What is your opinion on the Second Amendment?

When the Constitution was created in 1776, there were two or three reasons why a gun was needed. The first was for hunting, because that was how many people in those days put meat on the table. That reasoning translates over into modern times.

The second was for self protection, because those people lived in a dangerous time, when Native Americans were actively trying to kill them, (to say nothing of the Brits!). That reasoning also translates into modern times. There are some places in the United States where it is just not safe to live. In rural areas, if your home is invaded, by the time the police drive 20 miles to get to your farm ranch, you are already dead, unless you are a billionaire and you have one of those safe rooms and you just happened to get to it in time.

The third reason our founding fathers wanted us to be armed was because they were thinking about big government...King George, to be precise. Big government was taxing the hell out of them while disallowing any representation in Parliament, and the people rebelled against the taxes, the unfairness, and the cruelty of the British troops who were there trying to enforce the will of the British King.

Their thought was that they ALWAYS wanted to be armed, so that if their future government EVER became dominated by another despot, or by any form of unfair government that abused their rights, they would be able to fight against that government, and could, legally, be armed to do so. The founding fathers envisioned an armed militia, such as defeated the British in those days.

To that last point in the minds of our founding fathers, owning personal weapons is certainly not going to be effective against the massive warfare machines owned by our government. Our government owns fighter jets, tanks, missiles, drones...on and on and on, so for anyone to argue that an armed populace could be effective in taking down our government is pretty silly.

But the first two reasons for owning a gun are very good reasons.

And I believe that any form of government in the United States that wants to take away your rights is a despotic, totalitarian government.

Once one right is removed, it will seem easier for government to proceed to the next, and the next and the next... and soon you won't have the right to Super Size your soft drink in New York and you will be paying taxes so high your nose will bleed.