and i will not go there on universal sufferage in return.

-----Original Message-----
From: Deri James
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 10/23/2002 8:17 PM
Subject: Re: another shooting

On Wednesday 23 Oct 2002 6:09 pm, you wrote:
> You know the founding fathers had a reason for the firearms clause in
the
> 2nd amendment. It was not to protect the rights of people to have a
gun to
> hunt, it was  not even to protect the right to have a gun to protect
> yourself from criminals (even though these are legitimate uses for
guns) it
> was put that so that the populance would have guns  to protect
themselves
> from,,,, GOVERNMENT.... OUR FOUNDING FATHERS assumed that a well armed
> populance would overthrow a government that got too oppressive.
>
> Amazing what you learen reading the writing of  the founders, is it
any
> surprize that an opressive government either limits what you can read
or in
> our case see to it that most people do not learn to read.
>

I'd have thought universal suffrage was the best defense against
oppressive
government. Arming the populace seems to me to be an  excellent recipe
to
empower extremist groups. I shan't even get onto the negative aspects of
having a written constitution in the first place. ;-)

Cheers

Deri