If you could rewrite the 2nd Amendment, how would you word it?

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All individual people have the right to own, keep, bear, and transport any type of handgun, rifle, or shotgun regardless whether it is old, new, or has yet to be invented without needing a license or registering the firarms. All individual people have the right to own, keep, bear, and transport any and all type of ammunition for the firearms they have the right to own without needing a license or registering the ammunition. All handguns, rifles, or shotguns, along with their respective ammunition, may not be taxed out of what the poor can afford.
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Problem then comes when firearms are obsolete, such as when laser based weapons or even mental projection based weapons become available. "Arms" is a much broader definition which works much better.
 
I'd only change it slightly, for clarification:

The ability of the citizenry to launch armed revolution being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
 
I say leave it as is. Right now, the SCOTUS has correctly interpreted its meaning. If Heller is ever overturned, then we could look to the Amendment process.
 
The "Congress shall make no law" angle seems to have worked out fairly well for the first amendment thus far (knocks on wood)...
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Think so? Yell "fire" in a theater, or "bomb" in an airport, and don't even go into what is "porn" or similar - the First is NOT absolute and neither is the Second life is a series of compromises in one form or the other - that said, I'll disagree with the OP's suggestion - in trying to define all the instances, he has set a narrow definition that can lead to future issues - the FF deliberately made some of these "ambiguous" to allow for later things/changes/advancements and yet still have the intent.

The "intent" is what is crucial
 
Think so? Yell "fire" in a theater, or "bomb" in an airport, and don't even go into what is "porn" or similar - the First is NOT absolute
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To the contrary, you most certainly DO have the right to yell "fire" in a theater, or "bomb" in an airport. And with that right comes the responsibility for all the words you say. And if there's no fire or bomb, then you are responsible for the mayhem which was instigated by those words.

There is no such thing as a right without responsibility.
 
At least restrictions on the First Amendment must pass strict scrutiny, and thus, there truly are very few restrictions.

Let's hope we can achieve the same for the 2A. Everybody understands that none of those rights can be absolute in a civilized society, so we if we can get strict scrutiny, the thousands and thousands of gun laws on the books can begin to fall, with only the narrowest and most compelling restrictions being upheld.
 
Compnor:

"Anyone that tries to rewrite this constitution or any amendments found herein shall be found guilty of treason and summarily executed"
A bit of a tyrant are we? The bill of rights is not set in stone. It can and has been changed. Sometimes for the better. " Your citations please!!
I'll stay on God's side, and leave it as it stands.
 
Correction: The Bill of Rights has not been amended. The constitution has. Some might say for the better.
 
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COMPNOR said:
Correction: The Bill of Rights has not been amended. The constitution has. Some might say for the better.
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Correct. One might argue that on a fundamental level, the Bill of Rights actually cannot be amended because its nature is not to grant rights, but to enumerate preexisting human rights and provide for their protection. A government is not able, under any circumstances, to revoke one's right to defend oneself. They may fail to respect it, they may outlaw it, but it is as much a right as the air we breathe.
 
Given that self-defense is a fundamental right of all people, neither the Congress, nor the States, nor local governments shall pass any law restricting the right of any person to acquire, possess, carry, and use any arms
 
There are some regulations I think are absolutely necessary. I think the background check is very important. I don't know about you but I don't want the criminal or mentally unfit to be able to get his hands on any firearm and go on a rampage. Yes, I know the background check is not perfect, but I do challenge anyone here to point to anything that was crafted by human hands and declare it is perfect.
 
There are some regulations I think are absolutely necessary. I think the background check is very important. I don't know about you but I don't want the criminal or mentally unfit to be able to get his hands on any firearm and go on a rampage.
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Statistics show that the rate of crimes committed with guns did not noticeably change after the 1968 GCA was passed. Mandatory background checks do not actually accomplish anything in the big picture, and NICS wastes millions of dollars a year for no benefit.
 
The 2nd Amendment is virtually perfect as written. I can't understand why some people have trouble with it's meaning. If a third grader can grasp it's meaning, why can't lawyers, professors, judges, and government officials? :rolleyes:

I, however, would add to the 2nd Amendment that every American household should be required to possess at least one firearm or be required to pay a "scared of firearms" tax of $105 every month. :neener: Every household with firearms should also receive a $200 ammo allowance every year they own firearms. ;)
 
I think the 2nd A is pretty clear to all but the illiterate. But, if I were to re-word it to defend against the antis I would be a little more specific. Such as:

"The right of the people to purchase, own and carry firearms in defense of country, person and property shall not be interfered with by any federal, state or local government entity contained within any of the fifty states of the United States of America." I would pretty much force a hands off approach by the government using exact terms so as to make it difficult to skate around its prohibitions.

I may also add such language as: In accordance no legislation will be allowed that:
keeps a record of sale
requires registration or purchase of permit
prohibits certain features of firearms
fill in blank
etc.
 
I would eliminate the militia clause.
I would add "including, but not limited to, any arms in use by our military."
 
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I like how the Constitution limits the government into a servant roll. The way the OP has rewritten the 2A, with so many "Citizens shall NOT have the right..." makes be throw up. :barf: As if the document were the source of the right. :rolleyes:
 
2075 RAMI said:
The 2nd Amendment is virtually perfect as written. I can't understand why some people have trouble with it's meaning. If a third grader can grasp it's meaning, why can't lawyers, professors, judges, and government officials? :rolleyes:
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Most everybody knows what it really means--some people just don't like it, so they find stupid ways to misinterpret it.
 
To play the devil's advocate here

The second amendment was written a very long time ago when flint lock rifles were the norm. Since then, arms technology has improved a great deal. A line has to be drawn somewhere. People are always going to complain about where the line is drawn.
 
It is the inherent right of all individuals to own, posses, bear, carry and use firearms for recreation, convenience, and the defense of themselves, others, their state, and their nation. No law, ordinance, or rule shall be passed or upheld in any governing body or jurisdiction under these United States that restricts, infringes or limits the ownership, possession, bearing, or carrying of any firearm of any sort and any configuration by a citizen of any of these United States. This Amendment pertains to and protects the firearm, its ammunition, its method of carry or use, and any other object or system that may be necessary for a citizen to carry out this Right. This Right applies to all levels of governance within these United States, and no public act to reduce the exercise of this Right either directly or indirectly will be permitted.
 
"The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. And we ain't talking about duck hunting."
 
The right of the people to own and carry any weapon at anytime and anywhere.

The simpler the better and this covers everything.
 
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