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First Amendment Friday RoundupOur friends at the ACLU of Pennsylvania bring you the week in First Amendment news. Check it out!
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Aug 4th, 2008 at 12:55pm
You ACLU hypocrites can't claim to support the Bill Of Rights when you don't even recognize the importance of the second amendment!
All or none.
Simple as that!!!!
Aug 4th, 2008 at 1:43pm
They don't recognize the second amendment for a reason you tool. That isn't what they are for. It's not in their scope. However, the second amendment is entirely not relevant now a day, and the only reason people need an assault rifle is to shoot shit or murder people. Why don't you go watch wrestling or something? republican tool
Aug 4th, 2008 at 3:48pm
I neither murder people nor have I ever aimed a gun at feces. However, I quite enjoy target shooting. It gives me quite excitement to see if I can shoot the target in the places required.
I also have recently found that I enjoy the challenge of taking guns apart and putting them together again.
I assure you that guns are only bad in the hands of bad people. Just like cars with drunken people at the wheel.
I was on the side of those who do not own guns for a long time. Thinking of how dangerous they are and unpredictable they are. Then when my mother passed my stepfather gave her revolver to me. All of a sudden that gun became precious to me because it was hers. I wanted to keep it because it was hers.
I learned how to care for it I learned how to be safe with it and I also learned how to fire it. Well maintained well cared for and well secured handguns and rifles are safe and provide much entertainment. I think that to truly stand out from the rest of the world as America has done from the start the 1st and 2nd ammendments are of utmost importance and should never be changed altered or ammended to reflect the view of only the few. In the US we are still governed by laws a democratic-repulic. Hopefully we will not overun the rights of all to protect the interests of few.
Aug 5th, 2008 at 9:07am
You have no human rights if you don't have the ability to defend those rights.
That's why we have the second amendment.
Your useless old stereotype that I must be a republican is very telling. And you say I'm a tool?!
The ACLU always claims to defend the Bill Of Rights yet they pick and choose which amendments to support.
You can't do that and claim to support the whole Bill Of Rights.
It's total hypocrisy and you know it.
And I bet you don't even know what an "assault rifle is to begin with!
Aug 6th, 2008 at 12:17pm
Unfortunately, the ACLU has had it wrong from the start. From it's Communist beginning to now. Their belief in the separation of church and state is probably the largest lie that has taken our nation by storm!
Our Founding Father's developed the Constitution with the Bible as the foundation.
John Adams, our 2nd President, said the following: "Statesmen, my dear sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand."
He also said: "We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion...our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
They believed, that all laws and morals should be based upon some higher standard...their standard was the Holy Bible!
When our Founding Father's spoke of "Religion" or "Religious", they were referring to Christianity! Please read the writings of our Founders! The entire reason for the puritans arrival to the U.S. was to Advance the Christian Faith for the Glory of God (Refer to the Mayflower Compact).
As for the 2nd amendment, it was not written with the hunter in mind or for personal protection against individual attacks. The reason was to allow the people of this nation to be armed to protect itself from a Government that takes too much control or assumes too much authority over its people. The whole reason for the Bill of Rights and the Constitution was to keep our Government from becoming the behemoth its become.
When the foundation our Founding Father's believed in is taken away from our government. Then the government is now free to decide what is right and wrong! When God is taken out of the Government, the Government becomes God!
Aug 19th, 2008 at 3:09pm
The 2nd Amendment means that the other 9 cannot be taken away. I am a liberal and I get it, why can't the ACLU? I have heard all the stupid double-speak about why you cannot support it, I happen to just believe you are more concerned with how you sound than what you really stand for. No worries, there are plenty of people like myself to defend you.
Aug 22nd, 2008 at 4:14pm
PoisonedV, ahhh yes, in the 21st century, the idea of a government being more and more controlling and stripping away our rights is something of the past! There's NOOO need for us to be able to defend those rights, 1st with the power of our voice, 2nd with the tip of our sword if needed. In fact, given your logic, the 1st amendment might as well be a "collective right" as well, and stripped away as "out-dated." Why don’t you wake up and smell what it is you’re shoveling? And that goes for you as well, ACLU. You are WRONG on this issue, end of story.
Aug 29th, 2008 at 12:50pm
"Truth Be Known!" is in a fantasy world. The Founders knew well about religion beyond Christianity, and made a point not to so much as mention 'God' in the Constitution. They did have a controversy about the inclusion of private rights to bear arms, and seemingly expressed their ambivalence in the ambiguity of the text of the 2nd Amendment. What we do know is that private rights to bear arms DID exist at the time, and they meant for them to not be infringed.
Sep 22nd, 2008 at 5:40pm
Did we take America by force from our old government or did I miss something regading the revolutionary war?
Was the right to keep arms given in case we needed to do it again?
Oct 10th, 2008 at 5:02pm
I am so tired of the 2nd Amendment argument. There should be laws for the use of guns and who can use them, and not for whether or not we as a society should be able to own them. Just like anything else, such as driving a car.
On the other hand, now that we know that the Bible is fiction, can we stop basing everything this country stands for on an outdated belief system.
Oct 27th, 2008 at 12:51pm
The 2nd Amendment is in place to assure that the American people are governed justly. The american people ARE the militia...and the "people" in the pre-amble to our constitution are the same people that are mentioned in the 2ndA and the 1stA.Unless someone wants to argue the definition of people at different points in the constitution. ??
