The Liberal Case for Gun Ownership

[jrosto]

Lets try to keep this thread from getting locked if you don't mind.

One of the best essays I have read in support of the Second Amendment and an individuals right to keep and bear arms was penned by a Liberal. You may want to check it out.

An excerpt:

And yet, are we not Americans? The Ku Klux Klansman, the ACLU-card holder, the communist, the Gay Pride activist, the militant feminist, the vegan, the Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, the black Baptist minister, the union-card boiler maker, and the retired Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps all may differ from each other in terms of race, religion, and politics, but they all believe in the First Amendment.

You do not need to be Mormon to respect the concept of separation of Church and State, nor do you have to be a hate-spewing Klansman to value free speech.

By the same token, you do not have to own guns or even like guns to respect the Second Amendment.

What were our Founding Fathers thinking when they wrote the Second Amendment?

Well, they were not engaged in narrow partisan politics. They were not posturing for Fox News or trying to “make nice to soccer moms.�

These were serious men who came fresh from the white-hot forge of revolution. A war had just been fought to overthrow the yoke of an oppressive and unresponsive Government that invaded homes without warrant and which exposed the populace to "dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within."

Go give it a read, it is worth your while.

The Liberal Case for Gun Ownership

[seamusTX]

Excellent piece of writing.

- Jim

[nitrogen]

Excellent.

I know plenty of liberals who agree with this. Unfortunately, things havn't fully filtered up to the leadership yet. I'm sure it will sooner rather than later.

As someone that listens to a lot of Liberal talk radio, every time the subject of gun control is brought up on a liberal show, the pro-gun calls outnumber the anti-gun calls by a wide margin each time.

[seamusTX]

As someone that listens to a lot of Liberal talk radio, every time the subject of gun control is brought up on a liberal show, the pro-gun calls outnumber the anti-gun calls by a wide margin each time.

That's because they're looking for controversy. You and I don't know how many calls the screeners squelch.

-Jim

[nitrogen]

As someone that listens to a lot of Liberal talk radio, every time the subject of gun control is brought up on a liberal show, the pro-gun calls outnumber the anti-gun calls by a wide margin each time.

That's because they're looking for controversy. You and I don't know how many calls the screeners squelch.

-Jim

Most of the shows I listen to have minimal screeners (I speak from experience as I call many of them to agree, and vociferiously disagree with them at times.)

[seamusTX]

Did you call Thom Harmann today?

- Jim

[stevie_d_64]

There are a lot more things that are damaging, that a liberal elected official can do other than just be an A+ NRA rated elected official...

Case in point, Nick Lampson TxCD-22

And when it comes to him standing up for our individual rights in regard to the 2nd Amendment, sure, we might be able to be comfortable in his position on the issue...

But I am not a one issue constituent though...He might as well start packing now...

[badkarma56]

"These were serious men who came fresh from the white-hot forge of revolution. A war had just been fought to overthrow the yoke of an oppressive and unresponsive Government that invaded homes without warrant and which exposed the populace to "dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within."

Simply outstanding! The very concept of a "just" revolution is itself an inherently liberal idea.

Upon reading this post for the first time, I couldn't help but think of my favorite "founding father." Thomas Jefferson was, among other things, a political philosopher who embodied a classically liberal ideology. Jefferson was a complicated man with many flaws (i.e., his life-long ownership of slaves); however, he is without a doubt one of the two most important Framers of our precious nation...the other critically important Framer was James Madison. Why, you ask? Because the singular efforts of these two men produced the greatest imaginable gift to the citizens of America...the Bill of Rights.

It's sad that our current political landscape has become overly politicized and muddled to the point that many politicians from both major parties have disregarded the thoughts, writings and deeds of our nation's founders. Unfortunately, the current definitions of "conservative" and "liberal" have been badly distorted by the media and the current amalgam of political hacks that inhabit OUR nation's capital. Many of these so-called "liberals" and "conservatives" are actually neither; what they truly are is a group of overly-ambitious pretenders.

Well, let me get down from this soapbox now...

[txmatt]

That was a very good read. Thanks jrosto for posting it.

nitrogen-
I hope you are right about it filtering up to the leadership, though at this rate, it is at a minimum going to take losing in 08, I imagine.

[stroo]

Several liberal law professors have also written very pro 2nd Amendment articles in the last several years. This really shouldn't be a conservative versus liberal issue.

[nitrogen]

Did you call Thom Harmann today?

- Jim

No, I only get the first hour of his show on Sirius. Had I known what the 2nd hour was about, I'd have listened online.

[shootthesheet]

Every person that claims to be pro-freedom must be pro-2A as an individual right. Otherwise, they are not pro-freedom. I say the same for all of our rights. The problem is, one cannot be a big "L" liberal if they support rights over privileges. And, I have yet to meet a liberal or Liberal who knows the difference between the two. How a conclusion is reached determines if a right exists or a privilege is created. And I don't think most politicians are anything but pro-self promotion. They don't care what the issue is as long as it will get them elected.

Conservatives exist to conserve the COTUS as a reflection of God given (natural) rights. If they do anything else they are not Conservatives. They are liberals with conservative leanings. That being, if they claim Constitutional reflected rights where none exist (abortion as freedom of speech) or claim a restriction where none exists (separation of church and state) they cannot be called (C)conservatives. The point is Liberals look for ways to restrict rights and create privileges. Conservatives look to preserve Constitutional rights every time. What is the point of having a privilege (CCW) when the right (to bear arms) already exist? Both sides claim to be for our rights but they can only be held on to thru the conservative view of less government power. Otherwise, all we have is privileges from our government and no rights that exist with or without any government.

That said, as long as Liberals and liberals and moderates support our individual rights to keep and bear arms then things are getting better on that subject. I will still not vote for a (L)liberal.

[FightinAggieCHL]

I liked this article, and I like the majority of the comments that I read. I'm glad that there are at least SOME liberals who are supportive of 2A, even if they aren't supportive of shooting sports and activities.

[KBCraig]

It's sad that our current political landscape has become overly politicized and muddled to the point that many politicians from both major parties have disregarded the thoughts, writings and deeds of our nation's founders.

I know one politician who still supports the Constitution as intended by the Founders.

[badkarma56]

It's sad that our current political landscape has become overly politicized and muddled to the point that many politicians from both major parties have disregarded the thoughts, writings and deeds of our nation's founders.

I know one politician who still supports the Constitution as intended by the Founders.

Great point, KBCraig, I concur. Of the "major" party candidates, Ron Paul is just about the only one who appeals to me. In particular, I share his utter disdain for the IRS...that agency should never have been allowed to exist in the first place; ditto for the BATFE, Department of Homeland Security, etc.

Lest we forget, one of the principal causes of the American revolution was unjust taxation of the colonies by Great Britain.