U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “The National Rifle Association, and its lawyers, draw a line straight from the founding fathers to the modern ‘good guy with a gun,’” The Trace writes Thursday. “In their framing, people who arm themselves with lethal weapons to defend themselves, their families, and their communities do so with the blessing of the Constitution, as evidenced by the meaning of the Second Amendment.
“But that understanding of the Second Amendment was enshrined by the courts only recently,” the “report” claims. It’s referring, of course, to District of Columbia v. Heller, and the failed gun-grabber contention that an individual rights “interpretation” of the Second Amendment is a modern fiction without basis in prior understanding and legal opinions.
It’s hardly surprising to see this tack taken. As a “news organization” that brays loudly about its “editorial independence” that just happens to be “Bloomberg-backed,” The Trace exists to be a dispenser and repeater of anti-gun narrative talking points. Thwarted, resentful antis have never gotten over the rejection of their pre-Heller insistence that “the Second Amendment guarantees no right to possess firearms unless in connection with service in a state-regulated militia.” They’ve been nursing that grudge ever since, unable to let it go or to stop lying that an activist SCOTUS somehow invented “the right of the people to keep and bear arms.”
We know what the Founders said about that right, and it’s reasonable to assume prior courts did, too. So it’s hardly surprising that the manufactured individual vs. collective “controversy” actually did not arise until the gun ban lobby invented their argument, and it’s no surprise they’d point fingers and claim the exact opposite.
Projection is what gun-grabbers do.
Up until relatively recently, even “liberal” politicians proclaimed an individual rights understanding and recognized the purpose behind the right.
From John F. Kennedy (incidentally an NRA Life Member who was gunned down by a “progressive” ACLU member):
“By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia,’ the ‘security’ of the nation, and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms,’ our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.”
And from “liberal icon” Hubert H. Humphrey:
“Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully used, and that definite safety rules of precaution should not be taught and enforced. But the right of citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.”
Which side’s position is the recent contrivance again?
In fairness, The Trace is not talking about political interpretations, but legal ones. Still, the way its assertion is presented evokes nothing so much as a paraphrase of Bill Clinton’s weasel-wording: It depends upon what the meaning of the word “enshrined” is.
Yeah, Heller offered an opinion specific to the case, no argument. But it’s hardly the first time in history the Supreme Court has told Americans how it perceived the Second Amendment.
The Scott v. Sandford Court recognized (in 1856):
“[C]itizens in any one State of the Union [had] the right … to keep and carry arms wherever they went.”
The U.S. v. Miller Court recognized (in 1939):
“[W]hen called for service these men were expected to appear bearing arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time [further identified as ‘ordinary military equipment … that … could contribute to the common defense.’]”
As much as Bloomberg’s propaganda minions obviously wans people to believe otherwise, gun owners who know better have an obligation to not let them get away with misdirection masked as news. At least not without challenge…
Speaking of which, does anybody see a way to comment on their site, so that visitors who don’t know they’re being played can be shown how?
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.