"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American peoples' liberty, teeth, and keystone under independance. To secure peace, Security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interferance - they deserve a place of honour with all that is good." -George Washington
“By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia’, the ’security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms’, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.” - John F. Kennedy, April 1960
"You may not like guns and choose not to own one. That's your choice. You might not believe in God. That's your right. However, if someone breaks into your home there are two things you're going to do. First, call someone with a gun. Second, pray they get there in time." -Some cowboy
"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of." Texas State Rep. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike especially when young, how to use them." (Richard Henery Lee, 1788, Initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights.)
Get off a shot FAST, this upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect. - Robert A Heinlein.
"Rifles, muskets, long-bows and hand-grenades are inherently democratic weapons. A complex weapon makes the strong stronger, while a simple weapon - so long as there is no answer to it - gives claws to the weak." - George Orwell
The bearing of arms is the essential medium through which the individual asserts both his social power and his participation in politics as a responsible moral being... (Historian J.G.A. Pocock, describing the beliefs of the founders of the U.S.)
'I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.' -Albert Einstein