The 2012 Election and Obama's View of the Second Amendment

The second amendment to our U.S. Constitution states, “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.”

President Barack Obama’s history in support of strict gun control measures prior to becoming president makes it difficult for him to claim he’s a Second Amendment champion. In 2004, while campaigning for the Illinois senate, he said, “I think that the Second Amendment means something. I think that if the government were to confiscate everybody’s guns unilaterally that I think that would be subject to constitutional challenge.” He didn’t say it would be unconstitutional, just “subject to constitutional challenge.” Nor did he express any opposition. “I think there is an individual right to bear arms, but it’s subject to commonsense regulation” like background checks, Obama said in 2008. His idea of “commonsense regulation” is making gun ownership completely illegal.

For a really good source about Obama’s gun control stance, see this source.

Obama has viciously attacked Second Amendment rights, but he has done so quietly, behind-the-scenes, and by regulation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) abuses, such as Fast and Furious.

But there is another reason why Obama’s reelection could spell the death of the Second Amendment as we know it: the Supreme Court, which currently consists of four conservatives (Scalia, Roberts, Thomas, and Alita), four raving liberals (Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Breyer), and one sort-of-conservative swing vote (Kennedy). There is a very real possibility that one, two, or three vacancies will occur in the next five years. And, if the vacancy(ies) is/are filled by Obama, that will create an at least 5-man majority of anti-gun liberals on the Supreme Court. In fact, after stating under oath before the Senate that she had no opinion on the scope of the Second Amendment, Sotomayor wasted no time opining (in a decision) that she believed Heller was bad law.

Liberals on the Supreme Court often don’t defer to stare decisis, so the Supreme Court could declare the Second Amendment to apply only to militias. (see below)

So? If even one gun control advocate who intends to vote for Obama “sees the light,” then this post will not have been in vain. People, be armed with facts when the 2012 election is discussed.

BTW, just for the record, I have owned pistols, rifles, and shotguns all my life, even as a pre-teen. I was in the Army for almost 22 years. During this time I have NEVER has a weapon of an sort, on its own volition, shoot anyone. I taught my children (two girls, one boy) to shoot, and to treat all weapons as if they are loaded. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. And all the other clichés you have heard.

BTW2, I have gun control advocates say that the second amendment applies ONLY to militias. To that argument I always answer, “Have you ever heard of citizen-soldiers?” We never know when we will be called upon to join a militia and bring our own arms. Plus we have to have our own arms to stay in practice!

But that’s just my opinion.