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Constitutional Defense

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Statements of the Founders

•  Virginia Ratification Convention Debates
  •   June 14, 1788 — Debate on the powers delegated in Art. I Sec. 8, first day.
  •   June 16, 1788 — Debate on the powers delegated in Art. I Sec. 8, second day, especially the militia clauses.

RAIM — Right to Assemble as an Independent Militia

1. Militia — Defense activity, and those who engage in it. This is the central page for information about the modern constitutional militia movement.
2.  Militia Treatises, James B. Whisker — Standard references on the subject. Includes The Militia (1992) and The American Colonial Militia (1997).
3.   First Congress Debate On Arms And Militia 1789 — Including debate on wording of Second Amendment.
4.  Military Affairs. Reports to the U.S. Congress on military and militia matters. Volume 1 contains reports from Mar. 3, 1789, through Mar. 3, 1819. See particularly the reports on militia organization and militia returns showing organization and strength. Provides insight into original thinking on militia and the right to keep and bear arms.
5.  The Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms: The Common Law Tradition, by Joyce Lee Malcolm — Explains how it is connected to militia duty.
6.   The Role of the Militia in the Development of the Englishman's Right to be Armed — Clarifying the Legacy, by Joyce Lee Malcolm.
7.  A Dialogue Between X, Y, and Z, Concerning the Present State of Affairs in Pennsylvania, by Benjamin Franklin — Discussion in a fictional dialogue of the first colonial militia law, from the The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 18, 1755.
8.    Militia v. Inimicitia, Jon Roland — Article: Jun. 24, 2000
9.  The meaning of the phrase "well-regulated" in the 2nd amendment — From Brian T. Halonen.
10.      The Battle of Athens — On August 2, 1946, the militia of Athens, Tennessee, resorted to arms against corrupt officials to restore the rule of law in McMinn County. This is their story.
11.  Press reports and chronology on the Battle of Athens — From contemporary sources.
12.   The Swiss Report: A special study for Western Goals Foundation, by General George S. Patton, U.S.A. (Ret.) and General Lewis W. Walt, U.S.M.C. (Ret.), introduction by Congressman Lawrence Patton McDonald, 1983 — Analysis of Swiss militia system.
13.   Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) — Local copy as of 1997 June 15.
14.   Your Right of Defense Against Unlawful Arrest — Quotes from court decisions.
15.   Notable Quotes — Guidance on interpreting the Constitution, especially regarding firearms and the militia.
16.    Militia Reading — Published works that discuss matters related to the constitutional militia and the constitutional militia movement.
17.  What to do in a mass shooting situation — Practical methods.
18.  Letters of Marque and Reprisal — Collection of historical examples with analysis.

