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Article 2, Section 1, Clauses 8 & 9:
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Article 6, Clause 3:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Article 4, Section 4:
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
republic n
1 : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and is usually a president; also : a nation or other political unit having such a government
2 : a government in which supreme power is held by the citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives governing according to law; also : a nation or other political unit having such a form of government.
In the context of the United States, both definitions apply.
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.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Originally posted by donwhite
Responsible gun ownership. Every firearm should be registered and TITLED as is the case with a car or a boat. 1 gun, 1 title. Transfers of ownership would require buyer and seller to appear before a court clerk and sign a new title application, turning in the old one, and verification the firearm ID # agreed with the title and had not been altered. $25 new title fee.
Only adults with no felony convictions - unless that penalty was partially remitted - could own, possess, use or have access to a firearm. Children from 14 to 18 could own .22 caliber rim fire rifles or . 410 shotguns of 1 or 2 shot capacity. Under 14, NO guns of any kind allowed.
Any person owning more than a certain number of firearms - say 6 - would need a collector’s license. If he bought and sold more than a fixed number of firearms - say 3 - annually in which case he would need a dealers permit. $1,000 annual fee. And proof of liability insurance up to $1 million.
An annual property value tax would be levied on each firearm. The typical property tax is around 1.5% to 2.5% per year. This would be based on the MSRP straight line depreciated over 25 or 50 years with 25% residual value. If the tax is not paid when due then a tax lien would be put on the firearm which must be paid before the next transfer. When unpaid taxes equal the MSRP, the gun BECOMES property of the State and failure to return it to the state would be a violation.
Any infraction of these laws would be violations - not up to the level of a crime - punishable by a FINE up to $5,000 and confiscation of the firearm. After the 3rd offense, the fine would be doubled on each subsequent offense. The government could at any time levy on other property of the gun owner to satisfy unpaid fees or assessments.
I'm not responsible for another persons crime, nor will I be forced into doing Law enforcements job.
Any time a firearm is involved in the commission of a crime or is in the possession of an ineligible person, every person in the chain of title would be required to offer all good assistance to law enforcement. This would tend to make sellers’ more particular who their buyer is. Giving false information to the Government is like any other perjury, a crime. That can give you more trouble that you really want.
A Nation of Cowards: Excerpts
...Put aside, for a moment, the outrageousness of the suggestion that a criminal who proffers lethal violence should be treated as if he has instituted a new social contract: "I will not hurt or kill you if you give me what I want." For years, feminists have labored to educate people that rape is not about sex, but about domination, degradation, and control. Evidently, someone needs to inform the law enforcement establishment and the media that kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, and assault are not about property...
...Crime is not only a complete disavowal of the social contract, but also a commandeering of the victim's person and liberty. If the individual's dignity lies in the fact that he is a moral agent engaging in actions of his own will, in free exchange with others, then crime always violates the victim's dignity...
...A sermon given in Philadelphia in 1747 unequivocally equated the failure to defend oneself with suicide:
"He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one that hath no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God hath enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself."...
...It is impossible to address the problem of rampant crime without talking about the moral responsibility of the intended victim. Crime is rampant because the law-abiding, each of us, condone it, excuse it, permit it, submit to it. We permit and encourage it because we do not fight back, immediately, then and there, where it happens...
...In 1991, when then-Attorney General Richard Thornburgh released the FBI's annual crime statistics, he noted that it is now more likely that a person will be the victim of a violent crime than that he will be in an auto accident. Despite this, most people readily believe that the existence of the police relieves them of the responsibility to take full measures to protect themselves. The police, however, are not personal bodyguards. Rather, they act as a general deterrent to crime, both by their presence and by apprehending criminals after the fact...
...Should you ever be the victim of an assault, a robbery, or a rape, you will find it very difficult to call the police while the act is in progress, even if you are carrying a portable cellular phone. Nevertheless, you might be interested to know how long it takes them to show up. Department of Justice statistics for 1991 show that, for all crimes of violence, only 28 percent of calls are responded to within five minutes. The idea that protection is a service people can call to have delivered and expect to receive in a timely fashion is often mocked by gun owners, who love to recite the challenge, "Call for a cop, call for an ambulance, and call for a pizza. See who shows up first."...
