Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - Bill of Rights

"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."

Preservation and Proposition

Our mission is to document the pivotal Second Amendment events that occurred in Frontier Mercersburg, and its environs, and to heighten awareness of the importance of these events in the founding of our Nation.

We are dedicated to the preservation of the place where the Second Amendment was "born" and to the proposition that the Second Amendment (the "right to bear arms") is the keystone of our Liberty and the Republic.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Another Tragedy at Fort Hood

By Tim Schmidt - USCCA FOUNDER - 4/6/2014
It is with a heavy heart that I once again, on behalf of everyone here at the USCCA, extend our sincerest condolences to the victims and families affected by Wednesday's Fort Hood tragedy.

I have to admit that this latest shooting stirs up many emotions in me. Sadness. Anger. Betrayal. And, of course, the ever-pervasive question: "When will it end?"

The tragedy in Texas serves as a chilling reminder of two important, unresolved issues affecting our great nation today: the delicate topic of guns and mental illness, and the danger of disarming our soldiers.
Wednesday's gunman, Specialist Ivan Lopez, served as a truck driver in Iraq in 2011 and was reportedly being treated for depression and anxiety. Combine that with the fact that "soldiers on all military installations, including Fort Hood, are not armed while on post, nor are they permitted to carry any privately owned firearms" and, well, you saw the news reports.

Now, I don't proclaim to have all the answers, but I do know that guns in the hands of trained, responsibly armed Americans is always a good thing.

According to Fox News, this unfortunate tragedy "renews calls to end restrictions on service members carrying weapons on post." The article continues:

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said it's time to change the rules.

"We need to harden our military bases so this can't happen, and one possible way to do that is to allow our veterans and active-duty military...to carry weapons," he told Fox News. "I guarantee if they had...they could have stopped this guy almost immediately."

I mentioned this a few months ago after what transpired at the Washington Navy Yard, and I believe it warrants repeating: it is sometimes easier to give in to the sadness and even the anger we feel over the events that transpired than it is to fight harder against the evil that exists around us.

With that being said, I believe we must fight harder to ensure that our returning soldiers have access to the best mental health services, and that all law-abiding Americans who suffer from unseen illnesses are treated with respect and compassion.

I believe we must fight harder to ensure that our veterans and active-duty military have the right to carry weapons to protect themselves.

I believe we must fight harder to uncover the root causes of what drives individuals to use guns for evil so that next time, we can recognize the signs before it's too late.

I know...it's sometimes hard to believe that you and I have the power to effect change.

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