John Paul
03-04-2009, 11:09 AM
Montana Has It Right On Second Amendment
By Chuck Baldwin
March 3, 2009
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090303.html
According to ABC News (Feb. 25, 2009), "The Obama administration will seek
to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 during the Bush
administration, Attorney General Eric Holder said today.
"'As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few
gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to
reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons,' Holder told reporters."
Holder also said that President Obama would seek to make the assault weapons
ban permanent, close the "gun show loophole," and ban "cop-killer" bullets.
At this point, I believe it is incumbent on me to say that both Eric Holder
and Barack Obama have made a career out of doing everything in their power
to strip the American people of their right to keep and bear arms. Even
under the rubric of the abovementioned "few gun-related changes," there is
the potential for widespread assault against our Second Amendment.
For example, the so-called "assault weapons" ban is as phony as the
Bush-Obama stimulus spending bills--and just as fraudulent. A semi-automatic
rifle, which is incapable of automatic fire, is not an "assault weapon." By
definition, an assault weapon must be capable of fully automatic fire. A
civilian AR-15-style rifle--in any configuration--is functionally identical
to any semi-automatic hunting rifle. In fact, many hunters commonly use
AR-15-style rifles for all types of hunting, both predator and big game. The
term "assault weapon" is simply a dangerous-sounding moniker that makes it
easy for a compliant media to intimidate the public and public officials
into passing a ban against semi-automatic rifles.
Furthermore, does anyone believe that if Obama and Holder were successful in
outlawing semi-automatic rifles, pump and bolt-action rifles would not also
be targeted? Get real! I well remember gun control zealots during the
Clinton years railing against bolt-action rifles, calling them "sniper"
rifles. And once rifles are outlawed, how long would it be before handguns
and shotguns would fall victim to a similar fate? As always, the issue for
these people is not what type of firearm it is; the issue is the
infringement of the right of the people to keep and bear arms--any arms.
Of course, the "gun show loophole" is nothing more than the prohibition
against private citizens selling and trading their own personal firearms. I
would like to remind the Obamas and Holders of this country that liberty is
not a "loophole."
In the beginning, the private sale and trading of firearms was almost
exclusively the purpose for which gun shows were started. Today, commercial
firearms dealers dominate gun shows, but it is still a convenient
marketplace for citizens to buy and trade guns. This is a freedom and right
that is as old as the country itself. Shoot (pun intended)! I remember when
we were free to buy guns from a Sears & Roebuck catalog.
And as to banning "cop-killer" bullets, what bullet is not capable of
killing? Any bullet that is not capable of killing a good guy is not capable
of killing a bad guy (be it two-legged or four). This is just another
approach to the same goal: the infringement of the right to keep and bear
arms. Obviously, any gun without a bullet is pretty much useless.
The Democrats went down this road in 1994. Are they really willing to go
down the same road again? It looks like they are.
It was largely an aggressive gun control agenda that caused the Republicans
to sweep both houses of Congress in 1994 and render Bill Clinton without a
majority in either chamber. It was also an aggressive gun control agenda
that caused Al Gore to lose the Presidential election in 2000. Even Bill
Clinton publicly acknowledged that fact.
All of that said, however, the underlying reality is that it is the
individual States that must ultimately be guardians of the Second Amendment
(and the rest of the Bill of Rights, of course). States must be willing to
resist any and all efforts by the central government to intrude upon their
independence, sovereignty, and liberties. If this was not the case, why did
the individual States not dissolve after the federal government was created
by the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1787? Why? Because the States
were deemed to be superior entities. Superior in assignment. Superior in
responsibility. Superior in nature. Superior in scope.
As James Madison said in the Federalist Papers, No. 45, "The powers
delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and
defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and
indefinite."
Therefore, when the federal government begins to intrude upon the rights and
liberties of the people, it is the responsibility of the States to resist.
Obviously, the way the federal government tries to keep States in subjection
is through bribery: by threatening to deny federal tax dollars unless States
comply with their despotic machinations. And, sadly, most States have
succumbed to this menacing temptation for far, far too long.
The good news is that States are finally beginning to fight back.
According to World Net Daily, "So far, eight states have introduced
resolutions declaring state sovereignty under the Ninth and Tenth Amendment
to the Constitution, including Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Michigan, Missouri,
New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.
"Analysts expect that in addition, another 20 states may see similar
measures introduced this year, including Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nevada, Maine and
Pennsylvania."
