Reframe the Second Amendment
“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.”
Democrats usually start any statement on gun policy with the phrase, “I support the Second Amendment, but…”
This weak, defensive caveat is meaningless. The NRA and its enablers have so completely perverted the original intent and context of the Second Amendment that when Democrats claim to support it, it’s unclear exactly what we’re claiming to support. And this caveat does us no favors — Democrats should never court NRA backing; and no matter how conservative a Democrat may appear to be on guns, there is always a Republican ready to do the NRA’s bidding. This equivocation alienates the vast majority of Democratic voters who want to see a tougher stand on guns while it fails to attract any new voters on the right.
It’s time to stop framing the debate on the NRA’s terms. Democrats and Progressives should proudly proclaim that we do NOT support the NRA’s perverted interpretation of the Second Amendment.
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If and when I run for office, I will make the following crystal clear, and I urge all those seeking elected office to do the same:
I do not support the NRA’s perverted interpretation of the Second Amendment.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that ignores the clause ‘well-regulated.’
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that exploits the Constitution as a marketing tool to sell more guns.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that affords anybody the right to own any type of gun.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that guarantees individuals the right to a military grade weapon capable of shooting hundreds of people within seconds.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that guarantees the right to endless rounds of ammunition.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that guarantees the right to unlimited gun purchases.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that guarantees the right of an individual to amass an arsenal.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that obviates waiting periods to buy a gun.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that obviates the need for thorough criminal and mental health background checks.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that allows a gun sale to proceed after 3 days even if the background check is incomplete.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment which intentionally undermines law enforcement’s ability to enforce gun laws.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that guarantees civilians the right to walk around in public openly carrying a semi-automatic rifle.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that guarantees civilians the right to carry a concealed, loaded handgun in public.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that obviates the need for training, licensing and insurance to carry a gun.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that shields gun manufacturers from liability when their products work exactly as they’re designed to — which is to maim and kill.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that prohibits the government from researching gun violence.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that prohibits the government from modernizing firearms-related records.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that blocks efforts to ban armor-piercing ammunition.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that seeks to deregulate silencers.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that overrules localities’ efforts to regulate guns.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that would rather arm teachers than keep guns out of schools.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that allows young adults to buy an AR15 when they’re too young to buy alcohol.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that promotes the idea that guns are merely symbols of freedom.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that promotes armed insurrection against our own government.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that allows homeowners to shoot first, ask questions later.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that causes police to assume everybody is armed to the teeth.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that allows police to shoot unarmed African Americans with impunity.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that results in gun violence being the leading cause of death for young African American males.
- I do not support a perversion of the 2nd Amendment that places a higher value on an individual’s hobby than it does on an individual’s life.
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“At the time the Second Amendment was written, the typical firearms of the day were muskets and flintlock pistols. They could hold a single round at a time, and a skilled shooter could hope to get off three or possibly four rounds in a minute of firing. By all accounts they were not particularly accurate either.” — Washington Post
