Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is releasing a new book in which he argues that the phrase “when serving in the militia” should be added to the Second Amendment.
The book is titled, “Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution”
The Second Amendment reads as follows: 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.
With Stevens’ proposed change: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms [when serving in the Militia] shall not be infringed.
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is set to release a new book in which he argues that the phrase “when serving in the militia” should be added to the Second Amendment.
The book is titled, “Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution,” and the change Stevens has in mind for the Second Amendment would alter the language so as to render it a protection of a collective right instead of an individual one.
Moreover, it would be a right that the government–at all levels–could regulate without hesitation.
Currently, the Second Amendment reads:
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.
Stevens’ contends that this was intended as a collective right only and that it was “limited in scope to the uses of arms related to military activity.”
According to The Washington Post, Stevens claims this was changed via the Supreme Court’s District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) decision. He says this decision suddenly introduced protections for “a civilian’s right to keep a handgun in his home for purposes of self-defense.”
Stevens says the McDonald v. Chicago (2010) decision furthered these changes by using “the due process clause of the 14th Amendment” to limit the ability of cities to ban the possession of handguns.
He says this can all be remedied by adding five words to the Second Amendment:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms [when serving in the Militia] shall not be infringed
How about amending it to say…”the right of the individual to own and bear arms is not to be regulated by the government….period”…
I’m sorry, but he can’t rewrite the constitution any way he likes it would be fine if he were king. Oh, wait, we fought a war so we didn’t have a king. sorry dude but all this is your opinion and not much of one either. Is this the legacy you want to be known by as an old fool? I wouldn’t!
Screw you Stevens that Constitution has worked just fine since it was written, there is no reason to change it now,stop trying to change things that aren’t broken.it has served you so far from birth till you got to be this old fart that you are now.
I hope you read this John. you and SOB’s just like you are the reason we are NOT going to give up our guns or Freedom. if any of your kind are afraid of We the People you are doing something wrong and need to live in fear. we should never have to fear for our Freedom and liberties from you or our government.
I hear he’s senile. Not good to pick on an invalid.
you sir have out lived your usefulness when you start talking about changing the constitution. who the hell do you think you are. you know right wher you can go nit witt.
Dry up and blow away Stevens. We all are a militia in waiting for more c**p to arise.When it does we will be ready.
@ george bonnel, well sid very well said sir
Stevens cant’ croak fast enough….
Negative.