(More at Source-link)
Originally posted by slackerwire
Considering prescription drugs are responsible for more deaths than firearms, would you also wish to ban those?
Originally posted by Scramjet76
Today your weapons don't protect you from big brother your vote does.
From The Supreme Law Firm: Excerpted
The Second Amendment: America's First Freedom
By Charlton Heston
At the National Press Club, September 11, 1997
Today I want to talk to you about guns: Why we have them, why the Bill of Rights guarantees that we can have them, and why my right to have a gun is more important than your right to rail against it in the press...
...The original amendments we refer to as the Bill of Rights contain ten of what the constitutional framers termed unalienable rights. These rights are ranked in random order and are linked by their essential equality. The Bill of Rights came to us with blinders on. It doesn't recognize color, or class, or wealth. It protects not just the rights of actors, or editors, or reporters, but extends even to those we love to hate.
That's why the most heinous criminals have rights until they are convicted of a crime. The beauty of the Constitution can be found in the way it takes human nature into consideration. We are not a docile species capable of co-existing within a perfect society under everlasting benevolent rule. We are what we are. Egotistical, corruptible, vengeful, sometimes even a bit power mad. The Bill of Rights recognizes this and builds the barricades that need to be in place to protect the individual.
You, of course, remain zealous in your belief that a free nation must have a free press and free speech to battle injustice, unmask corruption and provide a voice for those in need of a fair and impartial forum.
I agree wholeheartedly ... a free press is vital to a free society. But I wonder: How many of you will agree with me that the right to keep and bear arms is not just equally vital, but the most vital to protect all the other rights we enjoy?
I say that the Second Amendment is, in order of importance, the first amendment. It is America's First Freedom, the one right that protects all the others. Among freedom of speech, of the press, of religion, of assembly, of redress of grievances, it is the first among equals. It alone offers the absolute capacity to live without fear. The right to keep and bear arms is the one right that allows "rights" to exist at all...
Source: Kennesaw Ordinances (Using Advanced Search function, keyword "firearm")
Chapter 34 (Civil Emergencies), Article 1 (In General):
Sec. 34-1. Heads of households to maintain firearms.
(a) In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefor.
(b) Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony.
(Code 1986, § 4-3-10)
Sec. 34-2. Use of firearms.
No person shall fire a gun, pistol or other firearm in the city, except in the defense of person or property, and except peace officers or military forces of this state or the United States, in the discharge of official duties.
(Code 1986, § 11-1-4)
Secs. 34-3--34-25. Reserved.
Chapter 66 (Parks & Recreation), Article 1 (In General):
Sec. 66-2. Parks--Regulations governing conduct.
These rules and regulations are developed to set standards of conduct in the parks owned and operated by the city. These rules are designed to ensure the safety and enjoyment of park participants.
Enforcement. Any person engaging in any activity which shall unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of a park by citizens or who shall violate any ordinance of the city, park rules or regulations or law of the state shall leave the park upon notification by any authorized park employee or any law enforcement officer and shall not return to such park for a period of 24 hours. Refusal to leave such park when ordered or return to the park within the specified 24-hour period shall be unlawful and punishable as a misdemeanor.
It shall be unlawful to:
.........
(4) Have in their possession any knife that could be used as a weapon, or any type of weapon, excluding firearms.
Source: Kennesaw Police Department Crime Statistics
City of Kennesaw 1981 (Year Before Gun Law Passed)
Population: 5,242
Total Part 1 Crimes: (per 100,000 pop): 4,332
City of Kennesaw 2005
Population: 28,189
Total Part 1 Crimes (per 100,000): 2,027 -7% from 2004
U.S. Average 2005
Total Part 1 Crimes per 100,000: 3,899
Summary: Although the population of the City of Kennesaw and surrounding area has increased dramatically since 1981, on a per capita basis crimes rates were actually lower in 2005 than in 1981.
Note: To control for population differences and make comparisons between jurisdictions more accurate and meaningful, index crimes are reported at the rate per 100,000 persons.
Part 1 crimes consist of: Murder, Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Auto Theft and Arson.
For more information on F.B.I. UCR Crime Statistics Click Here
Originally posted by Crusader of Truth
to be more specific, the harmful ones are Hippies, Neo-Nazis, and Communists.