Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is the N.R.A. Un-American?
The New York Times ^ | May 13, 2013 | Professor Stanley Fish

Posted on 05/14/2013 7:09:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The more militant members of the N.R.A. and most of its leaders may be un-American.

By “militant” I don’t mean those who wish to protect recreational shooting and hunting; nor do I mean those who, like Justice Antonin Scalia, believe that there is a constitutional right to defend one’s home and family with firearms. These are respectable positions (although I am deeply unpersuaded by the second). I mean those who read the Second Amendment as proclaiming the right of citizens to resist the tyranny of their own government, that is, of the government that issued and ratified the Constitution in the first place.

The reason this view may be un-American is that it sets itself against one of the cornerstones of democracy — the orderly transfer of power. A transfer of power is orderly when it is effected by procedural rules that are indifferent to the partisan, ideological affiliations of either the party exiting power or the party taking power. A transfer is disorderly when it is effected by rebellion, invasion, military coup or any other use of force.....

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: alinskyjournalism; alinskytactics; baldfacedliar; banglist; considerthesource; constitution; democrats; fish; guncontrol; liberalidiot; mediabias; nra; secondamendment; stanleyfish; stinkyfishstory; timesfishwrap; tyranny; youwillnotdisarmus
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last
A professor who doesn't know we aren't a democracy?
1 posted on 05/14/2013 7:09:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

these are the types that are running things now.


2 posted on 05/14/2013 7:12:10 PM PDT by digger48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I suppose General Washington was unAmerican when he resisted the tyranny of his government.


3 posted on 05/14/2013 7:12:34 PM PDT by gop4lyf (Are we no longer in that awkward time? Or is it still too early?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

“I mean those who read the Second Amendment as proclaiming the right of citizens to resist the tyranny of their own government, that is, of the government that issued and ratified the Constitution in the first place.”

And his point is? It’s exactly why we have the second amendment. And the IRS scandal and going after the press is bordering on tyranny.


4 posted on 05/14/2013 7:12:40 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (The reason we own guns is to protect ourselves from those wanting to take our guns from us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
...the government that issued and ratified the Constitution in the first place.

The government neither issued nor ratified the Constitution. The Constitution of the United States was issued and ratified by "we the people," as it states in the first sentence of the preamble."We the people," formed the federal government by delegating to it certain powers that are inherent in the people themselves.

5 posted on 05/14/2013 7:13:02 PM PDT by Thane_Banquo ( Walker 2016)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

We have a President who feels “constrained” by the Constitution, and the professor is not the least bit worried where that might lead??? What universe does he inhabit? /s


6 posted on 05/14/2013 7:14:16 PM PDT by Frank_2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

This Nation was founded with the overthrow of what was a legitimate government. The Declaration of Independence clearly spells it out.


7 posted on 05/14/2013 7:15:15 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

This communist twit of a “professor” is un-American.


8 posted on 05/14/2013 7:15:31 PM PDT by darkangel82
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

9 posted on 05/14/2013 7:18:11 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

He’s an idiot. The govt did NOT issue and ratify the Constitution. It was written by delegates of the states and ratified by the states, not the government which was only created by the ratification process.


10 posted on 05/14/2013 7:18:15 PM PDT by Cousin Eddie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

No the NRA is not Un-American but those who write Nazi propaganda for the New Yawk Slimes are.


11 posted on 05/14/2013 7:18:24 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (If you think ObamaCare is a train wreck, wait until you see the amnesty bill.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

If he has to say he is a professor then he is not much of a teacher.

During the Cold war, armed citizens were a invasion deterent.

The USA has more armed citizens than countries with standing armies. The fact we have had orderly power trasitions for (even in the civil war nobody stopped the president from becoming president) for all our history.


12 posted on 05/14/2013 7:18:58 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Stanley Fish??????

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
13 posted on 05/14/2013 7:19:45 PM PDT by jobim (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The NYT is.


14 posted on 05/14/2013 7:20:38 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U (0bama's agenda—Divide and conquer seems to be working.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cousin Eddie

this is google search manipulation for the nra.


15 posted on 05/14/2013 7:20:45 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

[[A professor who doesn’t know we aren’t a democracy?]]

He’s unAmerican, what do you expect?


16 posted on 05/14/2013 7:21:00 PM PDT by CottShop (Scientific belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
I am deeply unpersuaded by professors. I have my degree, but I have been working in the real world for nearly 30 years. I owned a business for over ten years. I must say, listening to professors is a waste of time. I learned little about dealing with the real word from college professors.

Perhaps this twit might be brighter than most of his colleagues. Perhaps he knows his liberal ass is in our sights.

17 posted on 05/14/2013 7:26:17 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA (Molon Labe - Shall not be questioned)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
as proclaiming the right of citizens to resist the tyranny of their own government, that is, of the government that issued and ratified the Constitution in the first place.

Is this idiot trying to say that the Fed Gov created itself rather than the States?

" Each State, in ratifying the Constitution, is considered as a sovereign body, independent of all others, and only to be bound by its own voluntary act. In this relation, then, the new Constitution will, if established, be a FEDERAL, and not a NATIONAL constitution. " James Madison Federalist No. 39, January 1788

Click The Pic

18 posted on 05/14/2013 7:27:39 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (My faith and politics cannot be separated)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz
I love how this author doesn't think the second amendment is about resisting a tyrannical government. The whole Bill of Rights is a set of guarantees against tyranny.

His other premise is wide of the mark as well. The idea that the "government" grants the rights in the Constitution requires ignoring that the "government" exists only throughout the authorities granted in the Constitution. It is scary that someone so devoid of understanding makes a living teaching people.

19 posted on 05/14/2013 7:28:13 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

By his logic the founding fathers were also radical extremists.


20 posted on 05/14/2013 7:29:20 PM PDT by Exton1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson