The Politics Of Gene Wolfe

James Wynn · 17 Mar 2009, 15:02 · from 2009-March.txt.gz

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From: crushtv at gmail.com (James Wynn)
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:02:05 -0500
Subject: (urth) The Politics Of Gene Wolfe
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>I guess I'm a moderate conservative or libertarian on the issue.
>I think the Second Amendment creates an individual right and
>that that individual right clearly isn't meant to cover every
>conceivable form of weapon.  

I would argue that the intent was self-evidently for it to cover every conceivable type of weapon. 

The constant constitutional crisis the US finds itself in --not just for an armed populace but for school and religion issues and for medical procedures and out-of-control spending-- can be traced to the Supreme Court decisions in the 30s? obliterating the Enumerated Powers clause. Originally, the limitations on the regulation of arms only applied to the Federal government as did issues of free speech and the establishment of religion. Many towns in the Old West had total gun bans, just as some states had established churches supported with tax dollars. Since the Bill of Rights is now understood to be irrevocable by states and municipalities, we have unresolvable paradoxes. Many of our political discussions --including abortion and marijuana (medical and recreational)-- could be resolved with local and state elections if the USSC would merely dust of the Enumerated Powers and say that the Federal government doesn't have the right to do or regulate anything not explicitly declared in the US Constitution. But that would take away from the power of the Supreme Court, and Senators on the Judicial Committee would lose the opportunity to expose themselves on TV whenever there is a SC opening.

J
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