Another i***t that doesn't read.
There are supporting documents that precede the constitution that explains the basis of each amendment.
The founders knew how tyrannical governments can become and set a foundation to protect against it.
N**i germany, Russia, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and most recently Venezuela are what happens when a government has not checks against it. Hong Kong is about to be the latest.

Politicians who swear to uphold the constitution, and then take steps to attack it, should be removed from office immediately. I'm sure this is in the framework as well but isn't being followed.

You are right on the money! Combined, in context, offers more insight. Muscats were the 'arms'. The right to bear arms does not mean that we have the right to bear any type of arms. Of course, muscats are long gone. But limiting the type of arms does not infringe upon our rights. So not only should we have common sense restrictions of the types of arms one can legally own; all of us, as law biding citizens, should not have a problem registering all purchases of guns--regardless of where and how. No matter your passion for the 2nd Amendment; what could one possibly be against in background checks and registration? Assuming you follow the law..have nothing to hide...and intent upon being a good citizen. You need a driver's license. You need a SS card. You need to r******r to v**e. Don't anyone tell me that these are intrusive and violate your privacy. Regarding those 'fit' to own a weapon is a whole other area to be addressed. Certain restrictions can be imposed without changing current laws; however, investigating one's mental health needs to be legislated by Congress as there are current laws that prohibit the release of this information. We should all come together and move on to what really needs to be done to help every American--not just some.

The Second Amendment has been called the Julius Caesar Amendment, hearkening to that day that Gaius Julius Caesar declared himself "Emperor". At the heart of this is the basis for individual liberty. And why it needs to be protected.

Not to *abrogate* the right to bear arms is so we, the people, can defend ourselves against a rogue government.

As stated in a Google search:

--The Preamble states that an overriding purpose of the U.S. Constitution is to “promote the general welfare,” indicating that issues such as poverty, housing, food and other economic and social welfare issues facing the citizenry were of central concern to the framers.--

Too many declare that the Preamble to be just a "Prologue" in order to diminish the responsibility of government to the people in regards to general health. The Preamble is the actual authorization for our US government.

We, as individuals, are still responsible for our own health and safety. We cannot surrender these responsibilities. This means that we have to take steps to remain active with each other to help and to keep our government working for the Common Good.

Interesting. Everybody commenting here is right in one way or another. The conversation about the 2nd Amendment is completely separate from caring for our neighbors and reaching out to help others in distress. 'Be part of the solution' is a common mantra that we hear and know, but don't actually follow though. We can as individuals do our part, but it will never be enough (doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything!). It is up to the people we elect; local, state, and federal; to do what needs to be done. Unfortunately, this is not happening. Mental health issues show no bias or demographic-- anyone can be affected. Enviornmental bias is prevalent and not addressed well at all. We need representation that will actually do something proactive and positive to raise up every American to achieve their full potential. This may be counterproductive to some politician's personal interests; but is best for our future.

Several here have stated that training should be part of gun ownership and I don't really have a problem with that or background checks when purchasing a firearm. At least in Kentucky, training is part of obtaining a concealed carry permit. However, most of it is about the legal aspects of using deadly force which is indeed very important to understand, but there is also a live fire, range test, of competency although it is somewhat basic. This training could be extended without infringing on our personal rights and I for one feel it should be part of our school curriculum so it reaches virtually everyone, but that will never happen due to the overall paranoia involved. Frankly, there are too many that grow up with no exposure to guns and therefore have no personal knowledge about them other than what they see on TV and in the movies and that is very unrealistic at best.

I personally grew up with guns. My father gave me my first .22 rimfire rifle when I was in 3rd grade and I still have it today. He set down rules from the start and we spent many hours at the range developing my sk**ls and frankly having a lot of fun as well. No one got hurt and my education and knowledge with firearms has continued throughout my life.

I have now shot competitively in most every genre of shooting sports and even took defensive training prior to my obtaining a concealed carry permit. My wife and I also attended several local "Citizens Police Academy" courses that also included live fire and scenario simulators. During these classes I discovered that I was generally more knowledgeable about firearms and my personal sk**ls were often better than most of the police officers. However, I did learn a lot about situational awareness and the proper response needed in most situations which made this training very valuable. Since Police officers are required to carry even when off duty and I have comparable sk**ls, I feel that I should do so as well. I hope that I never need my sk**ls for personal or public protection, but I do feel that people with these sk**ls should be allowed if not encouraged to carry and extra training could indeed be a good thing for most anyone involved with guns. While I do not advocate everyone carrying guns like the "Old West," I do feel that those with the needed sk**ls and willing to carry are a boon to society as a whole. Once again, a good guy with a gun is the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun!

Anyway, training would be a good way to prevent accidental shootings and could even help to provide the "Well Regulated M*****a" as provided for in the second amendment. However, the anti-gunners want nothing else than the elimination of guns from our society and if you really think about it, this is a complete fantasy that can never happen. We need to focus more on things that might actually help rather than pursue insecure dreams and false assumptions. Until we get a handle on that, there is no real hope of preventing gun violence.