Pertaining specifically to the Second Amendment, the State of Montana, in
particular, seems to have it all together. In anticipation of the recent
Heller Supreme Court decision, a host of Montana's senators and
representatives--along with its Secretary of State-- proposed a resolution
stating "that any 'collective rights' holding in D.C. v. Heller will violate
Montana's compact with the United States, the contract by which Montana
entered the Union in 1889."
The Montana resolution recalls, "When Montana entered into
statehood and adopted the Compact as a part of the Montana Constitution in
1889, included was a provision guaranteeing the right to bear arms to 'any
person.'"
The resolution continues, "To be clear, the wording of the right to bear
arms reservation in the Montana constitution is exactly the same today as it
was in 1884."
Furthermore, the Montana resolution says, "There is no question that the
contract into which Montana entered for statehood was predicated upon an
understanding that the people of Montana would benefit from an individual
and personal right to bear arms, protected from governmental interference by
both the federal and Montana constitutions. That was the clear intent of the
parties to the contract."
The resolution ended by stating sternly, "A collective rights holding in
Heller would not only open the Pandora's box of unilaterally morphing
contracts, it would also poise Montana to claim appropriate and historically
entrenched remedies for contract violation."
In other words, representatives and senators in the State of Montana
unequivocally put Washington, D.C., on notice that it would not tolerate the
infringement of its citizens' right to keep and bear arms. I don't think I'm
reading anything into the resolution by assuming that they were implying
that they would secede before they let the federal government trample their
Second Amendment liberties. (Plus, I've just been told that New Hampshire
may also be preparing to propose such a resolution.)
Montana has it exactly right!
Now it is time for every State legislative body in America that believes in
the Second Amendment to step up to the plate and let Barack Obama, Eric
Holder, and the rest of these gun-grabbing socialists know that they will
not tolerate even one more attempt to infringe upon the right to keep and
bear arms--and that includes any so-called "assault weapons" ban.
And let's never forget that the purpose of the Second Amendment was not to
ensure the rights of hunters, but of citizens to protect themselves--and
their States--against the tyrannical tendencies of their own government.
P.S. If anyone wants to see firsthand testimony regarding the importance of
the Second Amendment, I encourage him or her to watch this testimony given
before Congress not long ago:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4069761537893819675
*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these
editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by
credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php
(c) Chuck Baldwin
By Chuck Baldwin
March 3, 2009
This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090303.html
According to ABC News (Feb. 25, 2009), "The Obama administration will seek
to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 during the Bush
administration, Attorney General Eric Holder said today.
"'As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few
gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to
reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons,' Holder told reporters."
Holder also said that President Obama would seek to make the assault weapons
ban permanent, close the "gun show loophole," and ban "cop-killer" bullets.
At this point, I believe it is incumbent on me to say that both Eric Holder
and Barack Obama have made a career out of doing everything in their power
to strip the American people of their right to keep and bear arms. Even
under the rubric of the abovementioned "few gun-related changes," there is
the potential for widespread assault against our Second Amendment.
For example, the so-called "assault weapons" ban is as phony as the
Bush-Obama stimulus spending bills--and just as fraudulent. A semi-automatic
rifle, which is incapable of automatic fire, is not an "assault weapon." By
definition, an assault weapon must be capable of fully automatic fire. A
civilian AR-15-style rifle--in any configuration--is functionally identical
to any semi-automatic hunting rifle. In fact, many hunters commonly use
AR-15-style rifles for all types of hunting, both predator and big game. The
term "assault weapon" is simply a dangerous-sounding moniker that makes it
easy for a compliant media to intimidate the public and public officials
into passing a ban against semi-automatic rifles.
Furthermore, does anyone believe that if Obama and Holder were successful in
outlawing semi-automatic rifles, pump and bolt-action rifles would not also
be targeted? Get real! I well remember gun control zealots during the
Clinton years railing against bolt-action rifles, calling them "sniper"
rifles. And once rifles are outlawed, how long would it be before handguns
and shotguns would fall victim to a similar fate? As always, the issue for
these people is not what type of firearm it is; the issue is the
infringement of the right of the people to keep and bear arms--any arms.
Of course, the "gun show loophole" is nothing more than the prohibition
against private citizens selling and trading their own personal firearms. I
would like to remind the Obamas and Holders of this country that liberty is
not a "loophole."
In the beginning, the private sale and trading of firearms was almost
exclusively the purpose for which gun shows were started. Today, commercial
firearms dealers dominate gun shows, but it is still a convenient
marketplace for citizens to buy and trade guns. This is a freedom and right
that is as old as the country itself. Shoot (pun intended)! I remember when
we were free to buy guns from a Sears & Roebuck catalog.
