Understanding the Second Amendment
A little history: It all started before “America” was even a thing. We all know shit was getting crazy in Europe and long story short a bunch of people ended up in what we call today the united states. They got here and basically had to start from scratch. The United States was a brand new country and didn't work very well. That's when a bunch of men known as the “framers” met to find a new way of running the country. It was then that they created the constitution. The Constitution is a set of rules that say how the country works. It also states the rights of citizens, which is known as the bill of rights. The bill of rights consists of 10 “amendments”. The second amendment is the right to bear arms.
What does the second amendment actually say?
The Second Amendment 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."
Why the law actually exists:
So let's say you are one of the founding fathers of America. You are in a new position of power and responsibility. You have all these people that moved halfway across the world to live in a “better world”. They look up at you with hopeful eyes depending on you to not only be able to provide but protect them and their families. After just using guns to ward off the English, Americans needed to feel they could protect themselves against another potential tyrannical federal government. But HOLY SHIT you don't have a military yet! You need to provide more power to state militaries (Known today as the national guard) which consists of citizens. What are you supposed to do for your citizens that live in this new world without protection? You give them the right to protect themselves. GENIUS. This is where the second amendment comes from. Unlike most Countries at the time, the united states did not have a credible military necessary to protect everyone, so in order to launch a system and set of laws that would allow us to protect one another, they gave everyone 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.”
Meaning, if a military consisting of citizens is necessary in order to protect America, then we will give those citizens weapons to protect America. Now, there are three key things you need to consider when the second amendment was written:
Automatic weapons were not invented nor even considered to be a future thing.
We did not have an army!
The founding fathers had no idea what technology would be today
Who is making the coin:
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is an American “nonprofit” organization that advocates for gun rights. The NRA is heavily backed by gun-manufacturing companies. That means regardless of the potential damage, it’s in their best interest to support guns in America
According to ibisworld the annual revenue of gun and ammunition manufacturing industry is $13.5 billion, profiting $1.5 billion per year.
The National Rifle Association spends more money to influence politics than nearly every nonprofit group in the United States.
They will pull their support from anyone that introduces a moderate gun control bill.
Did you know: During the Trump campaign, the NRA spent $51,854,687 in the 2016 federal election cycle. They dropped more money on Donald Trump than it did in all federal elections in 2012 combined. According to Newsweek Trump was the beneficiary of over $30 million in NRA spending.
So what do we need to do?
Hold the gun industry accountable and ensure there is adequate oversight over the marketing and sales of guns and ammunition.
States need to pass laws requiring sellers to obtain state licenses, maintain records of sales, submit to inspections, and require mental health checks.
Unlike other industries, gun companies have special legal protections against liability leaving them immune from lawsuits.
Gun industry laws need to be repealed in states that have them, and resist their enactment in states without current immunity laws.
Laws need to be put into place to reduce easy access to dangerous weapons by banning high capacity magazines and bump stocks, requiring universal background checkswithout loopholes, instituting waiting periods, and reinstituting the assault weapons ban immediately.
Support gun violence research: Ensure that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others have the resources to study this issue and provide science-based guidance. Currently the CDC isn’t even allowed to study gun violence (let that sink in)
Establish accountability for law enforcement when their misuse of their gun injures or kills another person.
So now what do YOU do?
Get informed. Go out and do your own research. Speak up when it’s needed. Get out and vote. That’s what YOU can do.