The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence provided for citizens the ability to own firearms for the purpose of safeguarding our country and a balance of power between citizens and our government. I would like to point out the following excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

I am a proud citizen of the USA and love my country, and my hope is citizens will never have to fight our government but having the ability is what our forefathers wanted.

Another i***t that doesn't read.
There are supporting documents that precede the constitution that explains the basis of each amendment.
The founders knew how tyrannical governments can become and set a foundation to protect against it.
N**i germany, Russia, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and most recently Venezuela are what happens when a government has not checks against it. Hong Kong is about to be the latest.

Politicians who swear to uphold the constitution, and then take steps to attack it, should be removed from office immediately. I'm sure this is in the framework as well but isn't being followed.

This is my humble opinion.
It is TRUELY sad that one person can ruin an otherwise idyllic day here. While I too don't want a political Word War, this is our own fault.

Every one thinks the Second Amendment is about the freedom to bear arms. Ya' gotta' read it thru. The original framers of The Constitution intended to allow ordinary citizens the Right to form a m*****a and protect the new nation from enemies both foreign and domestic. People will pervert the Second Amendent to suit their own purpose. Many stop and say it is my Constitutional Right to bear arms. That is not a complete interpretation of The Second Amendment. Can we convince the American Populace of the correct way to read the Constitution? I doubt change can happen here.

This is not the first time I had read such tragedy in the media. Let me ask all (the Hoggers) what have you done to prevent this from happening again?

When you are walking down the street and you see someone laying on top of a ventilator gate, What do you do? Do you walk away, perhaps looking back, only to go on with your day?

Do you care enough to want to help a "sick or injured" stranger?

Do you take the time to call 911 and let the police know there is someone not well and in need of help?

When you see someone "out of sorts" do you inquire for them to obtain medical help? So there is someone yelling on a street corner by themselves. Do you shake your head in dispair?
Do you look the other way?

Do you help perhaps volunteer in a nearby hospital to help those in need of psychiatric care?

Most people do not do any of these things. Most people are afraid of someone with a psychiatric illness. This is because they do not understand nor wish to learn how to help someone.

People with depression or other mental illnesses are often told by naive, inexperienced or untrained persons to "snap out of it. You'll feel better!"
This is not the case. If they could "snap out of it" they would have done so! Those people who don't understand this plight never have "Gotten the Message."

The people who commit violent acts such as those recently highlighted in the media, need proper medical (psychiatric) attention. And these extreme acts of violence took time to escalate and alert others nearby. It didn't happen overnight.
Did anyone bother to pay attention to the warning signs?

Why isn't such atrocities common and in the media in other countries. Simply this. Other countries provide and care for their ill population. They have better infrastructure, better hospitals and dare I say, better trained medical providers. In other countries, the populace cares about others. I have visited other countries (on vacation and photo opportunities) and noticed the concern people have for the individual. People in other countries are not fearful but assist and seek out to care of someone who is not well. Hospitals are better equipped to care for patients in general. This is because medical care is predominately socialized. That is not a dirty curse word! (What that means is the insurance companies are not subrogating for their stock holders). As for medical practitioners, they receive extensive medical rotations to provide proper care.

What can you do? Where do you fit in this picture? Instead of hand wringing and idle chatter at work, endeavor to make a difference in the lives of others.

If you see someone who is ill, make a telephone call. There are plenty of community outreach centers that are underutilized.

How about volunteering your time in a major outreach center or even a hospital? Do you have enough courage to do so?

But, I'll bet that most will blow off this diatribe and call me a fool. They will blame the system, that there is nothing they can do or its the fault of our government and still support the foolish misinterpretation of the Second Amendment. That is until someone in their family needs care. Then their world stops spinning and they are lost in a sea of bureaucracy
with no where to turn.

If you don't think you can help, you're mistaken. A phone call is all it takes to initiate the process of caring for someone ill. Research it now on Google or any other internet search engine. The next person you make a call on their behalf may just be someone you know or even a family member. At least make a donation of blood or money through work to aid and assist the victims of these tragedies may be beneficial.
I'm sure there are naysayers willing to criticize my diatribe. That's okay. I can handle some criticism. But, I spend a portion of my time working at a major psychiatric hospital.

You can either make a difference or just not care!!

Several here have stated that training should be part of gun ownership and I don't really have a problem with that or background checks when purchasing a firearm. At least in Kentucky, training is part of obtaining a concealed carry permit. However, most of it is about the legal aspects of using deadly force which is indeed very important to understand, but there is also a live fire, range test, of competency although it is somewhat basic. This training could be extended without infringing on our personal rights and I for one feel it should be part of our school curriculum so it reaches virtually everyone, but that will never happen due to the overall paranoia involved. Frankly, there are too many that grow up with no exposure to guns and therefore have no personal knowledge about them other than what they see on TV and in the movies and that is very unrealistic at best.

