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Equality
The fundamental American principle of equality (that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights) enshrined in the Declaration of Independence was, all too sadly, compromised by the framers of the Constitution a dozen years later. It was a price they paid to preserve the new nation. Consider that If they had not done so, we would not have had a ‘United’ States of America, but we might have had two separate nations or none at all. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln said that "a house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free."
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| Constitutional Compromise in 1789 Led to the Civil War |
The framers had tried to do precisely that and
failed miserably, ultimately resulting in the Civil War and three barely
enforceable Amendments to our flawed Constitution which left wounds we are
still trying to heal over a century and a half later.
Unarmed
Police?
In the UK, only a small number of highly trained law enforcement officers are armed with guns. Most policing activities are carried out by officers (bobbies) with no more than batons, handcuffs, mace spray and occasionally, stun guns, plus the ability to call for highly trained and more heavily armed backup where necessary. Dealing with traffic violations, domestic disputes, passing a counterfeit bill or peddling cigarettes illegally does not require armed intervention and the use of force it can entail.
But to accomplish this here, there must be a drastic reinterpretation of the Second Amendment back to its original intent so that unarmed officers are not endangered by armed civilians. There are far too many guns in the hands of the public and that number must be reduced for the UK’s approach to work in the United States. Besides changing the way police carry out their duties, this would also address the problem of gun violence.
More on Guns
in an Unsafe Country
The Second Amendment: "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." Read On!
More mass shootings bring the Second Amendment into the spotlight again. It was intended to enable the original States to assemble their citizens into armed militias to defend a State which might be threatened by the armed forces of the Federal government. (Slavery-dependent Southern States feared that.)
That is why we have a Second Amendment and that is the only reason. This justification, which does not exist today, has been improperly applied to gun ownership, other than for the purpose, as the Amendment states, of enabling "free States," to have access to "well regulated militias." It does not apply to entities other than States and certainly not to individuals, despite misinterpretations by Supreme Court Justices some of whom should go back to law school and also learn a bit about American history as well. Were he alive today, that would include the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Through tortured logic, the most recent Supreme Court rulings stupidly pretend that the Second Amendment's first thirteen words do not exist ... since the need for them has evaporated ... but that the remaining words remain.
Only when the Supreme Court recognizes this and gets its head on straight will the United States be a safe place to live.
Throughout
the years, the Second Amendment has been misinterpreted by Justices who should
know better, making the right to bear arms even less restricted than the right
to drive a car. Guns should be allowed
for hunting, target shooting and home protection. Period! There should be a
massive buy-back by the Federal Government of the hundreds of millions of guns
in circulation in this country as was done in Australia.
Until the
Second Amendment is properly re-interpreted by the SCOTUS and until those guns
are “bought back,” we will continue to have mass shootings and the United
States will remain an unsafe place to live.
Slavery’s impact is felt to this day
"A recent letter writer said that 'No Black person alive today has been affected by the events of more than 150 years ago.' ('Reparations for slavery ‘absurd’,' Tuesday) Anyone familiar with American history knows that is just not true. Ask any Black person.
And as for reparations, the German government indeed paid, and still does, pay them to Holocaust survivors.
Admittedly, it would be difficult to individually pay reparations to Blacks today, but certainly, such funds could be directed toward social, educational and economic ends which would benefit those shortchanged over the years in this country because of the color of their skin. Of course, any such funds should be kept out of the untrustworthy hands of state governments and be an entirely federal program."
Jack Lippman, Boynton Beach
Facial hair is popular today!
While all pre-Lincoln presidents were clean shaven, Honest
Abe's beard was followed by a continuing assortment of mustashes and beards
which lasted until Woodrow Wilson (with exception of Andrew Johnson and William
McKinley).
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| Cruz Hiding Behind Follicles |
Although presidents have been clean shaven since then, Texas Senator Ted Cruz is counting on the resurgence of the popularity of facial hair to get him nominated for President in 2024. It won't happen.
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