The Vanguard

In 1833, Justice Joseph Story, appointed to the Supreme Court by our Constitution's principal author, James Madison, wrote the following in his "Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States": "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of the republic; since it offers a strong moral check against usurpation and arbitrary power of the rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them."
That was never more true than today.

I have discussed what Obama believes in a previous posting, which is:"I believe in the Second Amendment. Lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. I said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition. ... We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measures that I think respect the Second Amendment and people's traditions. I think there's a lot of room before bumping against a constitutional barrier."

Obama's nominee for attorney general, Eric Holder, who faces Senate confirmation next week, reaffirmed in the recent DC v. Heller Supreme Court case his long-held position that the Second Amendment affirms no right of individual gun possession by private citizens.

Holder insists that the Second Amendment "does not protect firearms possession or use that is unrelated to participation in a well-regulated militia." He sees it's interpretation as a military unit. We know, our Founders understood "militia" to be synonymous with "the people," who are individuals. Holder must have skipped the "original intent" elective at his law school.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso gets what is going on: "Given Holder's career of attacks on the Second Amendment, his nomination continues to be of great concern to me. ... Our nation's highest law enforcement officer must be committed to protecting and defending our individual rights to keep and bear arms."

Other conservatives also get it, like Louisiana Sen. David Vitter: "[Holder has] clearly advocated near-universal licensing and registration, and he joined and filed an amicus brief in the District of Columbia v. Heller U.S. Supreme Court case arguing that the Second Amendment was not an individual right. That's deeply disturbing."

Ben Franklin had a word of advice for folks like the liberals we have today: "They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Sam Adams said, "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"

There are some 80 million American gun owners, and it is estimated that 60 million of them own guns for purposes other than hunting. If you are not among them, you might thank God for those of us who are, because as our Founders knew, we are the vanguard between liberty and tyranny.