I am not opposed to citizens owning pistols or normal rifles after an extensive background check and some legitimate training. However, carrying weapons in public places needs review, as our government people are doing.

I do think, however, that the Second Amendment, is misunderstood:

“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.”

This amendment was written about 1789, a few years after the Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolutionary War and made the USA a free nation. At that time, we had disbanded almost all of our military.

Great Britain, meanwhile, was still the most powerful nation in the world, and I believe the Founding Fathers were concerned about another war. And indeed, that did happen in the War of 1812.

So, while I am not opposed to good people having some kinds of weapons, we should evaluate the Second Amendment as originally written because today, we do have a militia, with the National Guard in every state.

Jim Boersma

Downtown

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