insomnomaniac

Liberal states the obvious: "The NRA may be right"

Why thank you Mr. Turley. I realize it's only been around for a little over two centuries, but I'm glad you finally found the time to sit down and actually READ it.

The right of the people to keep and bear arms is stated in the same way as the right to free speech or free press. The statement of a purpose was intended to reaffirm the power of the states and the people against the central government. At the time, many feared the federal government and its national army. Gun ownership was viewed as a deterrent against abuse by the government, which would be less likely to mess with a well-armed populace.

Considering the Framers and their own traditions of hunting and self-defense, it is clear that they would have viewed such ownership as an individual right — consistent with the plain meaning of the amendment.

None of this is easy for someone raised to believe that the Second Amendment was the dividing line between the enlightenment and the dark ages of American culture. Yet, it is time to honestly reconsider this amendment and admit that ... here's the really hard part ... the NRA may have been right. This does not mean that Charlton Heston is the new Rosa Parks or that no restrictions can be placed on gun ownership. But it does appear that gun ownership was made a protected right by the Framers and, while we might not celebrate it, it is time that we recognize it.

Fine, don't "celebrate" it, just don't go looking for someone else to blame should the need arise someday for you to have a gun (or to have someone nearby who has one). Or, put another way, are you OK with my not "celebrating" the "individual rights" people on your side have managed to invent for women seeking to abort their babies, or for pedophiles to live near schools, or for illegal aliens to have their status ignored. Because I've read the same document over and over and over again, and try as I might, I fail to find the justification for those alleged "rights."

But still, it's mighty white of you to finally acknowledge that liberals might be wrong about something. It's a start at least.