A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.-The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (ratified December 15, 1791)The constitution of the United States is the law of the land. Executive orders are supposed to carry out the constitution not attack its provisions. President Obama has threatened to use executive fiat to "legislate" new gun control laws (19 of them according to SCHMOTUS Joe Biden, but at least one member of Congress is threatening to protect the constitution.
Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman threatened Monday afternoon that he would file articles of impeachment against President Barack Obama if he institutes gun control measures with an executive order. Stockman issued a statement saying in part:
The White House’s recent announcement they will use executive orders and executive actions to infringe on our constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms is an unconstitutional and unconscionable attack on the very founding principles of this republic.Stockman is correct, this issue is not about the Second Amendment, it's about the Constitution and whether the executive has the power to change it. If Obama can change the Second Amendment can he change the right to practice religion? Can he suspend the right of assembly? Double Jeopardy? Will we have to quarter troops in our homes? Lose the right to an attorney or the right to a Civil trial by Jury? All these and more are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, if we allow the executive to change one....we allow the executive to change them all.
I will seek to thwart this action by any means necessary, including but not limited to eliminating funding for implementation, defunding the White House, and even filing articles of impeachment.
The President’s actions are an existential threat to this nation. The right of the people to keep and bear arms is what has kept this nation free and secure for over 200 years. The very purpose of the Second Amendment is to stop the government from disallowing people the means to defend themselves against tyranny. Any proposal to abuse executive power and infringe upon gun rights must be repelled with the stiffest legislative force possible.
Under no circumstances whatsoever may the government take any action that disarms any peaceable person – much less without due process through an executive declaration without a vote of Congress or a ruling of a court.
The President’s actions are not just an attack on the Constitution and a violation of his sworn oath of office – they are a direct attack on Americans that place all of us in danger. If the President is allowed to suspend constitutional rights on his own personal whims, our free republic has effectively ceased to exist.