1st and 2nd Amendment Rights

The tragedy that took place last week at Fort Hood, Texas, was the work, it would appear, of a deranged person. It would seem that this person simply snapped, and began shooting people he did not know, and who had done nothing to him. There seemed to be no sense in these shootings and no escape for the shooter.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an officer in the US Army is alleged to be the shooter. He was said to have been depressed because he was about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. What ever the reason, other than insanity it is difficult to explain his actions. While Major Hassan denied those he shot their Constitutional Rights, he took advantage of the first and second Amendment in carrying out these shootings.

Hassan purchased automatic hand guns, clips and plenty of ammunition in his local community. He just walked in and bought far more “protection” than he needed, no questions asked. He had no criminal record and his right to own multiple weapons had recently been affirmed by none less that the US Supreme Court. Common sense interpretation of the 2nd Amendment would support reasonable controls on what type of fire arms people could own and how much ammunition should go along.

But Hassan waited almost to the end to take advantage of the 1st Amendment. It has been reported that Hassan gave copies of the Koran to several of this neighbors in the days leading up to the fateful last day, and in the best of Islamic tradition, announced “God is Great” when he pulled out his guns and started firing. There should be no further evidence needed than recounting these words when, (if he lives and gets to trial), he pleads not guilty by insanity.

I do not see this as a Muslin event. The shooter could have just as well been a born again Christian or someone like the Korean who shot up Virginia Tech. The greatness of the first Amendment is the separation of Church and State. People who devoutly believe in God can be as misguided as a headless chicken, and certainly are if they take their religion’s teachings as literally true.

The Fort Hood tragedy underscores the need for much more regulation around “bearing arms”, and far more diligence on keeping Church and State separated.

 

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Tags: constitutional rights, 1st amendment, 2nd amendment, separation of church and state, fort hood, god is great

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