--2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
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Before the original 13 states would agree to ratify the U.S. Constitution, they wanted assurances that they were not trading in one set of intolerable masters--who had limited their rights and sought to take away their livelihoods via taxation (The British king)--for another (the proposed U.S. federal government).
The representatives of the people in the 13 states WOULD NOT pass the U.S. Constitution as written: they were afraid of the power the new federal government wanted. It was then proposed that a "Bill of Rights" be added to the Constitution.
THEN and ONLY then, was the new United States federal government born.
The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution GUARANTEEING U.S. citizens the freedom of speech, press, assembly, right to bear arms and the rest.
17 years ago, Congress tried to take away--infringe upon--one of those freedoms with the passage of the Gun Free Zone Act.
The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was enacted as section 1702 of the Crime Control Act of 1990 (Pub.L. 101-647, 18 U.S.C. § 922(q)) on November 29, 1990.
The Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.
Congress tried again.
In general, it shall be unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone. This does not include possession of a firearm on private property that is not part of school grounds.
We all know how well the Gun Free Zone Act has worked. The death toll of unarmed victims in Gun Free Zones is in the hundreds.
Those who passed voted for the Gun Free Zone Act, and those who continue to mindlessly support it, have done nothing to ensure anyone's safety.
Except that of the killers.
There is also a law against murder.
Murder is illegal.
Law-abiding citizens don't murder. But criminals do.
Just like erecting "Gun Free Zone" signs hasn't worked, erecting a "Do Not Murder" sign would not work.
Criminals do not pay attention to signs.
That's why we call them criminals.
The law abiding can't protect themselves in Gun Free Zones. The authorities promise to do it for us.
But the only thing the authorities can do, is to make life harder on the law-abiding.
And clean up the bodies.
If erecting a sign solved a problem, why not erect signs reading:
"Do not lie."
"Do not over-eat."
"Do not steal."
Wouldn't those signs make the world a better place, too?
If legislators want to infringe upon a basic right of U.S. Citizens, they need to be held accountable--as do any government agency that joins in.
Gun Free Zone Liability Act
"If you create a gun-free zone, you're liable for any harm it causes."
Read more at gunlaws.
This will not stop the pointlessness of Gun Free Zones.
This will not make anyone safer.
BUT, it will allow the victims' families to collect damages from those foolish and irresponsible enough to trust their safety to a sign.
"Thoſe who would give up Essential Liberty to purchaſe a little Temporary Safety, deſerve neither Liberty nor Safety."
When it counts the most, Gun Free Zones never are.
Except for the victims.
* a human right
* Gun Free Zone Death Toll since 1996
* Gun Free Zone Act
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.