I personally grew up with guns. My father gave me my first .22 rimfire rifle when I was in 3rd grade and I still have it today. He set down rules from the start and we spent many hours at the range developing my sk**ls and frankly having a lot of fun as well. No one got hurt and my education and knowledge with firearms has continued throughout my life.

I have now shot competitively in most every genre of shooting sports and even took defensive training prior to my obtaining a concealed carry permit. My wife and I also attended several local "Citizens Police Academy" courses that also included live fire and scenario simulators. During these classes I discovered that I was generally more knowledgeable about firearms and my personal sk**ls were often better than most of the police officers. However, I did learn a lot about situational awareness and the proper response needed in most situations which made this training very valuable. Since Police officers are required to carry even when off duty and I have comparable sk**ls, I feel that I should do so as well. I hope that I never need my sk**ls for personal or public protection, but I do feel that people with these sk**ls should be allowed if not encouraged to carry and extra training could indeed be a good thing for most anyone involved with guns. While I do not advocate everyone carrying guns like the "Old West," I do feel that those with the needed sk**ls and willing to carry are a boon to society as a whole. Once again, a good guy with a gun is the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun!

Anyway, training would be a good way to prevent accidental shootings and could even help to provide the "Well Regulated M*****a" as provided for in the second amendment. However, the anti-gunners want nothing else than the elimination of guns from our society and if you really think about it, this is a complete fantasy that can never happen. We need to focus more on things that might actually help rather than pursue insecure dreams and false assumptions. Until we get a handle on that, there is no real hope of preventing gun violence.

This is my humble opinion.
It is TRUELY sad that one person can ruin an otherwise idyllic day here. While I too don't want a political Word War, this is our own fault.

Every one thinks the Second Amendment is about the freedom to bear arms. Ya' gotta' read it thru. The original framers of The Constitution intended to allow ordinary citizens the Right to form a m*****a and protect the new nation from enemies both foreign and domestic. People will pervert the Second Amendent to suit their own purpose. Many stop and say it is my Constitutional Right to bear arms. That is not a complete interpretation of The Second Amendment. Can we convince the American Populace of the correct way to read the Constitution? I doubt change can happen here.

This is not the first time I had read such tragedy in the media. Let me ask all (the Hoggers) what have you done to prevent this from happening again?

When you are walking down the street and you see someone laying on top of a ventilator gate, What do you do? Do you walk away, perhaps looking back, only to go on with your day?

Do you care enough to want to help a "sick or injured" stranger?

Do you take the time to call 911 and let the police know there is someone not well and in need of help?

When you see someone "out of sorts" do you inquire for them to obtain medical help? So there is someone yelling on a street corner by themselves. Do you shake your head in dispair?
Do you look the other way?

Do you help perhaps volunteer in a nearby hospital to help those in need of psychiatric care?

Most people do not do any of these things. Most people are afraid of someone with a psychiatric illness. This is because they do not understand nor wish to learn how to help someone.

People with depression or other mental illnesses are often told by naive, inexperienced or untrained persons to "snap out of it. You'll feel better!"
This is not the case. If they could "snap out of it" they would have done so! Those people who don't understand this plight never have "Gotten the Message."

The people who commit violent acts such as those recently highlighted in the media, need proper medical (psychiatric) attention. And these extreme acts of violence took time to escalate and alert others nearby. It didn't happen overnight.
Did anyone bother to pay attention to the warning signs?

Why isn't such atrocities common and in the media in other countries. Simply this. Other countries provide and care for their ill population. They have better infrastructure, better hospitals and dare I say, better trained medical providers. In other countries, the populace cares about others. I have visited other countries (on vacation and photo opportunities) and noticed the concern people have for the individual. People in other countries are not fearful but assist and seek out to care of someone who is not well. Hospitals are better equipped to care for patients in general. This is because medical care is predominately socialized. That is not a dirty curse word! (What that means is the insurance companies are not subrogating for their stock holders). As for medical practitioners, they receive extensive medical rotations to provide proper care.

What can you do? Where do you fit in this picture? Instead of hand wringing and idle chatter at work, endeavor to make a difference in the lives of others.

If you see someone who is ill, make a telephone call. There are plenty of community outreach centers that are underutilized.

How about volunteering your time in a major outreach center or even a hospital? Do you have enough courage to do so?

But, I'll bet that most will blow off this diatribe and call me a fool. They will blame the system, that there is nothing they can do or its the fault of our government and still support the foolish misinterpretation of the Second Amendment. That is until someone in their family needs care. Then their world stops spinning and they are lost in a sea of bureaucracy
with no where to turn.

If you don't think you can help, you're mistaken. A phone call is all it takes to initiate the process of caring for someone ill. Research it now on Google or any other internet search engine. The next person you make a call on their behalf may just be someone you know or even a family member. At least make a donation of blood or money through work to aid and assist the victims of these tragedies may be beneficial.
I'm sure there are naysayers willing to criticize my diatribe. That's okay. I can handle some criticism. But, I spend a portion of my time working at a major psychiatric hospital.

You can either make a difference or just not care!!