DC V. Heller
On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the DC V. Heller case. The background of this case is quite simple. A security guard who was licensed to carry a handgun at work wanted to keep a gun at home for self defense. The DC government said no. The last appeals court ruled that DC’s law violated the 2nd amendment – and here we are. A decent write up is in the Washington Post. Because this is such a significant case, and I live close by, I’m planning on going to hear it.
Here’s my inexpert analysis:
First, the preamble of the Bill of Rights (did you know that it had a preamble?) says:
The Preamble to The Bill of Rights
Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.
Which colors the meaning of ALL of the first ten amendments – whose purpose was to ‘prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers’, and those amendments were to be ‘restrictive’ upon the government.
So, what does the 2nd amendment say?
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.
Kinda awkward, isn’t it. Maybe a diagram will help…
Happy Re-Birthday to Me
Happy Spiritual Birthday To Me – March 16, 1983
I had been raised in a ‘Christian’ family all my life. We had attended church (mostly military chapel services) nearly every Sunday for as long as I can remember. My father had been transferred to Southern California in 1982, and the tradition continued there. I was part of the youth group for teens, which was taught by a civilian, which I considered unusual. It was obvious that he was a civilian because he had a full beard, long hair, and a slight pot-belly. But, he was the first person that I ever remember hearing a clear presentation of the Gospel from. I got saved that night.
The main chapel on base began to feel different to me after that. We would occasionally go to a ‘field’ chapel, which was held in a quonset hut, and attended by mostly lower enlisted men. The chaplain there was not the same type that the main base chapel had. His sermons were always more practical, less placating, just much more ‘real’. The main chapel service was quite formal. Every (protestant) service was extremely structured, and never deviated from that structure. A seated hymn was always followed by a standing responsive reading, which was followed by announcements and offering, which was followed by …. You get the picture. It seemed like the rigidity of the structure was there to make up for the emptiness of the service. The main chapel was my Mom’s favorite, all of her military wife friends were there. Dad was equally comfortable at either one – he enjoyed the main chapel among his peers, but he also enjoyed the field chapel with the troops.
Whenever possible, I tried to convince Mom & Dad to go to the field chapel. I overheard them discussing it once – they weren’t sure If I wanted to go there because I had my learners permit and it was a farther drive, or if I was just more comfortable where the congregation was closer to my age.
To this day, I have problems at any church that feels large and seems have too rigid a structure. They just feel ‘cold’ to me.
