Author James Patterson opined that he is nearly certain that America’s founders “did not foresee assault rifles in the hands of farm boys,” when the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was written.
“I write about assault weapons more than I’d like to. I believe their place is in the hands of law officers and our military. I honestly don’t see why anyone else needs to have a machine gun. I’m 99.999% sure that Tom Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Washington, and the Adams boys did not foresee assault rifles in the hands of farm boys back in the 18th century, when they were writing the Second Amendment. Muskets and flintlock pistols fired a single shot in about 20 seconds,” Patterson tweeted.
The text of the Second Amendment declares, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
According to constitution.congress.gov, “James Madison produced an initial draft of the Second Amendment.”
Some people pounced on Patterson’s post, declaring that the author is wrong.
“You’re wrong. Of course the Founders could perceive of a future in which guns get better. During their time, gun tech was rapidly improving,” Jordan Schachtel tweeted. “Why do I need a rifle? See: Hamas paragliders/ infinite amount of circumstances in which a community may face multiple aggressors.”
“Well, you’re 99.999% wrong. The founders would’ve purchased repeating flintlocks for war except for price. Jefferson owned a Girandoni rifle later adopted by the Austrian military. The Puckle gun was considered the 1st machine gun & predates the Constitution. You clearly don’t know the difference between a semi auto, select fire, or full auto capabilities,” conservative radio host and self-described “2A advocate” Dana Loesch wrote in response to Patterson.
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