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"I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers."
- George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788
NO PARENT SHOULD HAVE TO FEAR that their children will not come home safely from school. What has our world come to, that our common lexicon now includes terms such as "school shooter" and "shelter in place"? This is madness! Dangerous people obtaining dangerous weapons to slaughter innocents by the dozens was not what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they gave us the Second Amendment.
The Constitution must adapt to current times, whether through amendment or re-interpretation. Technology has brought about dangers the Founders could have never foreseen. Automatic weapons. High-capacity magazines. Bump stocks. Silencers. These are not tools of the noble hunter feeding his family. These are not symbols of freedom or democracy. We must give up our romantic fantasies of Lexington and Concord and join the 21st century. The Minuteman’s time has passed. The time has come not to praise the citizen-soldier, but to bury him.
ON THE OTHER HAND, the Founding Fathers gave us a document that has held us together (with one exception) for 200 years. We tamper with their genius at our own risk. The history of Constitutional amendments is about expanding rights, not restricting them. The only amendment ever repealed attempted to impose prohibition on another common item found in many homes and used safely by most citizens. And if we say that advancing technology requires us to amend or re-interpret the Constitution, why should that apply only to the Second Amendment?
THE CHAIRMAN, who believes that a daily walk and a balanced breakfast rich in fiber are the keys to constitutional regulation, in the meantime has called a debate to settle the topic:
RESOLVED: Amendment #2 Is Not Well Regulated!
The Debate will be held on March 7, 2018, at O’Gara’s Bar & Grill, 164 Snelling Ave. North, in Saint Paul, at the corner of Snelling and Selby. Additional parking available in Associated Bank parking lot, one block north.
The Chancellor will preside over drinks beginning at seven o’clock p.m. The debate will begin at half past seven. There is no dress code, however gentlemen who wish to speak must wear a tie; ladies are encouraged to adhere to a similar sartorial standard. For those gentlemen arriving sans tie yet wishing to discourse on the resolution, the Purveyor of Ties will keep on hand several remarkable selections. Questions regarding debate caucus procedures or about the John Adams Society itself may be directed to the Chairman at (651)245-6991 or the Secretary at (651)485-1699.
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