Alternative Response

This Month's Topic

Can there be common ground on Gun Control and the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution?

After years of losses in the courts, gun control opponents have finally won two major victories in the Supreme Court. The decisions the Supreme Court and the impacts of these decisions are still being argued between gun control advocates (generally liberal) and opponents (generally conservative). Can there be common ground on Gun Control and the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution?

With the recent Supreme Court decision on gun control in the District of Columbia and Chicago, the courts have reversed several lower court decisions that the government may impose strict gun controls. However, this decision did not eliminate all gun control laws. Both the District and Chicago are now grappling with the consequences. What laws will satisfy both the gun owners who threaten additional law suits and a majority of their citizens who want strict gun control to curb violence? What role will the United States Congress take in this process? Can liberals and conservatives find common ground?

Alternative Response:

The right to keep and bear arms, as defined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, is neither an individual right to defend oneself nor a state's right to maintain an armed militia. It is an individual obligation and, in fact, an individual requirement to meet a citizen's responsibility to provide for the common defense. At a time of crisis at the local, state or national level, it is the responsibility of every able-bodied citizen to protect and defend the homeland.

Though it may be difficult for some to hear and others to agree with, this country was built by and defended with the gun. During the time of our founding fathers, it was well known and well documented that accessibility to arms was essential, not only to the survival in a fledgling nation but to ensure the continued protection of our new way of life.

It is no coincidence that the right to bear arms is the Second Amendment. The First Amendment of the Constitution defines our civil liberties, including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble and the right to petition the government. The founding fathers knew that the Second Amendment was absolutely required to ensure the liberties defined in the First Amendment.

Every able-bodied, law-abiding American should be required to defend the United States and should be required to purchase a gun and learn how to use it.

— Editor

Conservative Response to this month's topic at A Civil Disagreement

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