", 22 October 1997, Los Angeles Times
Mel Reynolds
U.S. House of representative, from Illinois, Liberal Democrat
"If it were up to me we'd ban them all [firearms].", 9 December 1993, CNN Crossfire
Carl Rowan
Washington Post, writer
"We must reverse this psychology (of needing guns for home defense). WE can do it by passing a law that says anyone found in possession a a handgun except a legitimate officer of the law goes to jail- period!", 1981, Washington DC Syndicated Columnist
"A complete and universal federal ban on the sale, manufacture, importation and possession of handguns…”, 1985, Washington Post Article.
Note: Rowan in 1988 was arrested and tried for shooting a teenager skinny dipping in his pool that he shot with an unregistered .22 caliber pistol.
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