Second Amendment protects people’s gun rights

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Today, states and cities are passing gun confiscation and red flag laws. Did you know that Shawano County is considering a Second Amendment resolution?

The central point of the resolution is the Shawano County Board, on behalf of the residents of Shawano County, opposes any efforts to unlawfully infringe upon the right to keep and bear arms, or to unlawfully ban the possession and use of any firearms, magazines or ammunition now employed by the law-abiding citizens of Shawano County for the defense of life, liberty and property.

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “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.”

Liberals claim we do not need a 30-round magazine to kill a deer. Hunters would agree, but if we want a 30-round magazine we should be able to have one. Gun confiscation supporters hear the 30-round magazine statement and shake their collective heads in agreement. Anti-gun groups love to make statements like, “Don’t you agree with common sense gun laws?”

What is a common sense gun law? Common to you might not be common to me. The Second Amendment was not inserted into the Constitution because it was common sense or to protect our rights to shoot targets, hunt ducks, deer or shoot trap. Today, recreational hunting and shooting is a large part of our nation’s economy. When the Constitution was written, guns were used to provide food and protection for the homeowner.

Do you know why the founding fathers placed so much importance on the Second Amendment? Something must have happened that made the Second Amendment important. Parliament passed the coercive act in 1774 allowing Britain to use force (military) to carry out the confiscation of arms. From 1774-1776, the British confiscated guns and banned gun powder imports to the colonies.

The American colonists did not want to give up their arms and neither do 21st century Americans. These were some of the issues resulting in the American Revolution. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. On May 29, 1790, the 13th colony ratified the U.S. Constitution, and it became law. Did you know that the U.S. Constitution is the only law ever passed by a vote of the American people?

Let’s dissect the Second Amendment. Gun confiscation advocates focus on the first part which refers to military and law enforcement, a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state. The second part is more critical: “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Why do you suppose the founding fathers wanted people to keep and bear arms? Who would the people bear arms against?

Founding Fathers Second Amendment discussion in Federalist Paper 29: Having just used guns and other arms to ward off the English, the amendment was created to give citizens the opportunity to fight back against a tyrannical federal government. The founders did not want a strong central government to dictate to the individual American, hindering each Americans right to the pursuit of happiness.

Remember what the Obama administration’s motto was, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Our powerful centralized government is becoming more tyrannical, and each shooting is used to pass new restrictive gun regulations while emotions are high.

How familiar are you with gun confiscation around the world? I will only reference countries that confiscated guns resulting in mass murders in the 20th century. Turkey confiscated guns in 1911, Soviet Union in 1929, China 1935, Germany 1938, Guatemala 1964, Uganda 1970, Cambodia 1975, and the last is Venezuela in 2012. These confiscations resulted in over 86 million innocent people being killed.

A few of the targeted groups were anyone who disagreed with the central government, Christians, western educated, Armenians, and Jews. Look at the strongest gun law cities in the United States and compare their shooting and death rate compared to other less restrictive gun right cities and concealed carry states.

Switzerland has the lowest gun crime rate in the developed nations. Switzerland offers shooting lessons beginning at age 10 and allows student participants to take the gun home. Switzerland has a militia-based military and issues a gun to militia members that these members take home with them.

In America, several high schools have trap shooting teams. In the 1950s and 1960s disciplined safe handling of guns was taught in schools, and today some feel that we should offer that same discipline through a hunter safety class to seventh and eighth graders.

Think about this: Each elected official takes an oath to protect and preserve the Constitution of the United States. Watch for dates and times for the Shawano County Board and committees to meet.


Richard W. Kucksdorf is a retired U.S. Army colonel residing in Bonduel. Kucksdorf has other writings on his website, “Observations From Flyover Country,” at rwkucksdorf.com.