That’sright, they are outraged. What? That Americans are taking an active interest in freedombeyond the national borders? Well, yes, you see, the Civil Liberties group is the NationalRifle Association and it is giving aid and comfort to gun rights activists around theworld. But respectable commentators like Tree Huggers who confine their efforts to cuteanimals and pretty plants shy away from nasty, unpopular rights. And, if there is onefreedom that sticks in the graw of pundits who wear civil libertarian credentials likeoh-so-trendy designer sunglasses, it is the right to keep and bear arms. The criticism of the NRA’s actions is a litany of people who miss the point. Other countries don’t have aSecond Amendment. How dare Americans tell them that they have a right to bear arms!Other countries don’t have a First Amendment protecting free speech, either, or EightAmendment barring cruel and unusual punishment, yet still we protest when foreign brown shirts round up political dissidents and hand them upside down over a steaminglatrine. How presumptuous of us. The truth is Americans don’t protect personal rightsbecause they were codified in the Bill of Rights and now we are stuck with them, weenumerated those rights in the Bill of Rights to give them extra protection. This countrywas founded on the principle that liberty is a natural right and that no government can ever take it away. (Tuccille, 1997)From my own experience, I have had the unfortunate experience of being in asituation where things got out of hand, and violence ensured. Fortunately, this has nothappened very much and there was always a resolution. Who is to say, however, that if Iwas carrying a handgun, or the other individual was, that in the heat of temper one of usmany not have shot the other. In retrospect, it was rather a foolish argument, and it wasnot worthy of resorting to taking the life of another. Unfortunately, and all too often wehe...
