Distinguishing the 2nd Amendment

I very much care about how other people feel about the 2nd Amendment as it reveals to me their understanding about American jurisprudence, particularly sovereignty, power and right, constitutional law, the important limitations on the power of federal government, and the critical distinction between the powers of the state and federal governments. Knowing this gives me the important frame of reference I need, inside a conversation with other people, to know where to meet them. 

Why hack at the branches when I can strike at the root?

It is my experience that most people don’t know that the 2nd Amendment, one of the first ten articles in amendment (aka “Bill of Rights”) to the Constitution for the United States (“federal constitution”), is not a grant of right or privilege, but rather a limitation on the power delegated to the federal government by the federal constitution.

The preamble to the first Ten Articles in Amendment to the federal constitution reads as follows: “THE Conventions of a number of the States having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution.” [Emphasis added]

The first ten amendments, though generally accepted as the “Bill of Rights” are, as a matter of law, a bill of limitations. While the body of the federal constitution establishes the form of and delegates power to the federal government, the “Bill of Rights” imposes limitations on that power. In other words, not only is the federal government limited to exercising power delegated by the federal constitution, while exercising that power it is prohibited from doing anything limited by the “Bill of Rights.” The 2nd amendment limits the power of the state governments via the 14th amendment.

Many people are erroneously programmed (hypnotized) by the public school system to believe that the 2nd amendment is merely a privilege which can be restricted by government. Deprogramming, rather than judging and condemning, is what is most needed in today’s politically charged environment.

The why of the 2nd Amendment is an entirely different, but extremely important subject, as the declared limitation is ultimately the distinction of the final deterrent, retained by the Sovereign American People, against a federal bureaucracy (“Deep State”— puppet government) run amuck of legitimate power. A well regulated militia, necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, is the lawful, final check against a dictatorship, which, via a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, has evinced a design to reduce the American People under absolute despotism.