Second Amendment 2010-09-15
Otis McDonald lives in a dangerous area in Chicago and was denied his Second Amendment rights to own a handgun for self defense due to a nearly 30-year handgun ban. The Supreme Court heard the appeal, and the Second Amendment narrowly survived by a 5-4 margin. Justice Sotomayor in her dissenting opinion stated the Second Amendment is not fundamental. It seems to me that if your life is in jeopardy, it’s pretty darn fundamental. Clearly, elections matter. We are only a heartbeat away from losing the rights established by the Founders over 200 years ago. The Founders found this right to be so important that only the freedoms of speech and a government-established religion preceded it.
St. George Tucker’s “American Blackstone” was the first legal analysis of the new Constitution and the law Appendix was used as the legal textbook for decades. Tucker stated: “The right of self-defense is the first law of nature … whenever the right of the people to keep and bear arms, is under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.”
History shows the St. George Tucker was absolutely correct. When the citizenry were disarmed, tyranny could surely follow. You won’t be finding guns in Cuba, China or Venezuela, except in the hands of the thugs in charge. Also, when guns disappear from the citizens, crime rises. Although the left is bound and determined to negate that fact, statistically they are wrong. An armed society is a polite society.
The irony of banning handguns is that often those who want to impose the bans are in the position of receiving the benefits that a firearm can provide. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has continued to push that city to adopt restrictive gun regulations, regardless of the Supreme Court decision. But the hypocritical mayor has 24-hour around the clock armed bodyguards.
Most of us can’t afford bodyguards, and since I can’t carry a cop, I am comforted that in North Carolina, my Second Amendment rights are still protected. I do think the laws in North Carolina make it expensive for people to have the right to carry a concealed handgun. In Craven County the permit costs $95, plus additional fees for a permit to purchase and a background check. In other states those costs are much higher, meaning that often the poor living in high crime areas are unable to afford self protection. And of course, guns and ammunition are expensive.
But rights come with responsibility. It is imperative that gun owners learn about gun safety and the legalities involved with using deadly force. And, children need to be taught respect and safety, and guns need to be stored out of their reach.
The police do all they can to protect us, but generally they arrive after a crime has occurred. It is up to us to work tirelessly to protect the Second Amendment by electing officials that support our freedoms and the Constitution.
Nancy Murdoch, CCTA Secretary
Havelock
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