Anger: National Constutition Center

[geekWithA.45]

ANGER


The explanation of the Second Amendment given by the National Constitutions website breathes life into a lie.


I quote in full:


---------------------------------------------------------
As explained in The Words We Live By by Linda Monk:

The American Revolution was fought by minutemen, ready with their guns at a moment’s notice. Early Americans believed that a militia, composed of citizen-soldiers, was a better safeguard of their liberties than a standing or permanent army. Today the militia consists of the National Guard, drilling in state units. Does the Second Amendment protect only the right of the states to have militias, or does it give individuals a right to bear arms for self-defense as well as national defense? That question is at the heart of the debate over the Second Amendment and gun control.
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Lie 1) Today the militia consists of the National Guard.

Refutation: The Militia IS NOT THE NATIONAL GUARD, neither in theory nor in law.


Lie 2) Does it give.....

Refutation: The Constitution does not GRANT any rights, it PROTECTS them. The rights it protects are inherent and unalienable

Lie 3) Does the Second Amendment protect only the right of the states to have militias, or does it give individuals a right to bear arms for self-defense as well as national defense? That question is at the heart of the debate over the Second Amendment and gun control.

Refutation: The "debate" itself is false. There is no debate. Law, History, and First Principles are absolutely clear: The INDIVIDUAL is the entity endowed with this right.


I AM PISSED BEYOND BELIEF


That this, our national center of education concerning the consitution has pandered to this utter, outright revisionist bull????., and completely misses some elementary points about the nature of our rights, and the origins of governments powers.

 

[BowStreetRunner]

when i saw the const. center was opening i was afraid this would happen
at least they didnt come right out and say that the 2A grants a collective right
there are more lies in there though,
the Revolution was not fought by minutement, it was fought (and won) by a regular army, trained in the european style, spending months and years away form home on campaign......it was also fought by militias from all 13 colonies who left their homes to fight for months to days at a time, sometimes a help and sometimes a hindrance
i dont know how anyone can consider the Natl Guard a miltia since they can be federalized....and they are trained by the Natl Govt
that is amazing to me
BSR

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

Remember..........

Tell a lie often enough.............................

We have a lot of work to do!

 

[Thumper]

Today the militia consists of the National Guard, drilling in state units.

Really, Linda?

Is this the same National Guard that did such a good job of "safeguard[ing]" students' "liberties" at Kent State?

What year was the National Guard recognized again? I honestly can't remember.

Can anyone find an email addy for Linda Monk?

 

[Mark Tyson]

Interesting that if you read the 1939 Miller case, membership in the National guard or any other armed force was never an issue.

 

[Alan Smithiee]

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/311.html


Sec. 311. - Militia: composition and classes

(a)

The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.

(b)

The classes of the militia are -

(1)

the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and

(2)

the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia

 

[benewton]

Two thoughts here...

Since I'm over 45, I could be in real trouble, since I'm evidently no longer a militia member and I've got all these guns!


I was around during Kent State, and simply refused to boycott classes after the "outrage". I thought that the lesson to be learned was not to throw rocks at people carrying rifles. Still do.

 

[Mark Tyson]

Check out the National Guard Bureau's web page.

http://www.arng.army.mil/history/Constitution

"The Second Amendment qualified Article I, Section 10 by making insuring that the federal government could not disarm the state militias. One part of the Bill of Rights, insisted on by the anti-federalists, states, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

 

[2dogs]

Noteworthy: The CeaseFire PA office is within spitting distance of the National Constitution Center. Philadelphia, once the cradle of freedom, is now a bastion of liberalism and a malignant tumor threatening the body of PA.

Wouldn't suprise me in the least if Ms. Monk got all of her 2nd Amendment education down at CeaseFire central.

Oh well, Happy 4th of July!

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CeaseFire PA Calls on Citizens to Embrace Gun Violence Prevention as Patriotic Mission
7/3/2003




Press Release
CeaseFire PA
111 South Independence Mall East
Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.ceasefirepa.org

Contact:
Bryan Miller
Phone: 215-518-3140

Philadelphia, PA - On this auspicious Independence Day celebration, when the National Constitution Center is being dedicated, in the place where our nation's governing principles were first adopted, the entire attention of the country is focused on the Constitution of the United States and its several amendments. CeaseFire PA, the statewide coalition of groups and individuals devoted to reducing gun violence, invites the American public to reflect upon what the Constitution guarantees, what it proscribes, and why efforts to prevent gun violence honor not only the spirit of the founders, but the interests of our contemporary citizens as well.

