By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
A few days ago while recovering from surgery, it seemed like the right time to go on social media and ask this question: The US is celebrating its 250th anniversary. What is the thing you like about this country the best?
Reactions went pretty much all over the place, but among those who gave the shortest responses were comments pointing to the Constitution, this nation’s Bill of Rights, and some focused on the existence of our Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms.
What is it about the Second Amendment? It is the only such constitutional provision on the planet. Elsewhere, gun ownership is essentially a government-regulated privilege. Look hard, you will not find these words anywhere else, in any country.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” As noted in the 2008 Heller ruling, “The Second Amendment is naturally divided into two parts: its prefatory clause and its operative clause. The former does not limit the latter grammatically, but rather announces a purpose.” In the 18 years since that landmark ruling was handed down, far too many people—especially on the political left—have either forgotten the Supreme Court’s definition, or have tried to dance around it, and in some cases have attempted to rewrite it. In other cases, they are simply ignoring it, which is keeping attorneys plenty busy.
But respondents to my question clearly understand our Constitution, and were obviously delighted to respond.
From Kerry French: “I love our freedom and our second amendment and the 19th amendment. I love the variety of food we have.” Well, bon apetite!
William S. Bell explained in nine words: “All the Freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights!”
Rob Leahy, proprietor at Simply Rugged Holsters, was also blunt: “Our Constitutional Republic! Worth fighting for every day!” Sound wisdom.
Respondent Neal Shera commented, “My guns,” while Veronica Allen said “Freedom of Speech.” They’re both right!
Donnie Steen added a few exclamation points when he wrote, “Our Constitutional REPUBLIC kick ass more and more every day!!!!! Stronger 2A coming in Hot…And our Phenomenal President and Republican representatives!!!!!”
A gent named Miles Hutton had this to say: “Our rights we are born with that aren’t granted by any government. God bless America.”
Boyd Kneeland, a former staffer at the Second Amendment Foundation, kindly responded, “Our founding documents.”
And Dusty Baker, a frequent reader, wrote, “The Constitution which restricts the power of government and not the power of We the People.” He understands things perfectly!
But of all the responses my post received, the one from Walter R. Key summed things up most eloquently. He wrote, “I’ve been to and in some cases lived in 25 countries now (that’s about 13% of the countries of the world). I also spent multiple decades researching and analyzing the inner workings of other countries and their leaders as a profession. As much as Americans like to complain about America, we truly are a unique country that has it FAR better than most of citizens of the world. We’re not perfect. No place made up of human beings ever will be. But we’re lightyears ahead of most and the very fact that our citizens can openly criticize their country and its leadership without being shot in the street or thrown into a dark hole to rot is a huge contributing factor.”
Copy that, Mr. Key.
This little exercise should remind us all of something once read to a high school classroom in Tacoma, Washington, about 60 years ago. Some of the people in that class have gone on to better places, others have a “different grasp” of things than TGM readers, but we all heard the same thing.
“The United States has the worst form of government in the world…except for all the others!” It took all of a nanosecond to understand that remark.
Now, 250 years into this great experiment, won with the blood of our ancestors, defended by our fathers, grandfathers and their fathers, we remain the only country where the Founders had the foresight to include in our Constitution what has often been referred to as our “Fail Safe” provision, the Second Amendment. Perhaps without it, we might not have a country.
