Wish he had also mentioned the simultaneous inclusion of a broad right to self defense, which is currently not contained within the Constitution.
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/27/597259426/retired-supreme-court-justice-s...
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, responding to this past weekend's March For Our Lives in several cities, is proposing what some might call a radical solution to prevent further gun violence — repealing the Second Amendment.
In an op-ed in Tuesday's New York Times, the 97-year-old Stevens writes that a constitutional amendment "to get rid of" the Second Amendment, "would do more to weaken the N.R.A.'s ability to stymie legislative debate and block constructive gun control legislation than any other available option."
The Second Amendment states that "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 called that concern "a relic of the 18th century," and says repealing it would eliminate the only legal rule that protects sellers of firearms in the United States.
Stevens, who retired from the court in 2010, had two years earlier dissented in the case District of Columbia vs. Heller that determined the Second Amendment allowed an individual right to bear arms. Stevens says he remains convinced that decision was wrong and debatable and provided the National Rifle Association with "a propaganda weapon of immense power."
Stevens' call for repeal of the Second Amendment goes further than most gun control advocates, many of whom have called for banning certain types of weapons, stricter background checks and age limits, but not changing the Constitution.
Stevens' proposal immediately lit up Twitter and social media.
At least one of the Parkland high school students, Cameron Kasky, reacted to Stevens' op-ed arguing it was "very interesting considering who wrote it," but "I don't feel the same way."
While Stevens claimed such an action would "be simple," it likely would be anything but. Amending the Constitution requires securing two-thirds majorities in both the House and the Senate — and then three-fourths of the states would have to ratify the amendment.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Alias 
Makes that RETIRED Supreme
Makes that RETIRED Supreme Court Justice
As much as I love me some JPS, I'm not sure I am down with that in our current climate. Next thing you know we'll have no 4th amendment protections for muslims, abortion constitutionally banned, and equal protection amended to include white christians only.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  _ 
He's 97 and probably a bit
He's 97 and probably a bit confused, bless his heart.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
He's 97 and probably a bit
He's 97 and probably a bit confused, bless his heart. <<<
Are you suggesting he's confused about the 2nd being a "relic of the 18th Century"?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
Makes that RETIRED Supreme
Makes that RETIRED Supreme Court Justice<<<
If you met him in person, would you address him as such? ... or would you say "Justice Stevens"?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
As much as I love me some JPS
As much as I love me some JPS, I'm not sure I am down with that in our current climate. Next thing you know we'll have no 4th amendment protections for muslims, abortion constitutionally banned, and equal protection amended to include white christians only.<<<
In today's hyper partisan landscape, there's certainly an argument to be made about popularism not necessarily being the best driving impetus to amend the Constitution.
However, change is clearly something that was anticipated (and encouraged by some, such as Jefferson) ... even though it's mostly been "housekeeping" sorts of adjustments when you add it up over the long haul.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  _ 
>> Are you suggesting he's
>> Are you suggesting he's confused about the 2nd being a "relic of the 18th Century"?
I'm saying his op-ed isn't worth discussing.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ________ 
OP is a scholar
OP is a scholar
U can tell because he uses "one" a lot
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
>> Are you suggesting he's
>> Are you suggesting he's confused about the 2nd being a "relic of the 18th Century"?
I'm saying his op-ed isn't worth discussing.<<<<
If not a former Supreme Court Justice, than who would be worth your time?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  jonaspond 
Gotta say that I'm not
Gotta say that I'm not listening to any 97 year old. Regardless of their pedigree.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
Gotta say that I'm not
Gotta say that I'm not listening to any 97 year old. Regardless of their pedigree.<<<
And people wonder why we're at where we're at.
Unfortunately, this country deserves the giant spanking machine that looms before us.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  treat island 
>>> Gotta say that I'm not
>>> Gotta say that I'm not listening to any 97 year old. Regardless of their pedigree. <<<
Why not?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  New & Improved 
>> I'm saying his op-ed isn't
>> I'm saying his op-ed isn't worth discussing. <<
Because you disagree with it.
Feel free to exclude yourself from the current narrative that will potential re-shape the legal groundwork used to defend your position.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Ausonius 
The Republican campaign ads
The Republican campaign ads almost write themselves.....
