by Rick Shepard

Created on: December 24, 2009   Last Updated: December 25, 2009

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. - 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution.

There it is in black and white. The 2nd amendment was chosen second for a reason. After our right to free speech, the right to keep and bear arms is the most fundamental protection free people enjoy.

It's not by chance the United States is today the freest, most prosperous and powerful nation in recorded history. Why? Is it because we're separated by two vast oceans? Is it because we enjoy huge reserves of valuable natural resources? Certainly these are viable components but primarily its due to the fact that throughout our history we have been mostly free to do as we please.

The twin freedoms guaranteed by our constitution have been the major contributing factors to our rise to international preeminence and must be guarded and defended at all costs. Under no circumstances can they be diminished. They are that important to our survival.

Second Amendment critics love to trot out violent statistics in an effort to assail our right to keep and bear arms. They point to inner-city crime, accidental deaths of children playing with guns, and domestic violence, in a futile and emotionally-charged effort to take away this fundamental American liberty.

But, as is often the case, a firm interjection of common sense is called for. Many examples can be sighted in support, but one glaring situation should suffice. Florida adopted a concealed-carry law in 1987, much to the chagrin of traditionally leftist organizations such as the National Organization of Women. NOW's founder, Betty Friedman was quoted as saying, “ lethal violence, even in self-defense, only engenders more violence.”

When the law went into effect, Dade County started tallying the number of arrests involving people licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Between September of 1987 and August of 1992, there were a grand total of 4, yes thats right 4, crimes committed by licensees, with none resulting in injury.

“Guns don't kill people, people kill people” is cliché and for good reason. It's true. Gun restrictions don't effect mentally unstable people from carrying out violence. Criminals don't register their guns before using them. They steal them or buy them in an alley. As in most cases, government intrusion under the pretense of compassion has the opposite effect.

It's no coincidence that in areas with severe firearms restrictions on the law-abiding population that gun violence is much higher. The District of Columbia has the highest rate of gun violence in the country with the strongest restrictions, while states like Vermont and Texas, with liberal conceal-carry laws have 1/3 the rate of gun-related crime.

The founding fathers were a wise bunch who understood the deterrence to violence and tyranny the 2nd amendment would provide. We must be diligent in our efforts to ensure the rights guaranteed by it are not reduced.

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