Le Deuxieme Amendment

[Ziggy Stardust]

First off, apogolies to any French speaking persons. Next:

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.

Now I become president of the United States. Apart from being the most pleasant smelling president in history, I also am the most tyrannical. But since je suis Jeuropien, that really goes without saying. Anyspace,

My first executive order is banning anything else beside <gunmanufactor name> 9 mm caliber handheld guns. But the thing is, I remove any restrictions. Ex-con? Here's your gun Sir. Mental? Would you like it giftwrapped?

As I see it, people can bear arms all over the place and I'm not infringing anything with regard to the bearing of the arms. the thing says: "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." not "the right of the people to keep and bear any kind of arms they like shall not be infringed."

So, would this please all those who have der Zweite Änderung tattooed on their heart and would they love me as their president?

 

[Carras Dad]

you could ban everything but airguns as well, they fit the definition of arms...

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I could. But I decided to throw a bone.

I'm a benevolent tyrant, see

 

[Carras Dad]

all hail ziggy, protector of the second amendment!

 

[Flying Pig]

'Infringe' really means 'to encroach upon'; banning some 'arms' is 'getting in the territory of' (to continue the metaphor) the right to bear arms, so I'm not convinced that this holds: certainly, modern American opinion would say that your logic doesn't work.

 

[Borachio]

If I was pro-gun and a serious-minded individual (I am neither), I'd most likely concentrate on the "necessary to the security of a free state".

So, to draw a ridiculous analogy, there'd be no point in allowing people to arm themselves with spears in defence of the state, if the tech tree has advanced to the point of nuclear weapons.

Now, would there?

 

[Carras Dad]

well, but it's either no restricition or any restriction that is desired at any given point.

because "no infringement" either means you can not restrict the right to bear arms or you can as long as there's some of it left.

 

[Flying Pig]

So, to draw a ridiculous analogy, there'd be no point in allowing people to arm themselves with spears in defence of the state, if the tech tree has advanced to the point of nuclear weapons.

Now, would there?

Spears do have proven capability against tanks.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

Honestly, if you want to look at it, the fact that guns cost money is an infringement of the right to bear arms. The fact is, how is it a "right" if poor people can't do it? Clearly, the state should hand out guns to people who can't afford them so we can preserve our 2nd Amendment rights.

 

[Borachio]

Spears do have proven capability against tanks.

They do. But it's remarkable how often they fail against little grunting fellows with axes.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

'Infringe' really means 'to encroach upon'; banning some 'arms' is 'getting in the territory of' (to continue the metaphor) the right to bear arms, so I'm not convinced that this holds: certainly, modern American opinion would say that your logic doesn't work.

I disagree that I am encroaching upon the right to bear arms for reasons I explained in the OP. I uphold it's value by not infringing upon it by not restricting certain citizens the right.

And mind that as a tyrant modern American opinion can bite me. I'm interested in the much touted 2nd Amendment, not what peasants think of it.

 

[Farm Boy]

If I was pro-gun and a serious-minded individual (I am neither), I'd most likely concentrate on the "necessary to the security of a free state".

So, to draw a ridiculous analogy, there'd be no point in allowing people to arm themselves with spears in defence of the state, if the tech tree has advanced to the point of nuclear weapons.

Now, would there?

When that odd barbarian wanders in from the ice would you rather solve the issue with an Age of Empires worker with a pistol or a thermonuclear device in the middle of your cottages?

 

[Borachio]

So is the odd barbarian a threat to the security of the free state, or not?

 

[Tarquelne]

First, can we have .40 caliber please:
1) This is the US and metric is socialist.
2) Studies - some by people who aren't gun nuts - demonstrate that the leetle-bit extra "stopping power" from the .40 bullet can lead, in the hands of a well-trained shooter, to less rounds being fired. And we all know how often shootings are performed by well-trained people, so it's like totally a huge issue.

But I think you've got the wrong end of the stick: You should draft everyone into the milita, but then give them whatever weapon their rank entitles them too. The *beauty* of the scheme, you see, is that you make a direct connection between a militia-member's authority and the power of the weapon they're allowed to own. It's super-motivational.

You should also create public-works for militia members to contribute to, and doing so earns them credit toward higher rank.

Yes, I'm suggesting that you run the country like a giant MMORPG. (Including giving tax rebates in "USBUX", a currency that can only be spent within the US on US-produced goods.)

 

[timtofly]

The Constitution's "arms" were muskets, swords, and canons. Perhaps that should suffice?

 

[Farm Boy]

So is the odd barbarian a threat to the security of the free state, or not?

It can burn down and pillage your entire capital in one turn?

 

[Borachio]

Nah! By the time I've got nuclear weapons my capital is out of reach of the odd barbarian.

AND in any case I've deselected the barbarian option. Because, honestly, I just can't be bothered. And it makes for a more realistic feel. When was the last time you saw a Viking ship in this neck of the woods, eh?

 

[Farm Boy]

I wouldn't put your neck of the woods past finding anything random. You just dug up a 600 year old dead guy and made a big fuss about it!

 

[Borachio]

Richard III please. Hardly some random guy. And in a Leicester car park, too. Which has been the ruin of many a poor boy, previously.

 

[Farm Boy]

Oh, not to disparage the import, but I really never know what you guys are going to find next. I just find arrowheads, which granted are neat - but the breadth of insanity that you guys turn up on a semi regular basis is staggering.