"A Mistake a Free People Get to Make Only Once"

[elfs]

The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed-- where the government refuses to stand for re-election and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once."

-- Judge Alex Kozinski

Comments

[fallenpegasus]

This one of my favorite varients of that idea:

If the Constitution turned rapidly from your best pal to some increasingly wierd vegan mind-control freak, the Second Amendment was your bad-ass cousin Larry, who would kick down the door, get you out and feed you hamburgers 'till you answered to your own name again.
-- Tae Hyong Kim <tkim@shore.net>