How quickly we forget the simplicity and elegance of our Constitution. Politicians and a complicit media gleefully ignore the rules set forth in our national owners manual, allowing elected officials, in reality, our employees and servants, to run amok.
One of the shortest, and most poorly understood concepts comes from the Bill of Rights — the Second Amendment to be more specific. On this prelude to Constitution Day, I thought you might enjoy a quick excerpt from my book, The Practical Guide to the United States Constitution.
Regulate This
Once again, the Second Amendment debate is front and center in the news. Whenever people violate the rules of human decency, exposing foundational flaws in our society even a turnip knows will never be fixed with some new law, people scream for action. “Just do something!”Predictably, the “do something” drumbeat points to proposed new gun laws and a challenge to the Second Amendment in principle. Then the pontificating begins (from those who’ve not read seven syllables of writings by our country’s founders) with, let’s say, creative and again predictable, hot takes.
Constitutional Concepts: It’s My Right!
Listening to the nightly news and politicians’ bloviation, one might think it’s protecting its citizens from themselves. Perhaps the purpose of government is to provide for national security. Or maybe it’s providing a safe, stable, and level playing field for its citizens. Some believe government’s role is to provide for the national welfare, whatever that means.Looking at a founders’ view of government, the purpose is to protect the natural rights of those who elect to be governed.
The Great $5 Bill of Rights Robbery
There were fourteen original copies of the Bill of Rights, one for the federal government and one for each of the 13 original colonies. Only eight states still have their copies: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. One of those only recently reclaimed theirs.