Second Amendment doesn’t provide for overthrow

The author of “Read the founders on Second Amendment” (Letters, May 10) provides no evidence that our Founding Fathers, or any of them, intended for the Second Amendment to provide for the violent overthrow of our newly formed nation.

At their formation, the Federalist Papers comprised 592 pages of text and 84 separate articles — when published in book form one of the articles was divided to make an 85th article. They were first published in 1787 and 1788 to persuade New York voters to ratify the original Constitution. The Federalist Papers did not address any later proposed amendments to the Constitution.

The Constitution was formally ratified in 1789 notwithstanding the opposition, which included the anti-federalists. The Bill of Rights — comprising the first 10 amendments — was ratified in December of 1791.

As to the cited quote from George Washington, no one says that he or any other founder favored banning “all weapons from civilians.” Washington favored “a well regulated (citizen) militia” prepared to defend against foreign invasions and domestic insurrections.

Again, to those claiming that the Second Amendment was intended to give citizens the means of violently overthrowing our newly formed democratic government, set forth your evidence. And be specific!

Joe Clarkson

Wailuku