The right of self protection is a fundamental right of any free people. If a society is truly free, this right extends to family and property. By mutual agreement this right can also be shared between families and in communities as neighbors agree to protect each other. This is the basis for law enforcement in the tradition of the county sheriff. Freedom comes with responsibility. The responsibility to ensure our safety is ours, not the government's. As a free people, we can choose to delegate the exercise of that responsibility, and right, to someone else by choice, but even then the right and responsibility are still ours. When government fails to fulfill the delegated responsibility, we still have it. When the government tries to take this authority unto itself and limit the ability of free citizens to exercise their natural rights, they have stepped out of the role of legitimate government, or we have stepped out of a free society. The Second Amendment does not give us the right to defend ourselves or even the right to keep and bear arms. The intent as clearly described in the Federalist papers, and all other contemporary writings, was to protect a right that existed before the Constitution, and before any government. They saw the right as originating from nature or nature's God. This is what is they meant by an "inalienable right". The right that is possessed by each individual and cannot be taken away. The basic idea of freedom is not well understood in our modern society. We live in an age of social rights rather than individual rights, entitlements rather than responsibilities, and the belief that government is responsible for our safety and security. Most of us have lost our love for freedom and the messy struggle that comes with living free. The freedoms we enjoy can only be protected as we come to understand them and exercise them. This is why I choose to teach courses in the proper use of firearms, and why I include a history of the right of self defense as a part of my courses. It is part of our legacy as Americans. It has to be restored as part of our culture, or we will continue to loose what has made us Americans. Choose to be educated. Choose to be armed, and choose to be well trained. In a future post I will examine how the understand of these rights came into focus before they were expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Copyright 2016, Steven Adams
1 Comment
4/5/2020 10:16:15 am
Thank you for writing a beautiful post. I appreciate your thinking that you have written your thoughts in words and it is a great appreciation. I am very happy to read your post, I hope you will share your post in the same way.
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Steven Adams, Ph.D.Dr. Adams is a university administrator and instructor. He has a passion for liberty and enjoys teaching about firearms in seminars and training courses. Dr. Adams welcomes invitations to speak with your group, or provide courses in your area. Archives
September 2016
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