What do you think of when you hear the word, “America”? Is it our flag? Freedom? God? Social issues such as gay rights or abortion? Democracy? When I hear, “America” one of the first things that races to my mind is The Constitution of the United States of America- specifically, the second amendment. This might surprise some of you, so why does the word, “America” make me think of the second amendment? is the second amendment still relevant today?  Has anyone ever exercised their second amendment rights justly and been better for doing so? Furthermore, are guns truly necessary in a first world country where government has progressed to such a status as ours? With all of our nations security assets, military and law enforcement agencies, why would law abiding citizens need firearms?

So, why when I hear the word, “America” do I think of the second amendment? Those close to me know that it’s no big secret: I love this great nation and I. LOVE. GUNS. It probably stems from when I was a child. My mother insisted whether we were at toys r us because by some miracle she had enough money to buy us a toy, or whether we were shopping for a halloween costume she was helping us make, one rule was incontrovertible: NO GUNS. I’m confident some liberal gentleman will read this and think of me as a traumatized pendulum, swinging from no guns to ‘MURICA as soon as I could finally purchase my own guns- and they would be right, save for any trauma. Whether running tactical drills like moving-move or training to clear various malfunctions with my AR15, or reaching out to a 30″ steel gong at 1,000 yards with 10 mph winds at full value with my Remington 700 chambered in .308, I can’t help myself. Just the prospect of going to Turners or Bass Pro Shops makes me as giddy as a 16 year old never-been-kissed girl being asked to go to the prom by a young Justin beiber-looking football captain. To me and to many others, America and guns are unified.

Now let’s talk about the relevancy of the second amendment today. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “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.” We have 5 different branches of military in the United States. Do we really need a, “well regulated militia”? My answer is simple: The Battle of Athens. In 1946 in Athens, Tennessee the local government had become corrupt. They were committing voter fraud and intimidating the citizens to gain more power and control over them. World War II veterans were coming home from tirelessly and bravely battling an unspeakable tyranny, only to realize their local government was headed down an all too familiar road. Rather than allow this atrocious behavior to continue, the “people” found it “necessary to the security of a free state” to “bear arms” and defend the state and people therein from the local government’s unjust power and tyranny. To keep it short, The citizens of Athens and neighboring Etowah had no alternative but to fight the local sheriff’s deputies in a standoff, which resulted in many of the corrupt officials resigning, and the election of honest GI sponsored men taking their positions. In this example, the second amendment is invaluable. It’s worth noting that even though shots were fired for as long as several hours and with the use of dynamite no one was killed in this battle. Tyranny was repelled not by deaths, but by the Second amendment.

To determine whether or not the second amendment still necessary in a first world country with advanced government such as ours we must look to history. Historically speaking there is probably no greater example than that of Germany. “The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing.” -Adolph Hitler. Hitler knew the best way to politically dominate and control any people group was to first disarm the citizens. However it wasn’t just Germany. Joseph Stalin said, “Ideas are far more powerful than guns. We don’t let our people have guns. Why should we let them have ideas?”, and, “the only real power comes out of a long rifle”. Stalin acknowledged that power comes from firearms, and he refused to let his people be armed, giving him total control. You see, the second amendment isn’t in place for the American people to defend themselves from robbers, murderers, rapists, etc. though it is an inherited bonus. Our founding fathers wrote and established the second amendment in order to have the government fear the people! An armed citizen is a direct threat to an oppressive, socialist ideology. It’s no wonder the government is the one trying to eradicate/redefine the second amendment! They want unchallenged control over you and me, and without, “the right to keep and bear arms” that’s exactly what they’ll get.

In conclusion, America is many things. I do consider America to be a once Godly nation. I associate the words, “America” and, “constitution” like the words “conservatism” and, “critical thinking”. The second amendment is extremely relevant today as we face corrupt bureaucrats and the socialist oppression of our nation’s Democratic Party. And finally, with our nation’s current first world status and our present political climate, now more than ever we know to resist the gun control lobby because history dictates that an unarmed population will face communism, socialism, racial injustice and genocide. Guns are an equalizer. No other tool puts a 26 year old murdering, escaped convict on the same playing field as a frail, 96 year old grandmother. Firearms level the field between citizens and their government. Those who don’t exercise their rights lose them. America,  keep and bear arms. Never forget! In the United States of America, it is we the people who are the sovereign over the government.

Source(s):

Battle of Athens: http://www.constitution.org/mil/tn/batathen.htm

Hitler quote: http://www.stephenhalbrook.com/article-nazilaw.pdf

Stalin quotes: http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/138332.Joseph_Stalin