District of Coumbia v. Heller

I believe the wording of the Constitution makes it clear that individuals have the right to keep and bear arms. That is my opinion, which doesn't matter because I don't sit on the SCOTUS.

BTW..........I read "My Grandfather's Son" last week and enjoyed it. If you like biographies, I recommend it.

Aaron wrote:
Reasonable poeple of that time wanted citizens to retain the right to bear arms as a counter measure to a standing army which they greatly feared at that time. That was a major contention among citizens during debates surrounding the constitutional convention as well as those surrounding the bill of rights.

But Aaron, at that time in our history when they passed the Bill of Rights "the West had not been won", ........ west of the Alleghenies that is.

Do you realize it would have been impossible for most rural families to survive in those days without a gun of some type.

There were no Super Markets then ya know, ....... not even "corner grocery stores", ......... people lived off the land.

Deer, elk, bison, rabbits, squirrels, etc. for their own food. Furs and pelts of fox, skunk, beaver, etc. to sale to the fur buyers. Passenger Pigeons, quails, ducks, geese, etc. for shipment and sale to the restaurants and hotels in the big cities.

And of course a gun was needed for "self protection" from all those who would steal, rob or kill you to take what you had.

Though it has never been labeled as such, it is a fact that there was a "Wild East" long before there was ever a "Wild West".

GEEEZE, even in the early 1900's when my Dad was a young man he carried a "concealed" .38 pistol for self protection.

cheers

SamCogar wrote:

Aaron wrote:
Reasonable poeple of that time wanted citizens to retain the right to bear arms as a counter measure to a standing army which they greatly feared at that time. That was a major contention among citizens during debates surrounding the constitutional convention as well as those surrounding the bill of rights.

But Aaron, at that time in our history when they passed the Bill of Rights "the West had not been won", ........ west of the Alleghenies that is.

Do you realize it would have been impossible for most rural families to survive in those days without a gun of some type.

There were no Super Markets then ya know, ....... not even "corner grocery stores", ......... people lived off the land.

Deer, elk, bison, rabbits, squirrels, etc. for their own food. Furs and pelts of fox, skunk, beaver, etc. to sale to the fur buyers. Passenger Pigeons, quails, ducks, geese, etc. for shipment and sale to the restaurants and hotels in the big cities.

And of course a gun was needed for "self protection" from all those who would steal, rob or kill you to take what you had.

Though it has never been labeled as such, it is a fact that there was a "Wild East" long before there was ever a "Wild West".

GEEEZE, even in the early 1900's when my Dad was a young man he carried a "concealed" .38 pistol for self protection.

cheers

I'm not saying that the west couldn't have been won with individual gun ownership Sam.

But in 1789, 15 to 20 years BEFORE many knew what laid beyond the Alleghenies, the biggest concern was contending with a standing Army. That fear is the reason for the 2nd Amendment, not winning the west.

Aaron wrote:I'm not saying that the west couldn't have been won with individual gun ownership Sam.

But in 1789, 15 to 20 years BEFORE many knew what laid beyond the Alleghenies, the biggest concern was contending with a standing Army. That fear is the reason for the 2nd Amendment, not winning the west.

Well, if you say so, ...... but I think it was no different back then than it is today, ...... and that is the peoples's biggest concern is their "self protection and feeding of their individual families".

.

.

SamCogar wrote:

Aaron wrote:I'm not saying that the west couldn't have been won with individual gun ownership Sam.

But in 1789, 15 to 20 years BEFORE many knew what laid beyond the Alleghenies, the biggest concern was contending with a standing Army. That fear is the reason for the 2nd Amendment, not winning the west.

Well, if you say so, ...... but I think it was no different back then than it is today, ...... and that is the peoples's biggest concern is their "self protection and feeding of their individual families".

.

.

I'm not saying that it's not Sam. But believe it or not, there were individuals from the late 1700's that didn't believe in the individual right to gun ownership. I still believe the simplest way to solve the problem is to simply amend the constitution and take the vote directly to the people as the Philadelphia attendee's did.

Good Huey Newton quote. I liked that.

I read a biography of Clarence Thomas last summer, Stephanie. I wanted to read his book but have not...