The Bill of Rights Protects Individuals
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to bear arms, regardless of whether or not a militia is involved. This is a very important ruling.
My current beliefs about the matter were buried in a Battlestar Galactica post:
People are often surprised that I am very pro-Second Amendment. No, I’m not a member of the NRA, but I do believe in a (potentially) armed citizenry.
I think the idea of revolution is very important. A people have the right to overthrow a nonresponsive and illegitimate government, by violent action if necessary. The point is always made—What hope does a civilian movement have of winning against the military technologies of today? And I agree. But I still believe in the strong symbolism of a people able to come together and form a well-regulated militia to secure their own states of freedom. This reading is more based on the “right of revolution” discussed by Thomas Jefferson, among others, than actual constitutional law. But there it is.
So now, it is constitutional law. Viva Liberty!
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