FireArm Friday: The Insurance Policy of Liberty - #2A
Why Other Countries Envy Your 2nd Amendment
Why Other Countries Envy Your 2nd Amendment
In an era when people around the world are debating freedom, safety, and government power, one truth stands firm: rights are only preserved if they are exercised, and rights abandoned are rarely restored.
As Americans, we are heirs to a constitutional tradition unlike any other country. We place individual liberty at the center of our national identity. At the heart of that tradition stands the Second Amendment, a cornerstone of the Bill of Rights, securing not just the ability to own firearms but the broader principle of self-governance.
But as we look beyond our borders, a different pattern is evident. Nations that once embraced firearm ownership as a normal aspect of life, countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, for instance, have gradually imposed sweeping gun bans. For many citizens, these restrictions have led to limits on their speech, independence, and personal freedom. Their experiences compel us to acknowledge that when governments limit the means by which citizens safeguard themselves, they often redefine the very concept of freedom itself.
The irony of this stolen freedom is that over time, many people can be conditioned to accept it.
The U.K. is an example of incremental control with lasting impact. The United Kingdom’s move toward near-total…