The videos and photos we took at the range that day were an endless source of entertainment for us and our families and friends: everyone got a kick out of Adam's "cover fire" simulation and the resulting smoking barrel, as well as Walter's scream of triumph upon emptying a 30-round magazine into the 1/4" metal plate swinging from the rig we'd set up.I did hear the same comment several times from different people, however: "I can't believe they let you have those guns!" Even though most of you who know me understand exactly what I think of the "protections" provided by the US Constitution, when talking with lay people who do actually think the Constitution means something it is helpful to remind them of exactly what the 2nd amendment is there for.
Just as the real purpose of the 1st amendment's protection of speech and the press is to protect political speech---even though it also happens to protect pr0nography, satire, and fair use---the real purpose of the 2nd amendment is to ensure that the government does not have a monopoly on force---even though it also provides for personal defense, hunting, and shooting sports.
There is another unfortunate analogy as well: just as the 1st amendment's primary purpose has been attacked by the incumbent protection act (a.k.a. campaign finance reform), the 2nd amendment's primary purpose has been emasculated by laws like the AWB and the restriction on civilian ownership of machine guns and other forms of military ordnance. The fact that Hustler and a .308 Winchester have better protection in court precedent than an attack ad and an automatic M16 or AK-47 turn on their heads the precise reasons for those two amendments.
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