Gun Rights and the Reinvention of the Second Class Citizen
In the case of intoxicated zeal of politicians to make political hay off of the tragedy of the week, there are often unintended consequences. Throughout the history of the United States, we have had problems recognizing the Rights of all citizens.
Until 1920 in the United States and the ratification of 19th Amendment, women did not have the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, a “quick” 45 years later, overcame many of the barriers to African-Americans exercising their right to vote.
The 26th Amendment, ratified July 1, 1971, declares “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”
Throughout our history, ownership of guns and the right to vote has been denied to citizens based on sex, race, and age. We should start to wonder what Constitutional Rights actually are.
If you are 18 years of age, you can join the military, marry, enter into contracts, and you have the right to vote. The 2nd Amendment, an individual right and a fundamental right that can be enforced against the states, is a right currently “denied and abridged” to citizens on the basis of age. Should free speech and other components of the 1st and 4th Amendments also be denied whenever the government feels like it?
You might think we were moving away from second-class citizens and erratically guaranteed Constitutional Rights? Apparently, not so.
Copyright 2018 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
