Founders On Guns AND Militias

THE FOUNDERS ON ARMS, MILITIAS & FREEDOM

A.    "No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms"; "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"; "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants";"The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria) (President Thomas Jefferson)

B.  "The very atmosphere of firearms any where and every where restrains evil interference---they deserve a place of honor with all that is good.";  "Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty teeth";  "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a a fearful master"; "Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected"; And, as still true,  "The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves"; “A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government (Attributed to George Washington).

C.   "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve  it but downright force. When you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined"; "Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?"; "The liberties of a people never were, nor every will be secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them" ;  And, of course, "Give me liberty or death!" (Patrick Henry)

D.     "The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.      (President James Madison)

E.   "To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them."; "I ask sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few politicians." - George Mason (father of the Bill of Rights and The Virginia Declaration of Rights)

F.   "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." - Richard Henry Lee

G. .  “I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials”. (George Mason)

 H.   “Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every other terrible instrument of the soldier, are the birthright of an American…. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the People.” (Emphasis added; Tench Coxe; Member of The Continental Congress).

H.  "The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." (Samuel Adams)

I.      "A Democracy is like two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for lunch.  A Republic is like two wolves and a well armed lamb deciding what to have for lunch."; And, “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both”. – (Ben Franklin).