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13th Amendment Pros And Cons

Decent Essays

The United States Constitution has been called the greatest statement of consent by the governed in history. Before the end of the revolution against Great Britain, the states basically operated as separate countries under the Articles of Confederation. It was soon recognized that a stronger federal government with checks and balances was needed. The Constitutional Convention wrote this important document and after confirmation by a super majority of the states; it became the foundation of our government in 1789. Soon thereafter, 12 amendments were proposed by the Congress and sent to the states for ratification. The first 10 of these amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified and became part of the Constitution in …show more content…

The Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures doesn’t seem to hit home with many law abiding people. I have often heard the comment to the effect that if you have nothing to hide, why should you care if the police search your car or home?

Now, a few words about the Second Amendment. The United States is one of a handful of countries which has an explicit protection of the right to keep and bear arms in a constitution. For many years, the public debate was whether or not the Second Amendment protected an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. That question was laid to rest by the United States Supreme Court in the 2008 landmark decision, District of Columbia v Heller.

In future columns, I will explore issues with regard to firearms regulation. The bedrock of any discussion must include acknowledgement that the right to keep and bear arms is in the Bill of Rights. Attempts to diminish our rights should not be done based on analogies to activities which are privileges (such as a driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle on a public highway.) Few suggest that a church must have a permit to operate or that your home is your castle only if you meet some bureaucrat’s licensing

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