Customer Reviews

The Second Amendment

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Barton scores another direct hit with his latest book. Using his highly successful approach to historical research, Barton brings the wisdom of the Founding Fathers clearly to bear on yet another crucial public policy debate. The author deftly impales the postmodern reinterpretation of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms on the twin horns of historical fact and legal precedent, condemning the gun control argument with the Founder's own words. The book is well written and highly readable even for students at the secondary level. I highly recommend this as a must read for any citizen who wishes to know the truth in the midst of the current "American Gun War".

Reading Time: About 1 hour.

Disposition: A home on my bookshelf.

Affordability: Bargain!

DAVID BARTON begins his informative little booklet, THE SECOND AMENDMENT: Preserving The Inalienable Right Of Individual Self-Protection, by giving the reader a few excerpts from recent articles printed by mainstream American publications and statements made by prominent sources which display the reinterpretation of the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment by the anti-firearm crowd. He then, in just 58 pages of text (not including the Endnotes) absolutely blows their position to smithereens! I mean, it's like shooting a sleeping flea on a dead dog with a howitzer. Barton's booklet hits the bull's-eye!

"There is no individual right to bear arms in the Bill of Rights."
~ USA TODAY; December 28, 1994.

"The sale, manufacture, and possession of handguns ought to be banned ... We do not believe the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep them."
~ The Washington Post; November 5, 1999.

"There is no reason for anyone in the country, for anyone except a police officer or a military person, to buy, to own, to have, to use, a handgun."
~ Michael Gartner; former president of NBC News, January 16, 1992.

"Except for lawful police and military purposes, the possession of weapons by individuals is not constitutionally protected."
~ The ACLU; policy statement #47, 1996.

The above are just a few samples of the modern misinterpretations and/or outright deceptions that David Barton lays to waste in this compact, but information-loaded and solidly documented booklet. He immediately reminds the reader that "a common error in constitutional interpretation is the failure to examine a document according to its original meaning" and he then gives several quotations from America's Founding Fathers admonishing their contemporaries, and future generations, to do just that when attempting to understand any constitutional passage.

"On every question of construction, carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
~ President Thomas Jefferson; June 12, 1823.

Barton, in his customary fashion, proceeds to examine primary source material from our Founding Era with respect to Early Legal Commentaries; Views Of The Founding Fathers; Early Legislative Acts (including the Founders' definition of the "militia"); and State Constitutions.

"Even if it was practicable, would it be wise to disarm the good before the wicked cease from troubling?"
~ John Jay; Original Chief-Justice, U.S. Supreme Court, April 15, 1818.

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
~ Richard Henry Lee; Signer of The Declaration & Framer of the Second Amendment in the First Congress.

"And what country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms."
~ Thomas Jefferson; U.S. President & signer of The Declaration, June 1776.

"A free people ought...to be armed."
~ George Washington; some dead guy, January 8, 1790.

I suppose there are bigger books out there that address the Second Amendment debate in greater detail, but if all you're looking for is a quick but effective, battle-tested resource to give you the means and the confidence to annihilate your local Lib in a "Gun Rights" debate, DAVID BARTON's booklet, THE SECOND AMENDMENT, provides all the ammunition you'll need.

In this small booklet David Barton sets out to prove that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is an individual, not a collective right. He proves this rather effectively by examining four items.
1)America's earliest legal commentaries.
2)Writings of the Founding fathers.
3)Early State laws.
4)State Constitutions.

Mr. Barton provides a large number of quotes like a sampling I'll share:

"The first and fundamental rule in the interpretation of all [documents] is to construe them according to the sense of the terms and the intention of the parties."- Justice Joseph Story.

"The great object is that every man be armed."- Patrick Henry.

"It is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."- Richard Henry Lee.

And there is this word of caution from Noah Webster- "Before a standing army can rule,the people must be disarmed-as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword because the whole body of the people are armed."

