found this great essay:
Arms as Insurance http://www.i2i.org/SuptDocs/Crime/ArmsAsInsurance.htm
By Samuel C. Wheeler III, Department of Philosophy, University of Connecticut
“…One of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular
and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms….”1 Hubert Humphrey
On September 11, 1997, Charlton Heston addressed the National Press Club.2 His speech argued that the right to bear arms is the fundamental right. His speech made it clear that what he meant was
that gun-ownership rights are a condition of the practical existence of other rights. Because he was speaking as new president of the National Rifle Association, and because his conclusion differed
from journalistic fashion, the arguments and considerations he suggested for this view were dismissed by news accounts. Those accounts focused on finding it ridiculous that someone who had played
Moses in the Ten Commandments might have something intelligent to say.3
In this essay, I argue that there are very good arguments for Heston’s position that deserve the attention of philosophers, politicians, and people who care about the welfare of their
great-grandchildren and other future human beings.4
continues...
Arms as Insurance http://www.i2i.org/SuptDocs/Crime/ArmsAsInsurance.htm
By Samuel C. Wheeler III, Department of Philosophy, University of Connecticut
“…One of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular
and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms….”1 Hubert Humphrey
On September 11, 1997, Charlton Heston addressed the National Press Club.2 His speech argued that the right to bear arms is the fundamental right. His speech made it clear that what he meant was
that gun-ownership rights are a condition of the practical existence of other rights. Because he was speaking as new president of the National Rifle Association, and because his conclusion differed
from journalistic fashion, the arguments and considerations he suggested for this view were dismissed by news accounts. Those accounts focused on finding it ridiculous that someone who had played
Moses in the Ten Commandments might have something intelligent to say.3
In this essay, I argue that there are very good arguments for Heston’s position that deserve the attention of philosophers, politicians, and people who care about the welfare of their
great-grandchildren and other future human beings.4
continues...