States rights?

[TaurusCIA]

North Carolina Constitution

PREAMBLE

We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution.

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Sec. 13. Religious liberty.
All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.

Sec. 14. Freedom of speech and press.
Freedom of speech and of the press are two of the great bulwarks of liberty and therefore shall never be restrained, but every person shall be held responsible for their abuse.

Sec. 30. Militia and the right to bear arms.
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; and, as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they shall not be maintained, and the military shall be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Nothing herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that practice.

Sec. 34. Perpetuities and monopolies.
Perpetuities and monopolies are contrary to the genius of a free state and shall not be allowed.

 

[Seminole]

It's not clear what your point is. Can you explain?

 

[TaurusCIA]

That the federal government is not the last word on our rights.

For instance NC's definition of religion is a little more defined than in the US Constitution. It's funny how the courts forget that "Congress shall make no law respecting..." refers to "Congress". It was meant to help alleviate the States' fears of federal government overstepping it's bounds.

The old fear of standing armies had not gone away, and the anti-Federalists worried that a strong central government, backed by its own standing army, would run roughshod over the liberties of the people. In many states, part of the agreement over ratification included a call for a bill of rights to be added to the Constitution as soon as possible, and one of the rights listed was ownership of guns for militia purposes.


The Virginia Ratifying Convention (1788)

[We believe] that the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well regulated Militia composed of the body of the people trained to arms is the proper, natural and safe defence of a free State. That standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided, as far as the circumstances and protection of the Community will admit; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to and governed by the Civil power.

from http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/rightsof/arms.htm

NC Constitution

Sec. 13. Religious liberty.
All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.

Sec. 14. Freedom of speech and press.
Freedom of speech and of the press are two of the great bulwarks of liberty and therefore shall never be restrained, but every person shall be held responsible for their abuse.

US Constitution

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

I like the "but every person shall be held responsible for their abuse" but others don't want any responsibility.

I personally believe that most states do a better job relating to the people. If they don't (e.g. CA, NY, NJ) you can move to one that is closer to your beliefs. You will also have more of a chance to change things if you choose to stay and work for it.

Just my opinion.

 

[zahc]

Nothing herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that practice.

 

[TaurusCIA]

The US 2nd amendment doesn't say how you may keep and bear them. It just says you can. Again, the context was to give the people checks and balances over oppressive government. That would not require that I carry a concealed weapon. IMO

NC Sec. 30 tells us in NC how we can't.

If they don't (e.g. CA, NY, NJ) you can move to one that is closer to your beliefs. You will also have more of a chance to change things if you choose to stay and work for it.