RKBA — Right to Keep and Bear Arms

1.  Second Amendment Law Library — Scholarly articles, federal and supreme court decisions, and legal briefs.
2.   The Unabridged Second Amendment — Grammatical analysis by an expert on English grammar and usage.
3.     The Right to Keep and Bear Arms — Report of the Senate Subcommitee on the Constitution, 1982. Contains argument that gun-control laws and enforcement of them are unconstitutional.
4.      District of Columbia v. Heller, No. 07-290 (2008)
5.   The Right of the People or the Power of the State, by Stephen Halbrook.
6.   The Right to Keep and Bear Arms under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments, by Stephen Halbrook.
7.   Can the Simple Cite Be Trusted?: Lower Court Interpretations of United States v. Miller and the Second Amendment, Brannon P. Denning.
8.   The Embarrassing Second Amendment, by Sanford Levinson, Prof. of Law, U. of Texas. Civil libertarians might not want to admit it, but the Constitution really does protect the individual right to keep and bear arms, and there are good reasons for that.
9.   Testimony of Eugene Volokh on the Second Amendment, Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Sept. 23, 1998 — Reprinted as A Right of the People, California Political Review, Nov./Dec. 1998, p. 23. Reprinted here with permission of the author.
10.     Public Safety or Bills of Attainder?, Jon Roland — Law review article written Jun. 14, 2000, published UWLA LR vol. 34, 2002. Argues constitutional issues of current federal firearms legislation.
11.   Intent of the Fourteenth Amendment was to Protect All Rights, Jon Roland.
12.  The Second Amendment and the Personal Right to Arms, William W. Van Alstyne.
13.    The Racist Roots of Gun Control, Clayton E. Cramer. Kan. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y, Winter 1995, at 17.
14.   The Second Amendment and States' Rights: A Thought Experiment, Glenn Harlan Reynolds & Don Kates, 36 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 1737-1768 (1995).
15.   The Second Amendment: A Guard for Our Future Security, Andrew M. Wayment, Idaho Law Review, Comments 37 (2000): 203.
16.  Summary: U.S. Supreme Court on the Right to Arms, Fielding Lewis Greaves.
17.  Statement of the U.S. department of Justice on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, August 24, 2004, Steven G. Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and others.
18.  A Primer on the Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Nelson Lund, professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law.
19.  GunCite — Extensive collection of court decisions, articles, and commentary.
20.  Fort Liberty — Using the First Amendment to protect the Second.
21.  GunTruths.Com — Public education about firearm issues.
22.  Sources on the Second Amendment and Rights to Keep and Bear Arms in State Constitutions, compiled by Eugene Volokh, UCLA Law School.
23.   Dave Kopel's Home Page — News, articles, and links on the RKBA and other constitutional issues.
24.  Right to Keep and Bear Arms — News, articles, and links on the RKBA.
25.  Jeffersonian's Home Page — Focus on the RKBA.
26.  NFA and other gun law related info and cases— News, articles, and links on the RKBA.
27.  Concealed Carry — News, articles, and links on the RKBA.
28.  Second Amendment/Firearms Database — Firearm records, ammo dump, accessories
29.  Lott/Mustard Gun Control Study — Supports proposition that firearm carry permits deter crime.
30.  Gun Laws, Bloomfield Press — Publish firearm laws of every state and the federal government, online and in print.
    1.  Gun-Free-Zone Liability — Proposed statutes making the creators of gun-free zones liable for any harm resulting from persons being unable to defend themselves.
31.  Gun Laws, Gun Control & Gun Rights — Presented by JURIST: The Legal Education Network.
32. Articles by Miguel A. Faria Jr., M.D.:
    1.  Statistical Malpractice — 'Firearm Availability' and Violence, Part 1.
    2.  Statistical Malpractice — 'Firearm Availability' and Violence, Part 2.
33.     Project Megiddo — Report of FBI analysis and recommendations for response to possible disorders.

    I was born an American. I live as an American; I shall die an American; and I intend to perform the duties incumbent upon me in that character to the end of my career. I mean to do this with absolute disregard to personal consequences. What are the personal consequences? What is the individual man with all the good or evil that may betide him, in comparison with the good and evil which may befall a great country, and in the midst of great transactions which concern that country's fate? Let the consequences be what they will, I am careless, No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer or if he fall, in the defense of the liberties and Constitution of his country. — Daniel Webster

    
    

