Call For Sanity

Every time there is a high profile gun-related crime, there are renewed calls for increased gun control.  Some even suggest that the 2nd Amendment should be abolished, or at least modified, to allow for greater regulation. So, I think we should look at whether the intent behind the 2nd Amendment is still relevant today. Let's start with the actual text of the law: 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. What does this mean? A well-regulated Militia What is a "well-regulated Militia"?  How much regulation is intended, and what, exactly, was intended by the term "militia"? Militia in the eyes of the people in September of 1789, when the Bill of Rights was sent to the states for ratification? Militia I have no problem quoting from Wikipedia, in this instance, as the article has several citations and is curated by passionate people on both s...

The hot topic of the day in the United States is the impeachment hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the likely impeachment of President Trump.  On one hand you have Democrats and others saying the president has committed and impeachable offense by asking the Ukrainian government to investigate possible corruption related to Joe Biden's son.  On the other hand you have many Republicans and others saying nothing illegal happened, so there is nothing warranting impeachment. Let's start by looking at previous presidential impeachments. Presidential Impeachments Andrew Johnson After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his vice president, Andrew Johnson, became president.  Johnson was a Democrat, selected by Lincoln because he supported preserving the union and would help to unify a divided country. However, Johnson opposed Republican plans for reconstruction in the post-war South, and he vetoed leglislation granting rights to former slaves.  ...