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Def. High 
>>>>>Gotta say that I'm not
>>>>>Gotta say that I'm not listening to any 97 year old
Ageist.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
The Republican campaign ads
The Republican campaign ads almost write themselves.....<<<
echo chamber'd
If the stakes weren't so high, I'd say it's fascinating to be living during a time to witness to how an "empire" crumbles
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Def. High 
How a Republic crumbles.
How a Republic crumbles.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  19.5 Degrees 
"corrected"
"corrected"
:-)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  An organ grinder’s tune 
>I'm saying his op-ed isn't
>I'm saying his op-ed isn't worth discussing.<
lol.
supreme court justice.
oh well.
we can't do anything.
nothing can be done.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  _ 
>> nothing can be done.
>> nothing can be done.
His op-ed was like saying if you have a roach problem in your house, burn it down.
Not to mention the fact that it's not based in any political reality. Outside of the most progressive areas, running on this would guarantee you wouldn't get elected. It's not a mainstream position. I bet the DNC cringed when they read it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Johnny D 
Didn't he have the same
Didn't he have the same stance for District of Columbia v. Heller? Well, not necessarily repealing the second amendment, but he was a dissenting voice in a 5-4 ruling. Sure, that was only 10 years ago, so he was still the ripe old age of 87 (ageist!!!)
The 5-4 ruling reminds me that we are potentially an Iran-Contra Affair, hanging chad, McConnell Justice obstruction, irregular key-swing states election results (electoral college) away from that ruling being 4-5 in a similar case. Heck, at least a few top Republican Senators were arguing that there shouldn't be a new Justice appointed if Hilary Clinton won the 2016 Presidential Election.
I know, the above statement is ridiculously biased from "The Left's" perspective. BUT, this is how politics has a major influence on how laws are interpreted, IMHO.
Hardly solid standing on what many people think are some sort of basic right.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Ausonius 
"Everyone on the right should
"Everyone on the right should be thanking the Times for its part in nudging the Democratic party to an extreme position on guns."
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/at-last-honesty-from-the-left-abou...
Three Simple Reasons Why an Assault-Weapons Ban Is Bad Policy
First, an assault-weapons ban is irrelevant to suicide deaths. The large majority of gun deaths are suicides, and there is no credible argument that an assault-weapons ban will have the slightest effect on suicide. I’m not sure that I’ve ever even heard anyone make the argument.
Second, an assault-weapons ban is statistically meaningless to homicide deaths. Rifles of all kinds kill fewer people annually than knives or even feet or fists. An assault-weapons ban (really a ban on future sales; proposed laws would not take a single so-called assault weapon off the streets) would be aimed at a firearm that is rarely used to kill.
Third, there’s no evidence that banning assault weapons would prevent mass shootings. This is a key point. The post-shooting debate is often conducted as if folks think that if a mass shooter can’t get an assault weapon, he won’t shoot at all. Blocking access to a new AR-15 is not remotely the same thing as stopping a mass shooting.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/assault-weapons-ban-bad-policy-arg...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  _ 
Exactly Thom, it's almost as
Exactly Thom, it's almost as bad as the theoretical headline "Retired Supreme Court Justice Advocates Ban of Christianity".
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  New & Improved 
>> First, an assault-weapons
>> First, an assault-weapons ban is irrelevant to suicide deaths. <<
YES...let's look at tighter hand gun restriction. Thanks Thom!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ________ 
leftists lol
leftists lol
ban everything except abortion
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  long live the dead 
Ban all religions, separate
Ban all religions, separate church and state religion should have no influence on politics in my humble opinion
Tom, why do you need your assault rifle I'm not fully understanding
is it to protect your state or your community from hostile government takeover and I do mean "our "government
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  New & Improved 
It doesn't seem unreasonable
It doesn't seem unreasonable to me to register all new gun sales. When you get a call to the Hotline saying someones threatening to shoot up a school or their family, I'd think LEOs would want to know what they're walking in to. Or, oif they need to confiscate someone's weapons if they're making threats, or in a bad mental state. I hope ender has a huge problem with this.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  An organ grinder’s tune 
nope. can't do anything.
nope. can't do anything.
there's no solution.
there's no problem.
glad my kids are out of school...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Johnny D 
Thom and ender,
Thom and ender,
Wouldn't you at least want to have the Second Amendment rewritten in clear, precise language, which reflects our country's values?
