“Progress is impossible without
change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” –
George Bernard Shaw
Want a
factual argument? Here's one.
A Continental Solider
would have been outfitted to fight by the government (he also would have taken
guns from the British along the way). However, a militiaman would not. He would
have been told what to bring, such as his own rifle, thus "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." James Madison knew
how important it was to fend off tyranny, to always have those militiamen at the
ready, so this amendment made it into the Constitution.
However,
We The People know the Constitution is a fluid document. How else did all those
amendments get added after the original document was ratified in 1788? People
of color can vote (the founding fathers said African-American men couldn't, and that law stood until 1870, and African-American women couldn't until 1920). Women can vote (those same founding fathers said women couldn't, and no woman could vote until 1920). We don't have to pay a poll tax to vote (there was a charge to vote until 1964). The
VP can take over presidential duties in case of emergency (the founding fathers never foresaw an instance to set this up; maybe they didn't see everything coming. The VP couldn't officially do this until 1965). These were not
always laws. They were added after ratification.
Wait.
Did you
hear that?
The
Constitution can. be. changed.
Article V
of the Constitution even allows this. The Constitution itself allows for change. Congress proposes an amendment. If it
passes with a 2/3 majority in the House and in the Senate, it then goes to the
individual states. It takes 3/4 (38 out of 50) of the states to ratify the
amendment. As soon as they do, it's done. Changed. (please understand this is
an incredibly simplified version of the process.)
Do you
know what this means? This means that if we find our society has outpaced the
original laws that were written 230 years ago, we can do something about them.
Just as we have protected people of color. Just as we have protected women.
Just as we have protected our voting process. Just as we have ensured the
successful continuation of governance if our President should fall. It's time
we look to protect the rest of society as well.