Wow! I ran across a letter I had written to the editor of the Chattanooga Times on the 23rd of October, 1994, and I still agree with myself! That's a good thing! As people mature and especially (as in my case) you go from being a nominal "Christian" to being a born-again Christian, your way of looking at things changes over time, and you find that opinions you held years ago, you don't always agree with now. Following is the text of the letter (which, best I remember the paper printed in a much abbreviated form), which was written in response to a letter from someone from the anti-gun position.
To the Editor:
The following is in response to WHM III (Times, 22 Oct 94). Obviously Mr. M hasn't done his homework on the Second Amendment. The Constitution doesn't read "well-maintained," or "well-disciplined" as stated. It reads "well-regulated," which in the vernacular of the day meant, "well-trained." "...to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them..." (Richard Henry Lee)
The framers of the Constitution knew all too well that a powerful central government prefers unarmed peasants. The 2nd Amendment right to hunt or defend oneself is secondary to giving the citizenry the means to defend themselves against corrupt government. "Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power, and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive." (Noah Webster
Mr. M also suggests rather sarcastically, that we have no right to military type weapons, and that his neighbor possessing weapons violates his rights. "Who are the militia? Are they nor ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom? Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of the American...The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people." (Tench Coxe)
"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." (Benjamin Franklin)
These words are not mine, but those of the men who wrote the Constitution. I hope you are right when you say government will never come for our guns, Mr. M. You obviously trust bureaucrats to tread lightly on your rights far more than our Founding Fathers.
Marty Tate
p.s. If I remember correctly the quotes used were taken from a book titled "That Every Man be Armed" by attorney Stephen Halbrook.
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