Gunning for a Freedom to Choose

On March 18th 2008, the US Supreme Court tackled a thorny issue that could, in the minds of many Americans, have started a second Civil War. Not this time between north and south but between two other factions. One side sincerely believes in its constitutionally guaranteed right to bear and carry a firearm and the other believes that they know better and want that constitutional guarantee quashed.

People oppose the 2nd amendment for a number of reasons. Some are scared to death by guns. Others believe that the average Joe (you and me) is too stupid and irresponsible to handle firearms, even though private citizens own 280,000,000 firearms in the US practically without incident. Still others suffer from what our forefathers designed the amendment to do: they are afraid of a civilian population who has the power to implement political change through force of arms.

However the real issue isn't about guns, it's freedom of choice.

Now where did we hear about freedom of choice before? Oh, yes - a women's right to choose, which is clearly right but which is not constitutionally guaranteed.

The 2nd amendment guarantees us the right to keep and bear arms. By inference, it guarantees the individual the right to choose to keep or bear arms. Or not. It is, in effect, guaranteeing the individual the right to choice.

Watch this issue carefully. Any Supreme Court decision that changed or interfered with the wording or interpretation of the 2nd amendment would have ultimately come back to bite us all. If this Constitutionally guaranteed right to choose is ever removed or revised, then a women's right to choose and, indeed every individuals right to choice, is in danger and at the whim of prevailing politicians.

For up-to-date reports and information please visit American Firearms Institute llc, www.americanfirearms.org, a second amendment website that contains data, statistics and reports as it relates to firearms and firearm violence