Donald Trump likes to accuse Hillary Clinton of plotting to eliminate the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That’s the Amendment that guarantees Americans the right to bear arms. But I seriously doubt that she’s even considering such a proposal because:
Currently 31 states allow folks to openly bear their arms in public while 8 states allow you to bear them in secret. All of the other states allow one or the other or both, as long as you’ve obtained a permit. So here in the United States we’re pretty much in love with our arms. And by arms, of course, I actually mean weapons and not those anatomical extensions on your shoulders.
Anyway, here in the U.S. we love our weapons so much that we have over 300 million of them on hand and available to the general public. And those are just the ones in our homes without even counting the ones in our stores!
Which is why I find it most unusual that every time someone is shot by the police the police always explain the shooting by saying, “They had a gun! so we had to shoot them! Or at least we thought they did” (which is almost the same thing police-wise) But as I’ve just explained, it’s not illegal to have a gun in the United States. In fact it’s so legal that almost every state allows them to be on your person when in public.
How do the police know if you have a legal permit to own that gun that you have, while they are shooting at you, if they don’t even bother to ask to see your permit before they start shooting? It’s always “He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun!” And then Blam, blam, blam, blam, blam! (they never, ever, just shoot once)
Why do we always assume that having a gun out in public makes one a criminal, when it’s not a crime to have a gun out in public in all but 6 states? (and it’s legal in those 6 states too, with a permit) Have you ever wondered that? How come when one police officer shouts, “He’s got a gun!” The other officer doesn’t shout back, “Maybe he’s got a permit?” Or…”We’re in a state where it’s legal to have one in public!”
So why are the police always shooting people who possess a gun, or who they suspect of possessing one, when we live in a country where the 2nd Amendment to our constitution says that they are allowed to posses a gun and half the country is absolutely gaga over that being the most important amendment to our constitution? Might the police have another reason? I’m only asking because I don’t know. Do you?
Which brings me to my next point. Donald Trump, himself a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment and an opponent of gun control legislation and with the endorsement of the NRA for his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States, says that he has a solution for gun crime in America. And it’s simple. All we have to do is empower the police to stop and frisk bad people and if they find a gun on that frisked person? Take it!
So, if we infringe upon a citizen’s 1st Amendment rights by illegally searching them and then violate that citizen’s 2nd Amendment rights by seizing his or her gun, and then if we deny the due process afforded to citizens in the 5th and 14th Amendments…we can solve the problems of crime and murder in America. It’s so easy you’d think that that Constitutional Amendment hating Hillary What’s-Her-Name would have thought of this already!
And it will be no inconvenience at all (to have our rights infringed) because I know that I’m not going to be stopped and frisked. Just look at me. Do I look like a bad guy? And you know they won’t stop and frisk you because…well, do you look like a bad guy? Certainly not! The police will only be stopping and frisking dangerous and criminal types like…you know, like the ones they have already been accidentally shooting lately.
The only problem I have with Mr. Trump’s plan is: The police could be frisking and disarming suspects right now to find out if they have a gun before shooting them for having a gun, but they can’t seem to get close enough to do so. They always seem to get to the shooting part before the frisking part.
And since our lawmakers, empowered by the NRA, like Mr. Trump, keep making it easier to own and carry a gun in public places how can we also make it illegal to own and carry a gun in public places? That sounds insanely counter intuitive to me. How does it sound to you? And if it is legal to openly carry my gun in 44 states, why do I need to be stopped and frisked at all? Why Can’t I just show the police my gun and be on my way?
Perhaps it is me (or maybe you) that they’re afraid of and not my gun? Or maybe it is the gun? Duh! But then again does the ownership of a gun make only certain folks more dangerous while making other folks not so much? One need only go back to the origins of the 2nd Amendment to figure that one out.
What this November’s election is going to come down to is not whether Americans need better jobs and more secure borders but rather whether or not Americans need to retain their constitutional rights as they pertain to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!…especially women, children and all persons of color.
Unless of course for you, “Making America Great Again” means to make America great just for white men… again.
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