The NRA sees a bleak Hobbesian world. So why does it want to arm individuals with guns?Fox Butterfield, call your office. Most Socialist Utopians like to go on the assumption that basic human nature is easily moldable and can be turned to happy altruism with only a minimum of coercion. Historically the amount of coercion required is measured in millions of bodies, but this time we are assured, they'll get it right. The french constitution was based on this principle. Chairman Robspierre is alas, not available for comment.
The U.S. constitution was written on the basis that most people, especially elected officials, look after themselves first and their neighbors second, if at all. Thus the founders simply wrote protections in to limit the mischief that people could foment between each other. That approach isn't perfect either, but its held up reasonably well in spite of concerted efforts to get around it. The rule of law establishes police, courts, judges, and juries. The right to bear arms gives the citizen legal recourse until the law can actually show up, which may take a while.
Next up is the peoples Republic of Boulder with a proposed ban on assault weapons, which means anything the city council doesn't like. Hearings on the proposal were lengthy and sometimes a bit acrimonious with complaints from the antis that some of the opponents didn't actually live in Boulder (average new home price $1M+) and thus should have no voice in the prospect of becoming felons while passing through town. The councils initial reaction is to pass that buck to the people in a referendum, but the antis, afraid of losing out to normal people arguing against the measure, are demanding the council simply ignore possible objections and pass the measure as written and fight the inevitable lawsuits later.
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