Posted on 01/16/2013 7:44:18 AM PST by Lucky9teen
As stronger sentiment concerning gun control mounts on the American streets, Glenn Beck invited renown historian and Wallbuilders founder David Barton on his Tuesday evening program to provide viewers with a comprehensive overview of the Second Amendment as a foundation for liberty and freedom.
Beck was compelled to provide this in-depth look after 19 potential executive actions were identified to move the Obama administration forward with new gun control measures. Those measures include but are not limited to: requiring mental health screenings of both the buyer and seller; banning military-style “assault” weapons and high-capacity magazines; issuing a statute prohibiting gun trafficking; and an “end” to the “hobbling of federal agencies.”
“This is not about preventing mass-murders it is about eliminating your right to bear arms,” Beck slammed. “This administration will never waste a good emergency.”
“Americans need to know where the Second Amendment even comes from…The history of our ‘why and how,’ and how it has shaped our foundation of freedom.”
A glance back in time
Barton, whose knowledge-base in American history is by many considered second to none, said that the Second Amendment is truly about a “certain set of principles.” He added that people should not separate the Second Amendment from other amendments, particularly the first five, as they are all aligned and part of one larger concept of protection of one’s self, religion and property. In other words ”unalienable rights.”
The Founding Fathers, according to Barton, believed that God gave these rights to mankind and that no government could take them away.
“That is why our government is different,” he explained, “other world governments trampled peoples rights… the idea was to prevent the government from ever trampling our rights.” He added that unlike any country in Europe, Americans insisted the government could not touch what God had given them.
The Founders also used the philosophy term “laws of nature and nature is God,” which Barton informed is contained in Blackstone’s commentary on the law. The idea is that certain things come to one from nature, such as the deep-seated biological mechanism of self-defense. The historian also noted that James Wilson, a signer of both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence noted that the law of nature is to defend oneself, and that — through the castle doctrine — a private citizen failing to defend his home or family — even with deadly force — would be considered negligence.
As the interview continued, Barton went on to explain how different the times were at America’s founding, and that citizens could even penalized for not carrying a gun. The topic then veered to the lawless days of the Wild West, its religious revival and the role of Texas Rangers in enforcing the law.
In addition, Barton addressed the founding of the NRA. While some like to demonize pro-Second Amendment group and even call it prejudiced, it turns out the powerful group was in fact started by two Union generals in 1871 as a means to driving out the Ku Klux Klan and ensuring that blacks, who although then-free were not allowed means with which to defend themselves — could in fact legally own a gun.
Barton also noted that even after the Whiskey and Shays rebellions, and even the assassinations of Lincoln Garfield and McKinley, calls for gun bans never came into play. In fact, the times even bolstered the Second Amendment.
It was not until the aftermath of Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King’s assassination that Lyndon B. Johnson sought stricter gun control. Ironically, President Reagan — although having survived an assassination attempt — was very much an adherent to the Second Amendment himself.
When asked how American citizens should react if government were to seek to claim their arms, Barton said that there is a host of lawyers working bro-bono to step in and help protect citizens’ gun rights.
The Bill of Rights is in perfect order. Want to really freeze a Liberal? Ask them what the 3rd is for.
Everyone that knows guns is well aware of this.
Juan Williams was on FOX recently and explained in detail how in Washing D.C. he was approached by Mr. McDonald the plaintiff in the SCOTUS case. McDonald told him about how it was Southern Democrats that banned firearm possession by blacks and it was the Northern Republican whites that fought for the rights of blacks to defend themselves.
Good ole Juan said, “ I didn’t know. I was amazed.”
Yes, Juan you are just another liberal elite gun grabber who chose to ignore the Second Amendment rights of your fellow blacks.
McDonald v. Chicago: Gun rights two years after the Supreme Court ruling (Photos)
Gun rights and gun control
Amazing. Sometimes it is really hard to separate the ignorance from the malevolence.
I have a problem with Barton material, decade now after decade, not sold to Red State public school curriculums, available only by private purchase, personal appearances, generally confined to churches.
What do you suppose the deal is, other than profit. David’s work is verifyable truth alright, and can be sourced, bringing audiences to their feet, but it goes NOWHERE for free and gets no exposure broadly!
I don’t like it, or what I am thinking.
It'll happen when you've been around as long as the NRA has.
I wish every Author that references the KKK would give proper attributes like: The KKK, Created by the Democratic Party or
The KKK A wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party or
The KKK, created by the Democratic Party to KILL BLACKS who dared to be FREE or REPUBLICAN... you get the point. Until uncomfortable facts about these bastards become commonplace, nothing will change.
This is a pretty big failure to mention the true history of gun control. The first gun control laws were passed in 1934 in response to organized crime due to the result of prohibition.
It was actually struck down as unconstitutional until it went before the supreme court. There they really deemed it unconstitutional logically but then still upheld it in typical supreme court rubber stamp action. They ruled a sawed of shotgun wasn't protected as a militia weapon as it wasn't used by the military {which wasn't true} but the NFA also registered/banned machine guns which obviously were militia weapons and were used by the military.
Good points. It does make one pause, when thinking about all the “history” and facts that Barton discusses and why it isn’t more freely made available and spread through to the curriculum of private and charter schools, at least.
That said, here is one thing he talked about on the show, about how the kids used to be made to have at least 2 hours of recreation in school (like gym class) but that Jefferson and I think he said Paine, said it was best to be taught gun training at that time. So the schools used to teach about guns and shooting 2 hours a day in elementary schools. And there never used to be school shootings in the 1800s because all of the kids carried guns to school.
“As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives [only] moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun, therefore, be the constant companion to your walks.” — Thomas Jefferson, writing to his teenaged nephew.
David must surely have an answer at the ready for why his material is in the freezer rather than the classroom. I am sure my question is common, but what IS the deal?
If Barton needs a lobby to cram history down state education committee’s throats, he surely has one.....IF he REALLY even wants one.
Right?
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