The mission of the Constitution, stated in its Preamble, was to provide a framework within which the government could "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty..." The Constitution established a delicate system of checks and balances between the three branches of government to accomplish this lofty goal. Fifteen years after its signing, the first ten amendments to the Constitution were ratified by the States to refine this balance and protect both states and individuals from the potential excesses of an overbearing federal government.

The Bill of Rights, as the first ten Constitutional Amendments are known, limits the power of the federal government, curtailing its ability to diminish certain rights enjoyed by private individuals as well as the several States. Some amendments, like the First, Fourth and Fifth, address individual rights, such as people's rights to free speech, or as defendants in criminal prosecutions. Others, like the Second, Ninth and Tenth Amendments, speak to the relationship between state and federal governments.

The Second Amendment to the Constitution states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Diane Edbril, Legislative Director of CeaseFire PA said: "Despite efforts by pro-gun organizations such as the National Rifle Association to convince Americans otherwise, this amendment refers only to the states' ability to establish and maintain official militias such as the National Guard. It has never been interpreted by the courts to confer broad individual rights to gun ownership. See US v. Miller, 307 US 174 (1939). Moreover, as we see nowadays more frequently than ever, even well established individual rights must be tempered by the government's legitimate interest in the protecting the public's safety and welfare."

CeaseFire PA maintains that the unregulated proliferation of deadly weapons is clearly antithetical to a society which seeks to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty. Bryan Miller, Executive Director of CeaseFire PA said: "Under the cloak of a pitifully weak system of gun laws, and a misplaced and mistaken reliance on the Second Amendment, criminals hold communities hostage, children are maimed by unintentional shootings in their homes, and terrorists obtain firearms powerful enough to pierce armored cars and shoot down airplanes. U. S. gun manufacturers have no product safety standards to maintain, and corrupt firearms merchants seek passage of laws prohibiting individuals from suing them to change irresponsible practices. In Philadelphia, the birthplace of liberty, illegal handgun traffickers are able to amass huge arsenals simply by getting straw purchasers to go on shopping sprees in licensed gun shops on their behalf."

Edbril continued: "CeaseFire PA believes that gun violence prevention is one of the things all Americans should embrace as a patriotic mission, to help promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty. We should all seek passage of laws that would prevent criminals from obtaining handguns, or that would prevent guns from firing when children pull their triggers, or that make it unlawful for civilians to purchase the kinds of arms developed for use in combat situations. We should do this for the sake of the brave souls who first laid out the foundations of our government, for ourselves, and for our children. Let freedom from preventable gun violence be the Constitutional legacy we leave to the next generation of Americans."

http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/alerts/reader/0,2061,564670,00.html

 

[BowStreetRunner]

i saw the book by Mrs Monk in the bookstore today
in addition to seeing the excerpt posted in this thread, i also read, get this, that the minutemen were "elite"...yes thats right
elite

i have heard them called many things but that is perhaps the most inacurrate
BSR

 

[Sven]

Opening didn't go so well:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,91109,00.html

Beam Collapses, Narrowly Missing Sandra Day O'Connor

PHILADELPHIA — What was to have been a spectacular opening of the National Constitution Center (search) was marred Friday when a huge wood and steel frame collapsed on the stage, injuring several people and narrowly missing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (search).

The frame, which was at least 15 feet high, slowly toppled as the guests of honor at the ceremony pulled on red, white and blue streamers that were supposed to trigger the drop of a screen at the museum's front entrance.

Instead, the streamers pulled down the frame, which came crashing down on officials including Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street (search) and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter.

The crowd of 4,000 gasped as the frame came down around O'Connor, who had counted down from three to start the ceremony.

"We could have all been hit, bumped," O'Connor said into a microphone.

Street and Specter were struck on their arms as they tried to fend off the falling structure. National Constitution Center President Joseph Torsella was hit in the head and knocked to his knees.

 

[Standing Wolf]

If not for lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, and plain old-fashioned fraud, leftists would have nothing to say.