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BY IAN VAN ORDEN
h NEWS AND OPINION
■ R a tif ie d on D e c e m b e r 15,
1791, th e U n ited S tates B ill
o f R ig h ts added the firs t ten
am endm ents to the U nited S tates
C onstitution. Among the included rights
are free speech, as noted in the F irst A m endm ent,
protection against unreasonable searches and seizures,
as noted in the Fourth Amendment, and the idea o f
separation o f powers, stated in the 10th Amendment.
Along with these is, perhaps, the most controversial
right in today’s w orld, the right listed by the Second
Amendment of the C onstitution, or the right to keep
an d b e a r a rm s.
Hotly debated- over the decades, the intention of the
Second Amendment,and, until a s recently as 2008, how
far the right extended were unclear. The U.S. Supreme
Court decision reached during the District of Columbia
y, Heller case helped clariiy this aspect, but it hasn’t
stopped many from arguing against the decision, or even
against the very existence of the amendment.
But how important’ is our right to bear^àrms, really?
Thè Second Amendment of the Constitution states: “A
well regulated militia, being necessary to the security
of a free statej ihe right o f the people to keep and bear
arms, shall not be infringed.”
Throughout the history o f our country, there have
been substantial disagreem ents about the m eaning
o f th is tex t. Some argue th a t the am endm ent was
supposed to apply only to specific, organized bodies,
such Tas the police force or the national guard. Others
argue that the amendment applies to all citizens. But
which interpretation is correct? In order to make this
determination, it’s important to look at our country’s
origins.
Before the War of Independence bega», the 13 colonies
ON THE COVER:
^ ^ "®
Should history guide
our understanding of
gun control?
Having just-'Won a war against the superior B ritish
felt,'for a variety of reasons, that they were not being
granted the rights that should have been granted to Army, the Founding Fathers understood the dangers
them as Englishmen, due to their lack of representation o f a potentially ty ran n ical governm ent who w ielded
w ithin the B ritish governm ent, they believed laws, ^significantly more pow er than the people it served.
such as the Sugar Act o f 1764, were a violation of their They u n d e rsto o d th a t i f the p eo p le did not have
rights. This, along with many other grievances and the the ability to defend them selves from this kind of
growing differences in colonial society, led to events government, there was a chance that the country could
such as the Boston Tea Party, which escalated into the end up in the same position they had found themselves
in with the British government. And having witnessed
Revolutionary War.
the outcome o f a war with a superior force, they did
not want this to be a possible outcome.
Thus, the Second Amendment.
Though the Supreme Court has ruled that the Second
Amendment applies to personal protection (see the
D istrict o f Colum bia v. H eller), that was not the
amendment’s original intent. It wasn’t to protect against
thieves or murderers, but to protect the people against
tyranny, or perhaps against foreign invaders, should
the need arise.
George Mason, known as the father o f the B ill o f
Rights, spoke during Virginia’s Ratifying Convention
about advice given to the British Parliament before the
war: “To disarm the people ... is the most effectual way
to enslave them.”
. This, above all else, defines my stance on the Second
D espite their desire for independence, though, the A m endm ent. The Founding F a th e rs’ experiences
colonists were ill-prèpared to fight a war w ith the gave them unique wisdom regarding the dangers q f
better-equipped B ritish Army, and the wàr was long tyranny, leading to their decision to include the Second
and bloody, lasting nearly eight and a h a lf years. Amendment in our Bill o f Rights.
In a perfect world, we will »ever have to »se our right
Though independence was won, many today believe
that if the trip from England to the colonies w ere to keep and bear arms for their original intention. We
less treacherous, the fight would have been nearly will never have to defend against a foreign invader or
a tyrannical government. The possibility o f the latter
im possible.
But how do these events play into the decision to seems absurd in today’s world, after all. But if the need
include thè Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights? should arise, the American people are prepared.
“A well regulated militia, being
necessary to the security o f a free
state, the right o f the people to
keep and bear arms, shall not be
infringed.”
- Second Amendment
NOVEMBER 22, 2017
„The annual “Printsgiving” feast Photo by Sam Weston. Cover designed by Alexis Wagar.
■
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