Friday, January 29, 2016

"...Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified..."


United States Constitution

Article IV

Section 2

   The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

Article V

   The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Article VI

   This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

   The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
Amendment II
"Restrictive Clause"

[See Original preamble to the Bill of Rights as was submitted to the States for ratification.]
"the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
"...Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified..."
   If the framers of Amendment II had intended it as applying only to the "militia", then the amendment would have read:

   "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the militia to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."  

   Hmmmmmmmmm. That seems pretty damn clear to me.

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