I am having second thoughts about posting this. My brother is opposed to me posting some of what I have said, perhaps rightfully so. If I wasn't still a little angry,tired, and if I hadn't spent so much time on this post. I might comply with my brother's requests. I must also add that not everything I say is relevant to this topic, I just wanted to get everything I have to say out of the way. Well, I hope I don't have to many typographical errors. And I hope my inferior intellect to my brother isn't too evident. I also hope that I do not affend any one.
I am very sorry if anyone gets caught in the argument my brother and I are having. I feel that it is inappropriate to have a personal argument over a public forum.
Evidently my brother does not feel the same way. I am responding because he took me out of context and also left out a few things. I assume he was pissed, so I
suppose he was just hoping for someone to supply him with material to use in our argument.
The argument that we had tonight, started when he posted this on a forum concerning the new laws about gun magazines and how one might respond: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>You're serious? I would shoot down every one of my FAMILY if they were willing to accept a job collecting my guns for the government. It would break my heart, but I would feel it to be my duty. In the big picture, though encroachments are encroachments. Outlawing importation of some fabulously expensive, damnably heavy and ugly foreign gun is as much encroachment as knocking on or kicking my door in to take them all. One is just more direct.[/quote]
I took exception to his remarks, and rightfully so,I think, because he was talking about my family which I love dearly and would die for gladly, including my brother.
My response was "If you shoot at me I will aim for your head, so that if I don't kill you will at least have brain damage." He resonded by saying "I feel sorry for you." This coming from someone who just said they were willing to kill all of my family if they attempted to take his gun parafinalia? Quite specifically something as minute as a gun magazine.
He then said, he would kill anyone who tried to infringe on his constitutional rights. I became even more angered and replied that
technically the constitution does not give him the right to own a gun. I believe that if the constitution is taken literally, one would have to belong to a
well regulated militia.
Here are a few dictionary( The American Heritage Dictionary) definitions that I find
most favorable to the opinion that our right to own guns is protected by the Constitution. "Militia:The whole body of physically fit male citizens eligible by law for military service." Now, I suppose only healthy males get to own guns. "Regulate:to adjust for accurate and proper functioning" Now, I must assume someone has to be regulated these healthy male gun owners. "Well:in a good and proper manner" Well, if you are not a healthy male who is well regulated (I must assume someone must be resonsible for the militia's regulization)you do not have the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. I know my brother is not a member of a well regulated militia. Therefore he does not have the
Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
I also fail to see where he reached the conclusion that I said "one is not a militia member, unless is one is active on the field of battle!". I never said that, I only said that a militia as specified in the Constitution had to be well regulated. I assumed that there would have to be some external force acting upon the militia members to insure the fact that they were well regulated. Why else would the 2nd Ammendment specify that the militia be well regulated?
Now, I hope everyone reads what I am about to say before they reply. I believe it should be everyones right to own any gun they want. Although I wouldn't kill any member of my family if they attempted to take my weapons. I do not think gun owners should have to use the 2nd Ammendment as a crutch. American citizens should not allow there freedom to be infringed upon. We should try our best to make our voice heard. If all the conservatives ever do is just sit and whine about our "Constitutionaly rights being taken away", and making idle threats about killing anyone who attempt to take them away. I don't see any of you threatining to kill a gun store owner if he won't sell you a handgun without the 7 day waiting period. Stop talking about it and do something! Get off your butt and vote for the right politicions. Remember, it doesn't matter whether you like the canidates or not, someone is going to win. So, I would suggest that you vote for the best candidate. Actively participating in a political campaign is also an excellent way to help the right canditate get into office. I have spent many hours working with a few political candidates, have you?
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[This message has been edited by JHolmes (edited May 25, 1999).]