I'd personally prefer more legislative clarity, even if it doesn't align with my personal values and beliefs. At least we'd have a better understanding of how to argue about it.
Also, I think it's horrible that so many people kill themselves with guns; however, I'm more unsettled about incidents of people being killed by others, even when it's statistically quite low. Statistics become less relevant to those who have become victims of gun violence.
I still think that it's worth looking into reducing the number of guns that can shoot a large number of bullets at a high rate. More bullets in more bodies over a short period of time = more damage to human beings.
At the risk of getting too "tit for tat": If we focus only on statistics, Americans in the USA shouldn't be so worried about becoming victims of undocumented immigrants and radical Islamic terrorists.
I'm no expert in this area, so feel free to shoot holes in my argument (pun intended).
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  An organ grinder’s tune 
...
...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ________ 
Ender and thom are experts
Ender and thom are experts
Lol ok
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Lucky Day 
>>>>>>How a Republic crumbles
>>>>>>How a Republic crumbles.
Examples please?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  treat island 
>>> If the stakes weren't so
>>> If the stakes weren't so high, I'd say it's fascinating to be living during a time to witness to how an "empire" crumbles <<<
>>> How a Republic crumbles <<<
I think Surfdead was saying that it's a Republic, not an "empire". Naturally, I could be wrong in how I read it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  treat island 
Sickening.
Sickening.
(CNN) In the days and weeks following the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the National Rifle Association saw a significant spike in donations.
In fact, reports from the Federal Election Commission show donations to the NRA's Political Victory Fund tripled from January to February.
In January, the NRA collected almost $248,000 in individual contributions. In February, they collected more than $779,000.
It's no secret that interest in guns and gun sales -- as evidenced by anecdotes and manufacturing numbers -- have until recently gotten boosts from mass shootings. So it would stand to reason that donations to the NRA would get a bump as well.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/28/us/nra-donations-spike-parkland-shooting-...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Jelly roll 
National review Thom...do u
National review Thom...do u ever share a source that isn’t super right wing...maybe the non-partisan sources don’t fit your agenda...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  gypsy tailwind  
Turtle's last post pretty
Turtle's last post pretty much sums it up.
Japan get's it.
We're are behind in the times.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  jonaspond 
Shut up old man, you're
Shut up old man, you're tainting the conversation. He just gave plenty of fodder to the 'der comin to take er guns!!' crowd. Some of who still think that Obmas goons confiscated guns already.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ... 
>>>>>>Third, there’s no
>>>>>>Third, there’s no evidence that banning assault weapons would prevent mass shootings. This is a key point. The post-shooting debate is often conducted as if folks think that if a mass shooter can’t get an assault weapon, he won’t shoot at all. Blocking access to a new AR-15 is not remotely the same thing as stopping a mass shooting.
Australia
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  _ 
Turtle,
Turtle,
Japan and the US, apples and oranges. Out cultures our totally different.
Take a look at the difference in crime statistics between the two.
27x the rapes per capita in the the US compared to Japan.
26x the murders per capita in the US compare to Japan.
There is much more of a need to protect yourself from violent crime in America than Japan.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Def. High 
26x the murders per capita in
26x the murders per capita in the US compare to Japan>>>There is much more of a need to protect yourself from violent crime in America than Japan.
Seems you are implying that more violence in the US means we need more guns (or easier access to guns than Japan) "to protect us".
Most folks here seem to think fewer guns would reduce the violence.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ________ 
everyone should carry a gun
everyone should carry a gun
you turn 16 you get a gun
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Def. High 
You don't turn 21.
You don't turn 21.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  _ 
>> Most folks here seem to
>> Most folks here seem to think fewer guns would reduce the violence.
I agree there is a causal effect between the number of guns purchased and homicides after looking at the data. I haven't read anything similar about violent crime in general.
On a macro level in the US, violent crime has been dropping since the early 90s, while gun purchases have skyrocketed.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  An organ grinder’s tune 
>
>
27x the rapes per capita in the the US compared to Japan.
26x the murders per capita in the US compare to Japan.<
why is this?
why are our people so sick?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Hitchhiker awaiting "true call" 
MMA
MMA
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ________ 
>why are our people so sick?
>why are our people so sick?
lack of education is huge
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  Hitchhiker awaiting "true call" 
I'm not violent.
I'm not violent.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name:  ________ 
just predictable
just predictable