As the author accurately states in the booklet, the Second Amendment serves to protect what was frequently termed "the first law of nature", the right of self protection.

The only means to "modernize" the Constitution is through the amendment process. Another words, by the people, not by interpretation of the courts.

The Second Amendment basically offers a means of protection from a hostile government or home invader.

This booklet is thoughtfully written and well documented with large Endnotes and Bibliography sections at the back of the booklet.
I highly recommend it.

Mr. Barton does what he does best by resorting to the founding documents and the founding fathers for his information. Barton shows that the Second Amendment preserves the right to carry weapons by individual citizens, who are "the militia", according to the founding fathers. This is another wonderful work from Wallbuilders and is an vital reference when debating the topic of the second amendment.

This book helps make clear the assault on our constitution especially by our governments, state & especially the federal. When you read the founders own words and reasoning behind the 2nd Amendment you will appreciate it. Arms for hunting and personal protection were a given and were not even close to the reasoning behind this amendment.

I read this excellent and very brief pamphlet about 4 months ago. Since that time I have debated just what style I should use for this review.

David Barton has given us a small course on the right to self protection. After all this is what were really talking about. I could go on at length with all the quotes from our founding fathers he uses to make his point, or laws that were on the books in at least one state that required it's citizens to own a gun. After reading this there should be no doubt in the readers mind that the right to self protection is an inalienable right, and that was the intention of our founders. Don't hesitate to purchase this fine fine little book. Seriously, don't walk, RUN to purchase it now....

I would also like to recommend Boston T. Party's Gun Bible. A truly profound look at guns and an amazing resource for experienced and novice gun owners alike. Plus any man who defines federal reserve notes (commonly called the U.S. dollar) as a zero with a slash through it can't be bad.

Anyone who has ANY doubts about what the writers of the United States Constitution intended when they wrote the Second Amendment is a man who, as William Biederwolf has said, "A man who...can look all over the sky at high noon on a cloudless day and not see the sun."

David Barton gives so many solid examples with references to back them up of the framers original intent when the Second Amendment was added to our Constitution. It's both amazing and sad to see just how far our country has fallen in consideration of our Constitution. By my measure, most of the states in the U.S. are violating the Second Amendment and even our Supreme Court, while barely upholding the 2nd so far, has allowed too much regulation already on our right to keep and bear arms.

There are so many great examples, quotes, and so much history contained in this small book that I am definitely going to see what Mr Barton has to say in his other writings.

It's CRYSTAL clear that anyone who can't see the original intent outlined in this book has nothing but their own agenda for the regulation and eventual ban on our freedoms to keep and bear arms.

May God bless Mr Barton and all those who continue to keep the truths alive regarding the Constitutional rights our founding fathers outlined for us so many years ago.

A relatively short booklet that gets right to the subject matter and shows both sides of the issue at that time as well as now. A very worth while read as is the counter part "the First Amendment"
Mr. W. J. Buscher
PS. I do wish such matters were taught when I went to school 50 years ago. God help us today, They try to tear the darn thing up.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
-Thomas Jefferson


To give control of the amendment to the very entity that the amendment
was designed to protect against

The second amendment protects rights against government tyranny. To
give government any control over this amendment defeats the whole
purpose

To give government any control of an amendment that is designed to
protect against government control.

To give government any control over amendments that exist to protect
against government control.

To give any control over to that which it was designed to protect against.

To give government any control over that which is specifically designed
to protect against gov control.

To give power to the very entity it was specifically designed to defeat.

The amendment has one of a few specific purposes.

Our gun rights have existed to secure the future not just the
present. To criticize on grounds that guns are not needed right
now is again missing the whole point. The right to bare arms in this
country is the reason we have remained free and will continue to.
Additionally Taking away our gun rights will be the primary instigator
of violent revolution.

This little book is full of great information pertaining to OUR rights as gun owners. I feel that even gun haters should read this book.