It Is Not About Hunting

The murders of 26 people in Newton, Connecticut sparked a national debate on the private ownership of firearms; specifically whether the Federal Government should allow private citizens to own so-called “assault weapons.”  The US Senate in April defeated a bill which would have banned assault weapons and would have also banned “high-capacity” detachable magazines for assault weapons that are currently owned by citizens.  New York and Colorado did enact bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Those in favor in banning assault weapons often claim that such weapons have no legitimate hunting, sporting or even self-defense use.  The Second Amendment, however, has nothing to do hunting or target shooting.  It is a check on the power of the Federal Government.  The Founding Fathers saw that the unarmed people of Europe were not truly free, being ruled and oppressed by monarchs. The American colonists had fought British tyranny with guns in the hands of private citizens when they were unable to field a regular army.  The framers of our Constitution knew that if citizens were armed, a tyrannical government would be unable to oppress them.   In order to resist tyranny, the people would need weapons that are at least comparable to the weapons in the tyrant’s arsenal.  For this reason, the lawful ownership and use of assault weapons is guaranteed by the Constitution.   It is true that the people do not need assault weapons for hunting deer; they need them for hunting tyrants.

 By guest blogger Tom Gannon

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