The Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America:
A Logical View
by Paul Moreland

The Bill of Rights as written in the Constitution of the United States of America was considered by the authors to be a statement of inalienable rights as given by God the Creator to mankind. These rights were enumerated and laid out as the means of ensuring that the new found freedom of the American people would never be curtailed by a power hungry tyrannical government. Although the entire Bill of Rights is important to ensure freedom, the Second Amendment is the teeth which ensure the continuation of the other nine. The Second Amendment of the Constitution states simply: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. This is a very simple amendment to understand, especially when the circumstances under which it was written are taken into account. This right ensures that the People (the entire body of citizens) will always be ensured the right to arm themselves to protect themselves from any threat to their well being, including any threat by a federal government gone awry

The framers of the Constitution had just overcome a tyrannical government which sought to subjugate its citizens who lived in colonies across the ocean. Not only was this government seeking to restrict rights and to extort excessive taxes from its citizens, it did so without taking into account the right of the people to be represented and to be taken into consideration when writing new laws and enacting new taxes.

From ancient times many have given ten percent of their income to God. This percentage was even placed in the Mosaic Law practiced by the descendants of Abraham. Abraham himself gave ten percent of the spoils of war to the King of Salem, Melchisedec, long before the Law of Moses. Any government which exacts more than 9.999 percent of the peoples' income in taxes is a government which is placing itself on the same level as God. If such a government exacts more than ten percent, they are placing themselves above God.

Those who wrote the Constitution of the United States of America had just finished fighting a war against tyranny and excessive taxation. They won, by the will of God, and set up a free nation in which the right of the people to keep and bear arms was to be recognized as the mark of a free nation. Note the wording "security of a free state". It was recognized that the militia, comprised of civilians (the entire able bodied citizenry) who provided their own armament and provisions, was necessary to the security of a free state. In early post revolution times the people held the same type of arms as the standing army. The standing army was often poorly equipped and so private citizens might be found who were better armed than the government's forces. This was not a cause for concern because the government trusted the people (actually WAS the people) and recognized that its power was derived from the people.

Unfortunately, it became easier for the people to hire others to do their work for them and so participation in the militia began to drop. The congress continued to increase the standing army and during the War Between the States the army was greatly expanded, but many State Militias also participated, not just Federal troops.

For most of the History of the United States of America, private citizens have privately held ownership of firearms equal or superior to those in use by the government's armed forces. Even private sailing ships carried cannon, although not as many as warships to not compromise cargo space. This was not seen as a threat to the tranquil existence of all but rather as a necessity to ensure the well being and safety of the citizen. Even well into the twentieth century it was possible for any person, even felons, to purchase firearms at will in almost any place, even by mail order. Even children could walk into the local hardware store and purchase ammunition, often by the piece instead of by the box, and other "dangerous" goods as well. This was not seen as a threat to the welfare of the community, nor was it since these items were used in the pursuit of game or merely for fun and entertainment.

Early in the twentieth century corrupt politicians passed laws in New York greatly restricting the right of the people to be armed. This type of law was soon to be found in many major metropolitan areas because it was not challenged nor seen as a threat by the people ......complacency reigned. These laws were used to subjugate the unarmed, uneducated immigrants which were flooding the cities and thus expose them to the tyrannies of the corrupt political systems.

Local laws restricting the right of the people to keep and bear arms are clearly against the Constitution of the United States. They serve no purpose except to keep common citizens dependant on a government which is unwilling and unable to extend adequate protection to each and every citizen. The Second Amendment clearly declares the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms, even those arms used by the military. The Tenth Amendment clearly states "The powers not delegated to United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States are reserved to the States respectively or to the people." The Second Amendment clearly prohibits any and all from infringing on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Obviously the tenth amendment does not allow local or state governments to enact laws which infringe on this basic God given right.

Why are we so complacent? Why do we allow a corrupt and brutal government to terrorize its citizens and to subjugate them contrary to the basic Law of the Land, the Constitution? Any attempt to pass or enforce an unconstitutional law -- especially any law that violates the first ten amendments to the Constitution, commonly known as the Bill of Rights -- is a crime punishable by ten years in prison and a ten thousand dollar fine for each offense (Title 18 U.S.C, Sections 241 and 242). Why do we not demand that all attempts to pass laws which directly infringe our God given rights are punished as permitted by law? Why are we not going after Charles Schumer, Ted Kennedy and others of their ilk and inclination?

The United States was set up with a "... government of the people, by the people for the people..." The Bible clearly states in the book of Romans, chapter thirteen verse one that no government can exist which has not been ordained by God. As citizens of the United States we have the obligation to take back the Government and to be responsible for the correct and proper running of all affairs of the State, both Federal and local governments. As Citizens of the United States we are obligated by the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and by the Bible to uphold the values on which this Nation was founded.

As late as the 1890's the Supreme Court of the United States declared that the United States was a Christian Nation. Only in the twentieth century did humanism take its insidious hold on the country. Only in the last 100 years did the people become so indifferent as to allow our Christian Nation to become a Pagan Nation. The First Amendment clearly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free Exercise thereof....". Yet how many laws have been enacted prohibiting the free exercise of our Christianity? We, as a people, have turned our back on God, our Creator and the founder of our Nation. No wonder He has turned His back on us.