Gun Control and The Second Amendment

For John, BLUF:  Since an "assault" weapons ban will not end shootings, over time the gun control folks will wish to further and further restrict gun ownership.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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I had been hearing about this on the news and traced it from InstaPundit to Hot Air and Cap't Ed Morrissey, back to the original Old Gray lady Opinion Piece by retired Supreme Court Justice, "John Paul Stevens: Repeal the Second Amendment".

So the former Justice wants us to repeal the Second Amendment.  What are the odds?  Not high.  Two-thirds of each House of Congress and approval by three-quarters of the states (38).  There are some variations, like having a Constitutional Convention, but basically it is hard.  There aren't that many Amendments.

The other thing is that if owning a gun is a natural right, then eliminating the Second Amendment won't change that.  Maybe a Constitutional Amendment saying that civilians shall not own weapons (guns, swords, knives?) should be the law of the land.

Then there is the question of who SHOULD have weapons.  The police, but perhaps not the cop on the beat.♠  Then there are all those other Federal (and State) agencies, as Forbes points out:

The number of non-military federal officers with arrest and firearm authority (200,000+) now exceeds the number of U.S. Marines (182,000).  Spending on guns, ammo and military-style equipment at 67 federal agencies – including 53 regulatory, administrative agencies amounted to $1.48 billion between 2006-2014.  The IRS gun-locker is an example of this growing federal firepower.  Nearly $11 million was spent on guns, ammo and military-style equipment for 2,316 ‘special agents’ during this period.  The IRS stockpile includes pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns with buckshot and slugs; and semi-automatic AR-15 rifles (S&W M&P 15) and military-style H&K 416 rifles.

Finally, how will this anti-gun stance work in November of this year, when we vote in a new House of Representatives and a third of the US Senate?

Exit question:  If you need to be 21 to purchase a gun, should you have to be 21 in order to exercise the right to vote?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Given that the police have no special responsibility to protect the individual, why should they be armed when we are defenseless?  It doesn't seem balanced and fair.