Alarmist: The GOP's Incendiary Rhetoric

The following is how the 2nd Amendment is worded as passed by U.S. Congress and preserved in the National Archives.

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.

Militia as defined in or by Merriam - Webster's Dictionary 1a: a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency b: a body of citizens organized for military service. 2: the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service

Regulate as defined in or by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary 1a: to govern or direct according to rule b(1): to bring under control of law or constituted authority (2): make regulations for or concerning < regulate the industries of a country> 2 : to bring order, method or uniformity to <regulate one's habits> 3: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of <regulate the pressure of a tire>

Let me preface this article / hub by saying I'm all for the 2nd Amendment but weapons such as those pictured here are not meant to be carried openly in the streets of America. Events such as the Newtown Elementary, Aurora Movie Theater and countless others like it are overkill when it comes to mass shootings.

Okay, allow me to try and put the 2nd Amendment into context as I think it was originally intended to be by the framers of our Constitution. And then apply a more modern context to the 2nd Amendment. Now based upon the Amendment itself as I understand it, this was a right given to people who might need them to defend the country in a military conflict. Back then it was basically able bodied men capable of fighting in a warlike conflict, (i.e. military reservists) of that age.

By definition and a broad application, it was meant for men to be prepared to engage in a military action and not so much for others as a whole. Since then in more modern time it's been interpreted to mean we the people as a society have the right to keep and bear arms, because we've long since won our independence from British Rule. Militias are not needed now, because we have the Armed Forces full time.

I'm saying that to say this, House Republicans have routinely equated new or recently proposed gun safety laws as an attack on the 2nd Amendment. This is impart due to the NRA Lobby on behalf of certain gun manufacturers. The thing I'm against, is not the right to own certain types of guns. But those certain type of guns in the hands of people that shouldn't have them in the first place.

When a mass majority of the American people supported universal background checks, The Tea Party members and the NRA made the absolutely incorrect assertion that it was about taking away the 2nd Amendment. They flooded the right wing media outlets with this utterly nonsensical ploy that President Obama and the entire big bad U.S. government was coming to take away people guns.

The Universal Background Checks quite possibly could have prevented some of the massacres such as VA Tech, Newtown and the Aurora Movie theater shootings. Now in some states namely Texas, they've enacted these purely perverted laws very loosely based on the 2nd Amendment. I believe that these type of laws are not meant to deter crime or criminals, instead potentially endanger the lives of innocent people subject to being caught and possibly killed in the crossfire of a criminal in the process of committing a crime and an improperly trained person with an AR-15 or any other assault weapon.

In my humble opinion there is no need for anyone in America today to have or feel the need to carry an assault weapon slung over their shoulders into any public place of business other than a shooting range or club. This is America not some war zone embroiled in a military conflict. I would feel uncomfortable if I'm in say, a Starbucks, Chilli's, or Dunkin Donuts and a guy walks in with an AR-15, H&K MP-5 or M-16 slung over his shoulder. I would be very nervous in that case, not really knowing that persons state of mind. As a former member of the military, I would wish that I'd have a weapon on me at that time and I'm well versed to safely operate an assault weapon in a tactical situation.

My point being this, criminals will continue to find ways to commit crimes. This fact too has to change first, but I think that these Tea Party / GOP officials will get that point when the next Aurora, Newtown or VA Tech happens in their own backyard for them to truly understand the point I'm trying to make. What if the victim of the next incident is a member of their immediate or extended family and they're at the cemetery burying one of their own loved ones. Or if they themselves go into a darkened movie theater or send their 5,6, or 7 year old to their fancy private school and some mentally disturbed person comes in firing that AR-15, H&K MP-5, or M-16 with 200 extra rounds and magazines. I'll tell you what, they'll be sitting ducks waiting to be plucked off before Police get there.