Letter from Thomas Jefferson

_To Major John Cartwright_
        _Monticello, June 5, 1824_

DEAR AND VENERABLE SIR, 

Our Revolution commenced on more favorable ground.  It
presented us an album on which we were free to write what we 

pleased. We had no occasion to search into musty records, 

to hunt up royal parchments, or to investigate the laws 

and institutions of a semi-barbarous ancestry. 

We appealed to those of nature, and found
them engraved on our hearts.  Yet we did not avail ourselves of all
the advantages of our position.  We had never been permitted to
exercise self-government.  When forced to assume it, we were novices
in its science.  Its principles and forms had entered little into our
former education. 

We established however some, although not all its
important principles.  The constitutions of most of our States
assert, that all power is inherent in the people; that they may
exercise it by themselves, in all cases to which they think
themselves competent, (as in electing their functionaries executive
and legislative, and deciding by a jury of themselves, in all
judiciary cases in which any fact is involved,) or they may act by
representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right
and duty to be at all times armed;

Uh huh. The 2nd Amendment is confusing.

NOT.

Agree, or disagree with the Bill of Rights. For heavens sake it is well within your right to do so. 

But do not dare utter the boldfaced canard that would presume the liberty of bearing arms to those who've done so under the auspices of a governmental agency. In America, the people ARE the government. 

And, as President Jefferson so ably put it, have a "duty to be at all times armed." So change the Constitution if you've the backing to do so, but once and for all STOP lying about what it does and does not say.

Men, you see, protected themselves, quite ably. American men dislodged a well entrenched KINGDOM from their shores. Nowadays people have been bred to be so craven as to fear a knocking at the door least it herald a member of law enforcement, who, as theatrical presentations...and many Sheriff offices throughout the country...so often portray, need NO reason to exercise even the most rudimentary form of etiquette to seek entrance. Freedom is like a major muscle group. Use it or it goes away.

Thanks to The War on Guns for the link to Tommy's letter.