Letter: 'We the People' have democratic control

The “democratic control” ("Second Amendment and democratic control," James W. Pfister, Oct. 9) of all subjects related to the United States of America is provided in Article V of the original Constitution. If “We the People” feel that something needs to be added, modified or deleted in our Constitution then we can compel the Congress to propose an appropriate amendment to that Constitution. If Congress fails to respond to the wishes of the people, then two-thirds of the several states can convene a constitutional convention in order to force action. That’s “democratic control” as provided by “the supreme law of the land” (Article VI) — aka: the U.S. Constitution.

As regards the Second Amendment, we need to keep in mind that it is a fully ratified article of the U.S. Constitution and is therefore part of the “supreme law of the land.” That fully ratified article declares and guarantees the rights (plural) of universal militia security and the right to keep and bear arms. I would direct Professor Pfister’s attention to the final four words of that Article: “…shall not be infringed.” The synonyms of “infringed” include trespass, encroach, impinge, and violate. Constitutionally permitted "gun control" must be of the lightest and least restrictive measures as relate to honest, law-abiding citizens.

To close, The so-called Preamble of the Second Amendment declares that universal citizen’s militia security is “necessary,” not optional. The utterly unrestricted, unqualified Operative Clause of the Second Amendment erects the constitutional equivalent of an electrified barbed-wire fence around the critically important “right of the people to keep and bear Arms.”

Respectfully,

Brian Bloedel

Accomac, Virginia

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Letter: 'We the People' have democratic control