David Hogg double downs on warped understanding of Second Amendment

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

On Monday, Cam wrote about how David Hogg basically tried to rewrite the Second Amendment. That tweet pretty much illustrated his lack of understanding about the right, the history surrounding that right, or pretty much anything else.

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But, then again, it’s David Hogg. What do you expect?

Well, he opted to double down instead of just letting his stupid comments mellow for a bit.

So, the Founding Fathers intended for the states to have a National Guard, which is part of the federal Department of Defense as well as answering to state governors, something that actually did not exist in the 18th century, and not protecting an individual right to keep and bear arms at all.

Hogg’s take on this isn’t unique. I’ve seen others try to make this case, even one very recently, which I slammed on Monday.

It’s not unique, but it’s still idiotic.

What’s more, it’s insane. See, by this statement, Hogg is basically saying if anyone wants to handle a gun, they need to be part of the military, even if it’s the National Guard.

One might wonder how the police factor into this particular equation.

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After all, law enforcement isn’t part of the military, despite having ranks similar to the Army or Marines. They’re civilians–though, admittedly, many are part of some reserve component of the military–so do they get to have guns under Hogg’s scheme?

Perhaps more interestingly, if they’re not, just how am I supposed to call them and expect them to deal with the home invader if they don’t have guns with which they can shoot back at the bad guy?

For someone who goes to Harvard, he’s making a hell of a case for why he was rejected by state college, isn’t he?

While Hogg and many like him love to claim that the individualist interpretation of the Second Amendment is modern, the truth is that if you look throughout American history, the reality is that there’s little to no evidence for this claim. You simply cannot find it cropping up in writings from the time of the nation’s founding until the 20th century when it suddenly pops up and is taken as truth.

This is revisionist history in the making.

Of course the Second Amendment was an individual right, despite mentioning militias. In those days, members of the militia provided their own weapons. There was no concept that the government would provide weapons to militia members. They viewed part of the national defense–remember, they were also distrustful of standing armies–being that private individuals would bring their private firearms to defend the country.

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This idea that no, they actually meant the National Guard is perhaps the dumbest thing I’ve read from a guy who says a lot of stupid stuff. What’s more, he tends to lack any original thought, even on the subject he professes to be so passionate about, and this is no different.

Hogg is peddling misinformation, though I think he actually believes what he’s saying.

Whatever state college he applied to dodged a bullet.

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