The 2nd Amendment: Original Intent
(The following is an original post by Ogre - that I have shamelessly cross posted here. My thanks to Ogre for sharing his research on the beliefs of our founding fathers and how their faith influenced the writing of the Constitution.)
The 2nd Amendment: Original Intent
Yesterday I posted facts that showed the current media bias against firearms is clearly wrong. I showed how the founding fathers very clearly indicated that the United States Constitution is NOT a "living" document, and that when interpreting the Constitution, one should absolutely consider the original intent of those who wrote it.
Today I'd like to continue with some details about that original intent, specifically the source of the rights in the United States Constitution.
James Wilson, one of only 6 men who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, who was also the second most active member of the Constitutional Convention, said that the rights found in government documents did NOT create new rights, but instead the documents were...to acquire a new security for the possession of the recovery of those rights to which we were previously entitled by the immediate gift or by the unerring law of our all-wise and all-beneficent Creator.
John Adams said the same thing when he said that Rights are antecedent to all earthly governments; Rights cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; Rights are derived from the great Legislator of the universe.
Thomas Jefferson agreed that government is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties and to take none of them from us.
Alexander Hamilton: The Supreme Being gave existence to man, together with the means of preserving and beautifying that existence. He invested him [man] with an inviolable right to personal liberty and personal safety.
So now we've clearly shown that government is not in the business of granting rights, but instead the Constitution has clearly outlined various boundaries of natural rights that the government should never cross.
Tomorrow we'll continue with more details and facts about the actual right PROTECTED, NOT GRANTED, in the Bill of Rights.
(It should be a really good post tomorrow - go check it out!)
Yesterday I posted facts that showed the current media bias against firearms is clearly wrong. I showed how the founding fathers very clearly indicated that the United States Constitution is NOT a "living" document, and that when interpreting the Constitution, one should absolutely consider the original intent of those who wrote it.
Today I'd like to continue with some details about that original intent, specifically the source of the rights in the United States Constitution.
James Wilson, one of only 6 men who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, who was also the second most active member of the Constitutional Convention, said that the rights found in government documents did NOT create new rights, but instead the documents were...to acquire a new security for the possession of the recovery of those rights to which we were previously entitled by the immediate gift or by the unerring law of our all-wise and all-beneficent Creator.
John Adams said the same thing when he said that Rights are antecedent to all earthly governments; Rights cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; Rights are derived from the great Legislator of the universe.
Thomas Jefferson agreed that government is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties and to take none of them from us.
Alexander Hamilton: The Supreme Being gave existence to man, together with the means of preserving and beautifying that existence. He invested him [man] with an inviolable right to personal liberty and personal safety.
So now we've clearly shown that government is not in the business of granting rights, but instead the Constitution has clearly outlined various boundaries of natural rights that the government should never cross.
Tomorrow we'll continue with more details and facts about the actual right PROTECTED, NOT GRANTED, in the Bill of Rights.
(It should be a really good post tomorrow - go check it out!)
posted by Is It Just Me? at 5:17 PM
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