My Dear America,
I'm not quite sure you've noticed this, so I feel obligated to mention it. The political climate in this country has reached a dangerous level. Don't believe me?
We're all aware that on Saturday, January 8th 2011 an assassin attempted to take the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) To call it anything less than an assassination attempt would be a blatant spit-in-the-eye to those killed with the bullets from Jared Loughner's extended, 30 round magazine.
And in your country where too often we are left cleaning up messes rather than preemptively stopping them from starting, one could at least hold onto the glimmer of hope that because of this something might change. That perhaps we would realize the "rile em up" attitude being touted by the far right wing conservatives might be creating a hostile atmosphere where tragedies like this can occur? That in such a tragedy, solace could be found in new legislation preventing rifles, handguns and firearms in general from falling into the hands of the mentally unstable? That perhaps for more than a single week, the leaders in this country could stop bickering long enough to do something, or at least until Representative Giffords could leave her hospital bed?
Ah, but you America... You are not so simple.
You see America, one of the things you love so dearly, that you cling to like a child with a blankie, is the precious Constitution. Don't get me wrong, the United States Constitution is a great document. I just wish your citizens would actually read it!
As you very well may know, the Second Amendment is not actually written in the Constitution. It's part of the Bill of Rights, which actually make up the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. An Amendment is when lawmakers decide that the Constitution is not perfect, and they can change it at will. The Constitution is such an amazing document because it allows it's citizens to alter their own government based on the changing times. With such incredible foresight, your Founding Fathers realized that life in 1776 might not be the same as 2011. So with the incorporation of Amendments, we now see the path towards a more perfect union.
Well these days the Amendments come few and far between. You only have 27 and the the last one just sets the date that congress can get paid. Ya know, for a country that cycles through pop stars like popsicles, you sure don't like to change much. Regardless, just remember when your citizens wave their Second Amendment rights around like a rallying banner, they're actually celebrating a change made to the original constitution. And in effect, celebrating the ability to change something that seems so permanent and so important.
In 1791 they didn't have semi-automatic handguns or fully automatic rifles. They had black powdered pistols, at best. America, do you know how hard it is to do a drive-by in a horse and buggy with powder spilling all over your lap? Guns were hard to come by, and the use of one meant a steady hand and a dueler's mentality and training. Nowadays anyone, ANYONE can get one.
If I lived in Arizona, my roommate could go to the store, pass a background check, purchase a gun, come home and sell it to me for 10 bucks, and it's legally mine. I didn't have to pass a background check, not that I wouldn't be able to. But how difficult is it really to get a gun here? Clearly not very.
Now, lets break out the dusty scrolls of Colonial Era and take a look at what's written as the 2nd entry in the Bill of Rights. ""[T]he people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and their own state, or the United States, or the purpose of killing game; and no law shall be passed for disarming the people or any of them, unless for crimes committed..."[31
Now keeping in mind they probably weren't referring to American's wearing around furry bear arms, let's take a look at that first sentence. Your people have a right to bear arms...What kind of arms? What constitutes an arm? Is an arm simply a firearm? Are all firearms guns? Do all firearms have to fire bullets? I'd like to receive a little clarification here. I mean, it is ONLY the Bill of Right's we're referring to here.
Back in 1791, they had this. Those were their firearms. And this of course does not include melee weapons such as swords and axes, that had been referenced as "arms" for centuries beforehand. Your selection was vast indeed: A blunderbuss or a pistol. Carbines were mostly found with militaries unless you were a dedicated gun collector...or blacksmith...
And it is THIS language that we pay attention to?! Language uttered from the mouths of men who had never seen a semi-automatic rifle, a fully auto hand gun or even an extended magazine.
America, you've changed. And we're doing you a serious disservice by not getting with the times. How many people have to DIE until we realize that maybe altering a 200 year old decree might serve our society a little better? "Arms" may have become way more deadly, but also technology has progressed in a positive way regarding weaponry. Now there are "arms" that stun, that fire rubber bullets and immoveable foam. There are "arms" that, in self defense, they would save both the victim and the attacker. In short, there are "arms" that don't kill.
If Jared Loughner had fired a rubber bullet during his assassination, it's very likely the outcome for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords would have been the same. But for 9 year old Christina Green, things could have been a lifetime different.
So rather than discussing the dismantling of our entire Second Amendment's principles, I merely suggest maybe it's time we amend what we think the word "arms" means?
