Tales of 2A: How Awesome Is That?

Something that few people realize about the Second Amendment is that it was written, put into the Constitution, and ratified while two rebellions rocked the newly minted nation of the United States of America.

At the time the Constitution which includes the Bill of Rights, was written (1787), the new United States of America had already been through the Shays Rebellion (1786-1787).  The Constitution was ratified in 1791, just as the Whiskey Rebellion was gaining momentum (1791-1794).

The fact that a new government cemented the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms in a Founding document while in the midst of  rebellion(s) speaks volumes about the character of the Framers.  And the fact that the States went ahead and ratified the Constitution, with the Second Amendment included, speaks volumes about the character of those early politicians.

Historically, what governments do when faced with rebellion is to (attempt to) disarm the population.  The Framers did not do that, their commitment to liberty was so intense that they made sure that every citizen had the means of rebellion on hand and ready.  This would seem suicidal to today's politicians, but apparently the Framers felt differently.  It worked out all right too, the new country survived and became the greatest country on earth.

The commitment to principle of our long-ago Founders fills me with awe and reinforces my resolve to do everything I can to preserve the precious, precious political structure that we have in this country.  It is unique in history, and in the world.