Comments on: Walter Shapiro Attacks The Bill Of Rights http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/ Life. Liberty. Property. Defending individual freedom and liberty, one post at a time. Fri, 17 May 2013 18:49:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Herb Martin http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-26098 Herb Martin Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:16:07 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-26098 His 16-word “repeal” would not work however, since the Right to Keep and Bear Arms pre-existed the 2nd Amendment, and is protected by the 4th, 5th, 6th, especially the 9th, 10th, and the 14th — as well as the entire structure and intent of the body of the Constitution which delegates power TO the government but retains all Rights among the people.

An “anti-right” amendment would be needed to void the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

We could more easily repeat the 5th and 6th, allowing the police to just beat confessions from “obvious” criminals, thus actually saving lives in exchange for living in a police state.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is arguably the oldest recognized and most important right of all — it secure originally and now protects all of the rest.

]]> By: LiberalLeaningToMiddle http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25996 LiberalLeaningToMiddle Sun, 22 Apr 2007 14:00:16 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25996 I suspect Walter Shapiro has never fired a gun or even owned one. He means well, but he’s no friend of mine or the moderate wing of the Democratic party which I consider myself a part of. The whole gun control argument was won over a decade ago by thoughtful Conservatives and Libertarians. I’m stunned and embarrassed that there’s still people like Shaprio who want to alter the 2nd Amendment. Luckily, the horse I’m pulling for in ’08 has a great rating from the NRA but more importantly an immaculate resume. I’m of course talking about the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson.

]]> By: Neoabolitionist http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25903 Neoabolitionist Fri, 20 Apr 2007 02:22:40 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25903 Salon columnist Walter Shapiro’s sympathetic letter writer, EgoWumpus, is convinced of the obsolescence of the 2nd Amendment.

He believes that citizen militia are necessary “[o]nly in a society in which you expect common injustice on the parts of your neighbors and tyranny on the part of the government.” He asks, “Really, what is it that gun owners are afraid of, that some day we may decide, as a democracy, that …?” Hmmm … that we can dispense with habeas corpus, jury trials, and search warrants or that we can employ indefinite preventive detention, torture detainees, and conduct secret tribunals where defendants are convicted on the basis of secret evidence and the hearsay testimony of anonymous witnesses?

Oh well, even so, as EgoWumpus reminds us that “unless I also get to own cruise missiles, military satellites, nuclear bombs and tanks, I don’t see how any private militia can hope to defeat a modern government’s army.” Right, so much for revolution! A modern army could put down a citizen militia in a couple of days. “Mission accomplished!” How could any citizen militia, armed with no more than militia-style weapons and improvised explosive devices ever be expected to stand up to a modern army? Hmmm .. like Vietnamese guerrillas or Iraqi militia?

On second thought, I thought I’d hang on to both my ACLU membership card and my militia-style rifle …

But then, two minutes later, EgoWumpus amends his pleadings to remind us that “if you have to take up arms against a tyrannical government, you’re not going to be engaging in ‘legal’ activity regardless of your right to bear arms …” He’s right. The 2nd Amendment does not legalize armed revolt. What it does do however, is prohibit government from engaging in the prior restraint of revolution by protecting the right of citizens to be prepared for an ‘illegal’ revolt by keeping and bearing arms necessary to the security of a free state.

On third thought, … at least until they pry them from my cold dead fingers.

]]> By: Brad Warbiany http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25887 Brad Warbiany Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:33:30 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25887 Bill,

If we want to stop murder, I’ve got an easier idea. We could just make MURDER illegal! That’ll work!

Oh, wait, you mean they already tried that?

]]> By: mike http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25883 mike Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:09:22 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25883 Well, remember…VT was a gun free campus.

Obviously rules and laws are the only realistic solutions to this problem.

]]> By: Bill http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25878 Bill Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:38:08 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25878 It makes so much sense, I dont’ know why it hasn’t been done already!

I see it clearly now. Thank you so much for making me see the obvious!

To stop murder, all we have to do is pass a law banning citizens from owning guns.

So, to stop all these terrorists blowing things up all over the world, we just need to pass a law against building bombs!

It is so obvious!
Brilliant!

]]> By: Ismael http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25877 Ismael Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:39:59 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25877 Please, don’t ever forget to remember who you are and where you came from, what your fathers fought for. Second amendment it’s still the one thing that makes you relatively free.

From Spain.

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25864 Doug Mataconis Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:39:01 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25864 But Brad, don’t you get it.

Once we repeal the Second Amendment, we’ll declare a War On Guns and get all them nasty guns off the street ;)

]]> By: Brad Warbiany http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25863 Brad Warbiany Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:36:29 +0000 http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/04/19/walter-shapiro-attacks-the-bill-of-rights/#comment-25863 What I’ll still never understand is why these people think that repealing the second amendment will actually get rid of guns. It hasn’t happened in Britain, it won’t happen here.

Heck, for the last 30 years, it’s been illegal to buy, sell, manufacture, or possess drugs in this country. Yet with a few phone calls, just about anyone in the US could get any drug in existence within 24 hours.

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