Organizations

•  Gun Owners of America — "The only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington." — Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)
•  Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership — "America's Most Aggressive Defender of Firearms Ownership."
•  The National Rifle Association of America — Largest organization of gun rights advocates, but some say too willing to compromise on constitutional principles.
  1. NRA/ILA — Institute for Legislation Action, political action arm of the NRA
  2.  California NRA — Takes positions independent of national HQ.
  3.  Golden Gate United NRA Members Council.
•  Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) — Another strong force for the RKBA.
•  Second Amendment Foundation(SAF) — Tax-deductible adjunct to the CCRKBA.
•  Firearms Coalition — Neal Knox's group.
•  Texas State Rifle Association — Firearm Rights for the Lone Star State.
  •  Texas State Rifle Association/Political Action Committee — Political arm.
•  Opencarry.org — Promotes open carry legislation.
•  American Council of Second Amendment Lawyers — Unites constitutionalist lawyers.
•  The Law Enforcement Alliance of America — Unites law enforcement professionals, opposes gun control.
•  American Gun Owners Alliance
•  PoliceGuide.com — Your guide to cop culture. Favors 2nd Amendment rights.
•  Transparency International— Fight corruption and abuse internationally.
•  Madison Society Foundation — Focus on Second Amendment compliance through litigation.
•  Women Against Gun Control — Unites women who refuse to be helpless victims.
•  Sisters Of The Second Amendment— Professiona Women for Education, Preservation, Recreation
•  Armed Women of America —National coalition of pro gun women.
•  Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws— Actually, for almost no gun laws.
•  Academics for the Second Amendment — Until they put up a web site of their own, this will have to do.
•  Students For The Second Amendment — The next generation cometh.
•  Keep And Bear Arms — News, articles, and links on the RKBA.
•  National Constitution Center: Right to Bear Arms — News, articles, and links on the RKBA.
•  Second Amendment Research Center — Affiliated with Ohio State University, headed by Saul Cornell. Get some things wrong, but some good material.
•  National Shooting Sports Foundation — Support RKBA, but focus more on hunting and shooting competitions.
•  SaveOurGuns — Focus on defense against government tyranny.
•  2ndAmendment.com — Fundraising for pro-RKBA organizations.
•  International Defensive Pistol Association — Promote firearm rights everywhere.
•  International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) — Unites shooting organizations in many countries.
•  The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) — U.S. affiliate of the IPSC.
•  Sportsmen's Association for Firearms Education (SAFE.) — Training in the safe use of firearms.
•  Knife Rights — Defend right to keep and bear knives and other non-firearm weapons.
•  Canadian Institute for Legislative Action— Defend RKBA in Canada.
•  NRA-ILA-lobbying arm of the NRA
•  National Firearms Association — Canadian RKBA organization that is not as militant.
•  Pro Tell — Swiss RKBA/Militia organization. Mainly in German, French, and Italian.
•  Forum Waffenrecht — German RKBA organization. In German.
•  Interessengemeinschaft Liberales Waffenrecht in Österreich (IWÖ) — Austrian RKBA organization. In German.
•  Indians for Guns — Indian RKBA organization.
•  Commemorative Air Force. Formerly named the Confederate Air Force — The Militia needs an air force, too. This is mainly recreational, but in a crisis....
•  Civil Air Patrol — Government-sponsored, but actually a kind of militia activity.
•  American Red Cross — Relief for victims of disasters. Disaster response is militia also.

Publications

•  FirearmsNews.com — Good source for news and information on firearms issues.

Scholars, lawyers, and Useful Resources

•  Gunscholar — Eugene Volokh's compilation of links to scholars on gun rights and the Second Amendment.
• Second Amendment supreme Court Cases Guide — Second Amendment supreme Court Cases Guide.
•  Stephen P. Halbrook — Attorney specializing in constitutional cases, especially involving the Second Amendment.
•  Of Arms & the Law — David Hardy. Attorney specializing in constitutional cases, especially involving the Second Amendment. Author of the Report of the Senate Subcommitee on the Constitution, 1982, above.
•  Sean Healy Second Amendment/Firearms Litigation— Most noted for the Emerson case.
•  John Lott — Researcher and author on firearms issues.
•  Clayton Cramer — Second Amendment historian.
•  Cites on 20th Century American Military History — Compilation of links. Wikipedia

Military Classics

1.   Art of War, Sun Tzu (475-221 BC) — Maxims for military strategists.
2.   Art of War, Niccolò Machiavelli (1520) — Argues for a strong militia system.

Military Issues

1. The War on Terrorism and the Commander in Chief Clause: Delegation of the President's Command Authority, by Allison R. Hayward, Daniel Kelly, and Michael F. Williams.
2.    Is Registration for Selective Service Mandatory?, Brad L. Barnhill, 1999 Feb 25 — Raises legal issues concerning the draft.

Civil Defense

1. Civil Defense — Our subsite on the subject.

Threats

We have broken out this section into a separate subsite.