John Paul Stevens today in the The New York Times called for the enactment of laws "prohibiting civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons" and beyond that, as a "more effective and more lasting reform," the repeal of the Second Amendment.
(I wonder if the good justice understands that semi-autos include most handguns owned and carried by Americans today, and that among these pistols there is the low-caliber .22. Does Stevens propose that the existing stock be confiscated? Is he willing to countenance a huge black market?)
Justice Stevens considers the Second Amendment a "relic of the 18th century" with its talk of "a well-regulated militia." Let us assume, arguendo, that he is right and that the Second in its original formulation, and despite District of Columbia v. Heller, does not recognize an individual citizen's right to keep and bear arms.
Well then, a reasonable course would be to strip out the archaic language and bring the Second Amendment up to date. Not repeal simply, but repeal and replace with something better.
How might it go?
Because the right to life entails both the right to self-defense and the right to the appropriate means of self-defense, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
My proposal is both modest and reasonable and in keeping with American values and traditions. Not only that, it throws a sizable sop in the direction of those leftists who support a so-called 'living constitution.' Perhaps we ought to update the whole constitution, but not along destructive leftist lines which have little to do with our values and traditions, but along sound, salutary conservative lines.
Does my eminently reasonable proposal have a chance? Of course not. How about Justice Stevens'? I wouldn't put money on it.
What I will do is buy more guns and ammo. And you should too. 'Voting' with one's wallet is much more effective than voting. Fund the Right, defund the Left. Money is what gets people's attention. Money and the power that emanates from the barrel of a gun.
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