“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” – Amendment 2, Bill of Rights, U.S. Constitution
Ratified on December 15, 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights’ amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, the Second Amendment has become known as the “Right to Bear Arms” amendment. The amendment has since been affirmed by the Supreme Court as the individual right of a citizen of the U.S. to own, and when necessary, employ the use of a firearm. The amendment is clear and comes right after an individual’s right to religion, speech, press, assembly and government redress as outlined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
Even so, the right to bear arms is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time. As we see more and more people die from mass shootings, we also see “knee jerk” responses that all guns should be banned, even those of law abiding citizens. I’m sorry to say that people killing people is not something new that has come about because guns exist in the world. The issue has never been the tool that is used to kill, but rather the individuals themselves. Taking guns away from responsible and safe gun owners makes people more vulnerable, not less. After all, there will always be ways to illegally obtain a weapon.
According to a 2018 report based on FBI data, active shooter events in which an armed citizen was present were thwarted 94 percent of the time. The data referenced 10 incidents from 2016 to 2017 in which armed citizens confronted the shooter. In eight of those incidents, the citizen was successful in safely acting to end the confrontation. And, really, in such cases, what other defense is there? Why shouldn’t we be fighting fire with fire. The reality is, those that want to use weapons to harm others will be able to find weapons to use.
Benjamin Franklin famously once said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” The quote is usually referenced when talking about big government, but I believe it is appropriate in regards to the issue of gun control as well. And, it’s particularly relevant now as our current liberal Congress has introduced the Disarm Hate Act (HR2841). The latest salvo at keeping guns from lawful citizens, the idea behind the Disarm Hate Act is, essentially, to prohibit someone who has been convicted of a hate crime from owning a gun.
The reality is, the act could very easily infringe on an individual’s right to bear arms. If someone is convicted of a misdemeanor, such as a traffic violation, and that misdemeanor can be tied to “hate or bias for any reason” against a protected class of individuals, they could lose their right to bear arms. The third requirement of the bill is that the person must be deemed a “credible threat” but fails to define what that means. With so many undefined and open rules, it wouldn’t be difficult to use this bill to take away the right to bear arms from just about anyone.
Call to Action: Stop the madness. Let’s try and think beyond the tragedy and awful reality of mass shootings to find solutions that actually serve to protect citizens of the United States. Taking weapons away from law abiding citizens is akin to taking automobiles away from sober individuals because too many people are being killed by drunk drivers. It’s illogical and it’s past time for some rational solutions to these problems.
By Whose Authority?
For more information on my Commentary and to see some of my backup research, or if you wonder why I take the position I take, go to www.LyleBrennan.com.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”