I haven't seen Fahrenheit 9/11 yet either, although I'll probably eventually get around to it, out of curiousity if nothing else. From the various reviews I've seen, I gather it doesn't really have much to do with 9/11, but rather focuses more on the war in Iraq. At a certain point, it becomes difficult to figure out who the players are, and what is their agenda. I find it difficult to imagine anyone seriously researching 9/11 without being exposed to a great deal of evidence that keeps coming up missing in the various documentaries.
On the subject of liberals, conservatives and gun control, I have a hard time figuring out where the party lines lay. As things stand, the current definition of a conservative appears to be someone who supports abandoning the Constitution in favor of a slave state, and a liberal is someone who supports the Constitution, but only when it serves certain obscure causes. IMO, the lines have grown so fuzzy, it's a mystery to me how anyone could claim to be either without looking like a fruitcake.
In the context the Second Amendment is written, it's virtually impossible to get a translation of "arms" as anything other than military grade weapons. Granted today's military grade weapons were the stuff of science fiction in the 1780s, but the purpose of the Second Amendment is quite clear the idea is civilians in possession of state of the art weapons are an asset in repelling enemies, both foreign and domestic. While I can't help but agree there is a large cross section of the population I'd rather not trust with shoulder fired rocket launchers, a literal translation of the document certainly includes private ownership of such arms. At the very least, the Second Amendment would authorize such weapons as the M16 for private ownership. It's the standard issue military rifle, which is what one would also expect to be in the hands of a civilian militia.
While I realize many people don't share my views, I'd personally sleep much better knowing something like 60% of the adult male population in the US had an M16 tucked away in their closet. Iraq should serve as a prime example of armed citizens resisting foreign invaders. It's the difference between some chance and no chance. Or as Machiavelli said, "It's unreasonable to expect he who is armed to obey he who is unarmed.". |