And as to banning "cop-killer" bullets, what bullet is not capable of
killing? Any bullet that is not capable of killing a good guy is not capable
of killing a bad guy (be it two-legged or four). This is just another
approach to the same goal: the infringement of the right to keep and bear
arms. Obviously, any gun without a bullet is pretty much useless.
The Democrats went down this road in 1994. Are they really willing to go
down the same road again? It looks like they are.
It was largely an aggressive gun control agenda that caused the Republicans
to sweep both houses of Congress in 1994 and render Bill Clinton without a
majority in either chamber. It was also an aggressive gun control agenda
that caused Al Gore to lose the Presidential election in 2000. Even Bill
Clinton publicly acknowledged that fact.
All of that said, however, the underlying reality is that it is the
individual States that must ultimately be guardians of the Second Amendment
(and the rest of the Bill of Rights, of course). States must be willing to
resist any and all efforts by the central government to intrude upon their
independence, sovereignty, and liberties. If this was not the case, why did
the individual States not dissolve after the federal government was created
by the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1787? Why? Because the States
were deemed to be superior entities. Superior in assignment. Superior in
responsibility. Superior in nature. Superior in scope.
As James Madison said in the Federalist Papers, No. 45, "The powers
delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and
defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and
indefinite."
Therefore, when the federal government begins to intrude upon the rights and
liberties of the people, it is the responsibility of the States to resist.
Obviously, the way the federal government tries to keep States in subjection
is through bribery: by threatening to deny federal tax dollars unless States
comply with their despotic machinations. And, sadly, most States have
succumbed to this menacing temptation for far, far too long.
The good news is that States are finally beginning to fight back.
According to World Net Daily, "So far, eight states have introduced
resolutions declaring state sovereignty under the Ninth and Tenth Amendment
to the Constitution, including Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Michigan, Missouri,
New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.
"Analysts expect that in addition, another 20 states may see similar
measures introduced this year, including Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nevada, Maine and
Pennsylvania."
Pertaining specifically to the Second Amendment, the State of Montana, in
particular, seems to have it all together. In anticipation of the recent
Heller Supreme Court decision, a host of Montana's senators and
representatives--along with its Secretary of State-- proposed a resolution
stating "that any 'collective rights' holding in D.C. v. Heller will violate
Montana's compact with the United States, the contract by which Montana
entered the Union in 1889."
The Montana resolution recalls, "When Montana entered into
statehood and adopted the Compact as a part of the Montana Constitution in
1889, included was a provision guaranteeing the right to bear arms to 'any
person.'"
The resolution continues, "To be clear, the wording of the right to bear
arms reservation in the Montana constitution is exactly the same today as it
was in 1884."
Furthermore, the Montana resolution says, "There is no question that the
contract into which Montana entered for statehood was predicated upon an
understanding that the people of Montana would benefit from an individual
and personal right to bear arms, protected from governmental interference by
both the federal and Montana constitutions. That was the clear intent of the
parties to the contract."
The resolution ended by stating sternly, "A collective rights holding in
Heller would not only open the Pandora's box of unilaterally morphing
contracts, it would also poise Montana to claim appropriate and historically
entrenched remedies for contract violation."
In other words, representatives and senators in the State of Montana
unequivocally put Washington, D.C., on notice that it would not tolerate the
infringement of its citizens' right to keep and bear arms. I don't think I'm
reading anything into the resolution by assuming that they were implying
that they would secede before they let the federal government trample their
Second Amendment liberties. (Plus, I've just been told that New Hampshire
may also be preparing to propose such a resolution.)
Montana has it exactly right!
Now it is time for every State legislative body in America that believes in
the Second Amendment to step up to the plate and let Barack Obama, Eric
Holder, and the rest of these gun-grabbing socialists know that they will
not tolerate even one more attempt to infringe upon the right to keep and
bear arms--and that includes any so-called "assault weapons" ban.
And let's never forget that the purpose of the Second Amendment was not to
ensure the rights of hunters, but of citizens to protect themselves--and
their States--against the tyrannical tendencies of their own government.
P.S. If anyone wants to see firsthand testimony regarding the importance of
the Second Amendment, I encourage him or her to watch this testimony given
before Congress not long ago:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4069761537893819675
*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these
editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by
credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php
(c) Chuck Baldwin