SPOTLIGHT

Did the only wise US citizens live during the 18th century?

by Robert Scott

The US Constitution is a brilliant document, and one would think that it was meant as a guide to point future citizens in the right direction. One would also think that it was not meant as an end-all for providing guidance for governing the United States forever. The authors of the Constitution had no way of knowing that there would be a digital age where smart phones are ubiquitous. The Framers of the Constitution had no way of knowing that there would be nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons capable of destroying the entire world’s population. From the single shot muskets of their day, there was no way that they could have known that there would be a killing weapon such as the AR 15. As times change, I can imagine the Framers believed that their original document would be modified to fit the conditions of future times. Those who view the Constitution as having been chiseled in stone, with no possibility of change, and of things not mentioned in the original document never to be considered for inclusion, are perhaps being mentally myopic. The men who wrote the Constitution, while being extraordinarily brilliant and wise, had no way of seeing the future for all times. With the many things that are happening in the US at present, it would be prudent for leaders to come to grips with the fact that some of the nation's most sacred documents must also change with time.

If the country is to change with the times, one of the first places where lawmakers should look is at the intent of the Second Amendment. The country has moved from a place where farmers were expected to put down their farm tools and pick up weapons to form a militia to fight if necessary. Back then there was no standing army, or National Guard. The fighting weapon of the day was a musket, not an AR 15 type weapon. The amount of destruction that is done by an AR15 type weapon has been witnessed by few civilians outside of war zones. This is a weapon of war, not a hunting rifle. Any game killed by this weapon, for the most part, would not be fit for human consumption. Why then should such a weapon be in the public domain? The main and only purpose of this weapon is for killing other humans, or possibly some very dangerous animals in the wild. It does not belong on the streets of our cities. The police certainly do not want to go up against them - ask the nearly 400 law enforcement officials on the scene at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

The carnage must stop! If we are a sane, rational, and civilized society, then we must put an end to civilians owning weapons of war. I am one who believes that there are still some wise and brilliant citizens living in the US in 2022! I also believe that some of them are lawmakers! This is not only about the Second Amendment, it is also about saving the lives of young children who are in school to learn about the US Constitution, and all of its amendments!