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> The 2nd Amendment is there to divide and distribute half the power to the people and half to the government. 1) According to whom? I've heard people say that

> The 2nd Amendment is there to divide and distribute half the power to the people and half to the government. 1) According to whom? I've heard people say that but I know no basis for it. 2) Has this ever happened in the history of the United States, where private citizens asserted power over government through violence (and who were not criminals)? Even the Civil War was an insurrection by a government. 3) Most importantly, it seems like a terrible idea to have issues decided not by votes and laws, but by violence, killing, and who has bigger guns. It sounds like the opposite of civilization - anarchy and barbarism - and the problem democracy and rule of law are meant to solve. 4) The founders, and I believe almost all Americans intend that power should come from votes, and issues should be decided by law, in court.

DefaultUserHN 11y ago
1) According to whom? I've heard people say that but I know no basis for it. According to your ancestors, who were unwilling to signed the Constitution into law because it only contained power for the government. If you read up on the history of the founding of the United States of American, you will find that your ancestors demanded a second portion be added to the Constitution, a portion with powers distributed and reserved for the people, a portion called the Bill of Rights, which consists of 10 Amendments. Your ancestors demanded that if this portion, which distributed half the power to the people was not added, they would not sign the Constitution into law. So that was why this portion was added back then, because the people demanded it, and they were unwilling to recognize the legitimacy of the Constitution and of the government until it was added.
hga 11y ago
As for 1, I'd suggest reading this book: http://www.amazon.com/That-Every-Man-Armed-Constitutional/dp/0945999380 http://www.amazon.com/That-Every-Man-Armed-Constitutional/dp... As for 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946) As for 3, no one is suggesting it become a routine method. Heck, the early 20th Century Imperial Japanese political culture of assassination and what it led to is a stark object lesson (particularly stark as I finish reading this right now: http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Pay-Operation-Downfall-1945-1947/dp/1591143160/ http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Pay-Operation-Downfall-1945-1947/...) As for 4, your history lessons must have skipped this event: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War Overall, it's rather interesting you can't conceive of the deterrent effects of a well armed populace. Surely our 21st Century experiences in the sandbox suggest something....

DefaultUserHN 11y ago

1) According to whom? I've heard people say that but I know no basis for it. According to your ancestors, who were unwilling to signed the Constitution into law because it only contained power for the government. If you read up on the history of the founding of the United States of American, you will find that your ancestors demanded a second portion be added to the Constitution, a portion with powers distributed and reserved for the people, a portion called the Bill of Rights, which consists of 10 Amendments. Your ancestors demanded that if this portion, which distributed half the power to the people was not added, they would not sign the Constitution into law. So that was why this portion was added back then, because the people demanded it, and they were unwilling to recognize the legitimacy of the Constitution and of the government until it was added.

hga 11y ago

As for 1, I'd suggest reading this book: http://www.amazon.com/That-Every-Man-Armed-Constitutional/dp/0945999380 http://www.amazon.com/That-Every-Man-Armed-Constitutional/dp... As for 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946) As for 3, no one is suggesting it become a routine method. Heck, the early 20th Century Imperial Japanese political culture of assassination and what it led to is a stark object lesson (particularly stark as I finish reading this right now: http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Pay-Operation-Downfall-1945-1947/dp/1591143160/ http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Pay-Operation-Downfall-1945-1947/...) As for 4, your history lessons must have skipped this event: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War Overall, it's rather interesting you can't conceive of the deterrent effects of a well armed populace. Surely our 21st Century experiences in the sandbox suggest something....