Letter: Stop basing policy on outdated 2nd Amendment – The Westerly Sun

Im disappointed that the Westerly Town Council voted to object to a number of gun-control bills currently before the Rhode Island General Assembly. I think some of the bills are good and some are bad, but thats not the point. What I find disappointing is that their blanket objection is based on the idea that the bills potentially abridge our Second Amendment rights. First, violations of the Constitution are a matter for the federal courts, not town councils. They are also wrong to treat the Second Amendment like a sacred doctrine. The Second Amendment expresses the opinions of 18th-century intellectuals addressing an 18th-century political issue involving 18th-century weapons. It is not the inspired word of God.

The Second Amendments wording is so ambiguous that applying it to a specific situation is often impossible. The use of the word Militia had confounded legal scholars for decades. As written, it protects the ownership of any weapon: grenades, mortars, machine guns, etc.

We would be better off if the Second Amendment were strengthened by stating clearly that the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is an individual right. This was affirmed in the Supreme Courts Heller decision, but by a narrow 5-4 vote. But then, because modern weapons are so destructive, it should also clarify that some regulations are now necessary for the public good.

I am not anti-gun. I grew up in the Midwest and the South, the son of a World War II combat veteran. Ive been around firearms since childhood. I only think we should stop basing policies on an outdated 18th century document and focus on making our nation more secure.

Albert Gerheim

Westerly

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Letter: Stop basing policy on outdated 2nd Amendment - The Westerly Sun