Another gun thread...

[popeyespappy]

I haven't seen anyone give a real reason as to why they think they should be entitled to bear arms, as was asked in the OP. Just plenty of people saying they 'think' they should be.

Well, I'll ask again. Why do people think that?

The right to keep and bear arms in the US is based on the concept that the ultimate power to make decisions rests not with the government but with the people. It has its roots in English common law, and at the time our Constitution was drafted it was recognized as something that was inherent right of the people that predated the government.

Our Constitution is a document in which the people of the United States grant the government certain powers. Some of the powers granted to the government by the Constitution are the right to tax, establish a standing army, and to pass laws. It also recognizes that certain rights are reserved for the people. Among these rights are freedom of religion, speech, assembly and the right to keep and bear arms. Few would argue that the government can’t put some restrictions on these rights. We are not allowed to yell fire in a crowded theater or assemble on private property without permission. However the government can’t completely remove any of these specific rights. The authority to do so was not granted to the government by the people in the Constitution.

While passing new laws is within the scope of the power the people granted to the government that scope does not include changes to the Constitution itself. There is a separate procedure for amending the Constitution. The founding fathers purposely made amending the Constitution more difficult than passing a law. Laws are passed with a simple majority in both houses of congress plus the signature of the president. It takes either a request from two thirds of the states or from two thirds of both houses of congress to even request a constitutional amendment. Then it must be ratified by three quarters of the states before it can take effect. The Constitution must be amended before rights reserved for the people like free speech, assembly and the right to keep and bear arms.

The system is not perfect, but it is what we have. The part I don’t think some people get is that our government cannot legally take the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The people have to relinquish it.