On December 15, 1791 the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution was ratified. This list of unalienable rights was not a new concept but none the less extraordinary in a government. Of the rights presented one in particular stands out, the Second Amendment. It states….
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.
As far as I am concerned this is the most important Amendment of the entire Constitution and I’ll explain why later. But for now let’s delve into the history and background of the Second Amendment.
To the early American settlers and eventual colonists under the Crown, the ownership of firearms was considered a natural right. One not given but one that had always existed. They were used to provide food, defend their homes and country, suppress insurrection, and most importantly to defend their own individual liberty.
In that time there really were no gun laws or regulations. Firearms were so commonplace that there were racks in taverns so as to hold the arms of their patrons. The modern idea presented by some that early America really didn’t have widespread ownership of firearms is both ignorant and ill-informed. Were those statements true there would be no United States of America. If you want to go back to the first restrictions of arms in America then you need to look to the beginnings of the American Revolution.
When the Colonists began creating militias that excluded Loyalists, (Colonists that were still loyal to the Crown), British Parliament set an embargo on firearms, parts, and ammunition to the Colonies. This was done in an effort to limit the effectiveness of militias that were viewed as potentially “rebellious”. But, thanks to the common ownership of guns and the patriotism of the Colonists, the Revolution was won and America was free of British rule.
The Early government was formed under the Articles of Confederation which did not have a bill of rights but granted a greater amount of power to the states. Because of this, the Federal Government really couldn’t get a lot done, especially in the area of national defense. This was a cause of great concern and so a Constitutional Convention was called to originally fix but ultimately replace the Articles with a Constitution.
Since this new document would put far more power into the hands of a Federal Government it was demanded by some that a Bill of Rights would be needed in order to limit its ability to undermine the freedom of the citizens.
This is where the Second Amendment becomes so important. Important enough, I believe, to be the most significant part of our Constitution. Our Founding Fathers understood the fragility of liberty in the presence of a strong centralized government. They lived under the rule of the crown. I grant that at that time they had no representation and we now have a democracy, but ours has a powerful federal government. The Founders knew that in order to achieve and maintain freedom it would have to be fought for.
As I’ve stated before, the decision to fight came after years of failed diplomacy and was not an act taken lightly. They said as much in the Declaration of Independence. And so the American Revolution was fought and won their independence. This was kept in mind when drafting the Constitution. The Founders were no fools and knew that democracy was not self-sustaining and that in the future corruption and tyranny could befall Americans again. Heck, the first attacks came on the Constitution came under our second President. Because of this they knew the people needed to be ready to defend not just themselves, but their freedom. This was also stated in the Declaration.
So, with the idea of possibly having to fight to maintain liberty and freedom, our Founders made sure to declare on paper what they already knew to be a universal and undeniable right: That the right of an individual to keep and bear arms could not be taken away. Period. Some would contest this, but as far as I see it the Bill of Rights, and therefore the right to own firearms is not up for debate. The right to defend oneself has never been challenged in history until “modern” times. But our Founders knew we may one day need to put tyranny in its place and took steps to help future generations of Patriots. That is why the Second Amendment is the most important. It helps us defend all the others.
It is now being argued that the right to own firearms is the reason for crime in America and the world at large. There are organizations lobbying as we speak for the outlawing of firearms and to strike the Second Amendment from the Constitution. They say that if we just outlaw guns and take them away crime and murder will disappear. Well, since we’ve already gone through the beginnings of the right to keep and bear arms, let’s take a modern look at firearm owner ship….
Next Post: Gun Laws and Restrictions and Modern Ownership.
Thank you for reading. God bless all of you and God bless the United States of America.
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