Between now and the time the Supreme Court of the United States rules on whether or not D.C. residents can keep handguns in their homes, Americans will be subjected to a torrent of “legalese” regarding the Second Amendment. Making intellectual arguments is a job for Constitutional scholars and lawyers. I am neither, so I’ll just tell you what I think–in plain English.

The most important right any human being has is the right to live–an integral part of which is the right of self-defense. People who would take away that right, using whatever rationalization they can muster, are either fools or hypocrites. Fools if they believe the government can protect them 24/7. Hypocrites if they themselves are protected–i.e., living in gated communities, having bodyguards or having the right to carry their own guns due to “special circumstances”–while insisting that you should be left to the predators in order to maintain a “safer” society.

Another important right–one which Americans take virtually for granted–is freedom from tyranny. Maybe a disorganized bunch of ordinary Americans would offer only token resistance against a military coup or other type of government takeover. But if the unimaginable did happen, it is virtually certain that an unarmed populace would be forced to surrender–unconditionally.

It is no accident that those who oppose individuals owning firearms are overwhelmingly leftists. Their worldview is completely at odds with people taking care of themselves and their families. They would prefer that you get mugged, raped or even even killed because they fervently believe most Americans are “too stupid” to handle firearms responsibly. What’s REALLY stupid is the pie-in-the-sky the notion that banning handgun possession by responsible, law-abiding citizens will somehow keep them out of the hands of criminals.

Like every other right, the Second Amendment doesn’t occur in a vacuum. I don’t want Americans owning RPGs anymore than I want someone to cry “fire!” in a crowded theater. But it will be a dark day for Americans if the BEST option one has when confronted by a deadly threat is to beg for mercy. That’s the precise moment when all the intellectualism, “enlightened” thinking or “legalese” in the world doesn’t amount to squat.

There’s an old saying: better to be tried by twelve than carried by six.

Amen to that.

atahlert@comcast.net

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