Oct 27th, 2008 at 1:39pm
the ACLU sucks. I can't believe they will defend all the child molesters. They will try to release gitmo detainees and they don't even have the nerve to defend our 2nd amendment rights. DIE ACLU DIE. Don't silence me either. You claim you believe in the 1st amendment.
Dec 2nd, 2008 at 6:46am
Concede the obvious and grow, or dont..
and embarrass and marginalize yourselves. Until then, you are Anti Bill of Rights.
Enemy of: We The People.
Dec 13th, 2008 at 9:16pm
Now that the Supreme Court has clarified the 2nd Amendment, confirming everything that we High Schoolers of the 1940s thought it meant, is the ACLU going to revise its bizarre and illogical position on this, and admit the this Amendment counts too? For the "Gun Control" fans, do you realize the extent of alienation of ordinary Americans that this position has caused? It leads even nerds like me to wonder if its possible that the so-called Liberals have some secret agenda, that they can't be rational about this.
Jan 23rd, 2009 at 12:04pm
I, after reading several positions do truly feel that no prohibitions should be set against the ownership of any firearms. How can the ACLU not accept the decision from the Supreme Court affirming the validity of the Second Amendment. But to accept whole heartedly a decision collected from ideas to support the termination of a fetus(Row V. Wade). I feel that Sir Arthur Connon Doyle was accurate when he wrote "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” I feel that the ACLU has an agenda not to protect constitutional rights but to mold there socialist agenda onto the American people and to change local government at the grass roots level to reflect their un-American agenda. We as citizens of the United States of America, must fight the ACLU at every opportunity when ever they veer away from our Constitutional limited republic's ideals and rights.
Feb 4th, 2009 at 9:48am
Where can I find the ACLU's position on Gun control and our right to bear arms?
Feb 27th, 2009 at 10:40am
It would seem to me that the ACLU is for pushing back against ANY broadening of governmental power against the citizens of this great country. Governmental search of your property or your phone conversations as two examples often seen… Why is it that this sentiment does not extend to the 2nd Amendment?
I have NEVER heard the ACLU say any other right guaranteed under the constitution is "...out of date/touch with modern society..." or "...irrelevant...".
The political bias of the ACLU is STAGGERING!!
How they stay so powerful is that they figured out long ago that the majority of Americans do not pay attention to issues and will allow them and their zealous crazed lawyers to run over anyone that gets in their way without fear of reprisal, political, financial or professional. They are without fear.
Unfortunately their concern for “rights” is defined by their bias and political interest, not what actual rights were guaranteed by the founding fathers of this great country.
We are doomed to a slow progression to totalitarian control. What they fail to grasp is their iron fisted control they weld will create an overly controlled World that they would never have espoused many years ago…Absolute power corrupts absolutely…and fearless lawyers and ignorant citizens will be the ruin of this country.
Mar 27th, 2009 at 3:30pm
I believe that the ACLU stands for "ALL" of our constitution, not just part of it. If you think that the ACLU is AGAINST the 2nd amendment, think again. (The)
Foundation jointly filed a lawsuit[68] against the North Central Regional Library District (NCRL) in Washington State for its policy of refusing to disable restrictions upon an adult patron's request. Library patrons attempting to access pro-gun web sites were blocked, and the library refused to remove the blocks.
If the ACLU was against the right to bear arms, would they have fought the above case?
Apr 3rd, 2009 at 8:52pm
I don't understand how anyone can say that the bill of rights is our most important garantee of freedom, except for that pesky little second ammendmant that doesnt apply anymore. when the second ammendmant was written, we had just finished a long and bloody war agianst the english. the founding fathers correctly realized that it is the nature of governments to grow and grow and eventualy take too much power and crush the very people it had set out to protect. thats why they made the bill of rights and thats why they included the second ammendment. its primary intent wasnt to protect hunters, or even for individual self defense. it was created in case we ever need to sepreate the ties that bind agian.
many people think that this is now irrelevant. that our modern society will never have need of rebelion and that we have "evolved" beyond our need to have weapons that only serve to kill. If you believe were so evolved, consider this. In the 20th century 50 million people were murdered, not by some rapist or burgler, but by their own government. in fact as a human being you are 100 times more likely to be murdered by your own government then by someone else.
the second amendment is there to garantee the other ones and dont forget that.
Apr 3rd, 2009 at 9:36pm
After looking over this website i can see no mention of the second amendment or the ACLUs stand on it. unfortunaly the ACLU seems to relize that it is an issue that will divide many of it's members and they choose not to be either for or agianst it. It sadens me that they will protect peoples rights, but not the right that may make them unpopular with their potential donation base. If you want to help preserve your second amendment rights consider joining the NRA. I personaly am a member of the ACLU and the NRA and i carry both cards in my wallet. as you can see from the comments above me, their are a ton of libral gun owners out there.
May 6th, 2009 at 1:56pm
I am a lover of personal freedom and liberty. I support gay marriage (i think all marriage licenses should be abolished). I support abortion, since I consider the fetus property of the woman as it is attached to her. I support ending all war, and total peace. I also support the 2nd amendment.
I wish ACLU didn't pretend the 2nd amendment was not a civil liberty. It detracts from their credibility, and true freedom lovers like myself far away.
Being for disarmed populations, but arguing for rights that are clearly minor compared to being armed, shows this group is not all its cracked up to be.
It is like myself supporting arson of homes, but not arson of the books inside of the homes. Or myself supporting the right to gay marriage, but not the right to own arms.
You either support rights, or you don't. Picking and choosing makes you no different than Bush, or Clinton - enemy of freedom and peace lovers.