"Tom Quackenbush" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
snip
To avoid a long go-around, I'll tell you what I think the 2nd Amendment
does. We can discuss what it *means* another time. g It functions as a
powerful symbol that the citizens of this country are in charge, and let
no
one in government forget it. It reinforces the depth and breadth of
individual liberties that we recognize.

These symbolic functions are not to be trivialized. It's actually fun to
watch Europeans and others try to make fun of it, or express horror over
it,
because it's perhaps the most important thing that distinguishes us from
them -- and which reminds us how much we don't really want to be like
them,
at this fundamental, visceral level.

If that's what you mean by protecting our rights, this figurative sense,
then I agree with you. If you mean it literally, that government stays
within bounds because it fears your guns, then think again. After 200
years
the vast majority of us are strongly attached to this form of government,
which allows extreme opportunity to express our views and to change the
government, and we would no sooner rebel with guns than the people that
John
Brown and Tim McVeigh thought would follow them -- but who wound up
killing
them instead. You could start a Whiskey Rebellion and die a sorry death.
You
could try to be Shay and die despised. What you WON'T do is threaten the
government with your guns and get away with it. Like Brown and McVeigh
found
out, there are 100 of us who would kill you before we'd join you, for
every
one that would follow you.

So you can think of our government as consisting of intelligent
alligators.
They recognize the principle and the context, and the seriousness of this
country's citizens when it comes to protecting what we love. But they
don't
fear your guns.

That's a pretty good write-up, Ed. I agree with most, if not all, of
what you said (I might well agree 100%, but I need to cogitate on it a
bit first).

I've also thought that the 2nd Amendment epitomizes trust. I trust
my fellow citizen with a gun. I may not think he's the smartest guy in
the world, I may not agree with his philosophy or political opinions,
but I trust him to act responsibly. The bargain I'm making is that he
has to trust me, even if he's the opinion that my parents were never
married.

If I don't trust my neighbors enough to own guns, how can I trust
them to keep our Republic?

I've wrestled with that one many times, Tom. And I have to admit that I've
had some neighbors who I *don't* trust with a gun. Or with a paring knife,
for that matter.

What you're saying sounds good and I'd like to believe it. But I'm not sure
that I do.

--
Ed Huntress