OPEN LETTER TO LOCAL LEADERS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND WEAPONS CONTROL

We all have the right to hunt and to self-defense, but the Second Amendment never did address those issues. English common law did.

Here I reproduce an open letter I sent to various Utah leaders and federal Utah representatives on the subject of the Second Amendment and weapons control.

INTRODUCTION RATIONALE

After the Tucson killing outrage, certain Utah leaders talked about increasing gun availability and wearing concealed weapons when they met with constituents. What a pretty picture of civility that paints.

It did not seem to occur to any of them to promote the use and research-improvement of non-lethal weaponry. I suspect their fascination with guns must have something to do with the sexiness or violence of them.


BACKGROUND

Currently, The Second Amendment guarantees the right of a citizen to stop a person from shedding the citizen’s blood by giving the citizen the means to kill or disable the person. Instead of the person bearing responsibility for shedding the citizen’s blood, the citizen gets to take responsibility for killing the person. This really does not open up much by way of a choice.

The Second Amendment guarantees the exercise of power and dominion in militias.

The Amendment barely made sense in the 1790s when police forces did not exist, and many citizens lived in insolation or small villages. In those days the weapons were primitive. One had to load the powder, then the shot, and maybe the weapon would fire correctly and maybe hit someone if one was a good shot under pressure. And maybe not.

Now the military industrial complex builds bigger, more sophisticated, and deadly weapons. One person can do a lot of mayhem without much effort. Unfortunately, many merchants happily sell automatic weapons to just anyone who has the money. Thus the atrocity that occurred in the Tucson Safeway parking lot is not one of those things that just happens. There are cause and effects; there are reasons why.

The Second Amendment is not about hunting. English common law addressed that topic in 1791.

The Second Amendment is not about self defense. English common law covered that as well. English common law has no bearing on American life anymore.

As a result, gun enthusiasts hang their rights on an amendment that has nothing relevant about twenty-first century conditions.


THE CALL TO ACTION

1 Both the Utah Legislature and Congress should encourage research-improvement on non-lethal weaponry.

2 Congress and The States really should replace the outdated Second Amendment with two new amendments.

One should address the limits of American military power, including limits on soldiers’ minimum ages and on conscription.

The other should guarantee the right of citizens to self defense with non-lethal weaponry.

3 I urge you to help create and pass a new local law requiring gun owners to buy insurance for their guns. The gun owners, not the governments, then pay for cleaning up messes caused by misuse of guns.

4 I urge you to help create and pass another new local law requiring people who want to buy guns and/or concealed weapons to submit four notarized affidavits. Those documents should specifically endorse, for the public record, prospective gun owners as law-abiding, mentally, emotionally, physically competent to own and use a gun. Government should charge people with perjury if they lie. All four should have to agree.

Your reply for the record will be appreciated by

NEW RIGHT ASCENSION