Carl Drega wrote on February 29, 2008 12:09 PM: SCOTUS has nothing to do with the 2nd or the 14th!

Prior to the 14th only the FEDERAL government had to obey the Bill of Rights. State governments did not have to obey the bill of rights, it didn't apply to them.

One part of the 14th Amendment is that it forced the STATE governments to also honor the bill of rights.

Which means the states have to obey the 2nd Amendment and can't pass laws preventing people from owning guns.

cREbralFIX wrote on February 27, 2008 11:18 AM: "...-- a right which all levels of government are barred from infringing by the 2nd and 14th amendments..."

Incorrect. SCOTUS has NOT incorporated the 2nd Amendment into either clause of the 14th. The precursor to this was an incorrect (and absurd) 1800's SCOTUS ruling that the Constitution does does not apply to state action.

SCOTUS may incorporate the 2nd into the 14th with Heller, but don't hold your breath.

I refer you to:

Gun Control and Gun Rights: A Reader and Guide by Andrew McClurg, David B. Kopel, and Brannon Denning (Paperback - Jun 1, 2002)

Bill Smith wrote on February 27, 2008 11:04 AM: It is not only "liberals" that are for gun control. Most repuglicans, including McCain, are all for it. Even the NRA supports gun control laws.

Wendy Weinbaum wrote on February 27, 2008 10:42 AM: As a Jewess in the US, I have NEWS for all liberals. American wasn't won with a registered gun! And criminals are stopped by FIREARMS, not by talk. That is why all REAL Americans put our 2nd Amendment FIRST!

arthur wrote on February 27, 2008 07:31 AM: you're right.

Now will someone in the media plese count up all the felonies Kazmarcyzy (?) committed before he even fired one of his guns. Why would anyone think that making another gun law on top of the existing 20,000 would prevent anyone from breaking the law?

Bill Smith wrote on February 27, 2008 04:21 AM: I think we all need to just take our soma and let the government do its job because the government knows what is best for all of us. They are having a gun buy back program offering Prozac, Ritalin, Soma, and various other drugs in trade. SEE YOU THERE!!!!

Paolo wrote on February 26, 2008 05:48 PM: The amazing thing about the "War on Drugs" is that America is undoubtedly the most drugged-up country in the history of the world--and most of the drugs are not only legal, but pushed on unsuspecting victims by the government/medical/education axis.

In the past, people dealt with emotional issues by talking to family, friends, pastors, rabbis--you name it. Today, we have a handy little government-approved pill for everything.

Are the kids restless and bored in school? The solution is Ritalin!

Feeling depressed? Take Prozac!

Have glaucoma? Take the government-approved Marinol, but fergodssake don't take the effective treatment you could grow in your backyard, aka marijuana.

I have to laugh every time I hear doctors complain about those immoral lawyers. The ultimate example of the pot calling the kettle black!

Mark wrote on February 26, 2008 09:01 AM: What we need is more of this:

"Guns were far easier to obtain in this country before 1968 -- you could buy them through the mail. But there were hardly any such mass-shooting rampages.

On the other hand, chart the frequency of these mass shootings against the widespread introduction of such hallucinogenic drugs as Prozac, Ritalin and Luvox among the inmates of the tax-funded youth concentration camps -- the kinds of drugs that Kip Kinkel had been on, the kind that got Columbine killer Eric Harris blocked from enlistment in the Marines. Let me know what you find."

Well said!

Mutineer wrote on February 25, 2008 01:26 PM: Lack of firearms did not prevent deaths when I lived in the barrio with the gang members. Tell the teen we need less firearms that died on my front lawn from knife wounds as the blood left his body. Tell it to the teens that had their heads split open with baseball bats in our alleyway. I'm sure that their tortured souls would not rest any better with the knowledge that more people were not killed at one time. For those determined to kill, they will do it by any means necessary.

Also, I need firearms to hold back the fascists that want to dope up my perfectly normal children.

Furthermore, I need the firearms to defend YOUR right to give that dope to your kids, should you choose to do so.

Without such a check, what stops the government or sanctioned fascists from coming into our homes, our lives, and doing what they see fit? What, will you sue them for violating your precious "civil rights"?

"A single good government becomes... a blessing to the whole earth, its welcome to the oppressed restraining within certain limits the measure of their oppressions. But should even this be counteracted by violence on the right of expatriation, the other branch of our example then presents itself for imitation: to rise on their rulers and do as we have done." --Thomas Jefferson

John W wrote on February 25, 2008 08:24 AM: Here's an interesting thought....Let's say we have kids who are at times sad or disruptive. Instead of teaching them how to deal with their emotions, we medicate them. These children grow up never really learning how to control their emotions on their own. They grow up and still they do not know how to control their thoughts and behaviors. They never had to learn. So some of them wack out. They can't handle pressure or stress. The drugs themselves? Who can say whether they contribute to this behavior? [I have the feeling they do contribute. That is only my opinion.] However, not learning emotional control at a young age. That is undoubtedly a key contributor.

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