The Never-Ending Story

The common perception is that the argument about the 2nd Amendment is between Conservatives and Liberals.

But is it, really?

I did a follow-up on the August 05, 2014, Opinion Article by an Oregon Physician -- Dr. Perry Grossman -- who essentially stated that we need to re-write the Second Amendment to accommodate the changes in technology since "colonial days".  He introduced all the usual fallacious arguments about 'the founders" who never expected hi-cap mags, semi-auto pistols, etc.  He either didn't read HELLER or chose to ignore the decision of the Supreme Court.  (Well, he may have read MILLER but failed to read the background.)

My follow-up was to read all of the 961 comments to his article; a daunting task, and frustrating.   Amusing, though, in a way.

The usual suspects said the usual things, and the usual hard-core liberals demonstrated their determination to stick to The Party Line about guns.

But during that process, I found links to not one, but TWO articles from Liberal writers who actually had managed to address constitutional issues dispassionately.  (Disclaimer: I actually only read about 600 comments; most of the time, it was an exercise in futility on the level of "teaching the horse to sing".)

Allow me to present to logical, rational arguments for the Second Amendment proposed by admitted Liberals who think that all of the constitutional amendments are equally valid.

FIRST:  from The Daily KOS (!):
 "Why Liberals should love the Second Amendment":
July 04, 2010, by   by
Kaili Joy GrayFollowfor Daily Kosx

   The argument here is that we should all love the Second Amendment as we do the First Amendment, and for the same reasons.   The author has obviously read the Constitution dispassionately, but has also read case law (which cannot be said for commenters on Doctor Grossman's article.)

SECOND, from a blog named KONTRADICTIONS was titled "Dear Gun Control Advocates: 6 Ways to Make a Better Argument".

This is a much more personal document.  The author presents it as "talking points" for Liberals who want to impose Gun Control on honest citizens without sounding like liars.  Unfortunately, the author has a firm grip on Reality, which often shows:

I wish I had a dollar for every Democratic politician and commentator that has looked into a television camera over the past few months and said, “No one is trying to take your guns away!”

Allow me this humble suggestion: The best way to convince the American public that you’re not interested in taking guns away is to stop talking about taking guns away.

I won't spoil this for you.  For me, reading this blog article was like opening up a Christmas Present from an Aunt who never even noticed me before:  I couldn't wait to see what was in the next layer of Kachina Dolls.

Imagine: A Liberal who thinks!

And so, while I find it difficult to resist my original impulse to paste "The Good Parts" ... they're all Good Parts.  I leave it to The Reader to choose what and how much to actually  GRTWT

(Go Read The Whole Thing)

This article has not received a comment since June, 2013.

 The Sweet Voice of Reason enjoys scant popularity, and that fleeting.


Oh, but the Sour voice of Extremism?  It will live forever!
Americans must stop carrying guns, revise Second Amendment: Guest opinion | OregonLive.com:
(August 05, 2014)

We need to become a society whose individuals do not carry devices specifically made to kill other individuals. Those gun-toting individuals who regard the Second Amendment as their license disregard the fact that this document was drafted in 1787, when we were a newly minted democracy, uncertain of the dangers posed to its citizens. The guns available at that time weren't assault rifles – they were simple weapons allowing one shot at a time to be fired off. The drafters of the Constitution, as wise as they were, had no way of knowing how sophisticated the weaponry was to become. We need to become a society whose reverence for the value of each life does not permit the carrying of devices to extinguish human life. We need to look at the Second Amendment and revise it to be consistent with the technologically complex society we have become. We need to register all guns like we register all motor vehicles.

A pox upon your house and your appeals to emotion, rather than reason, Dr. Grossman!