Stephen for US President: Citizen Responsibilities: Bearing Arms

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Citizen Responsibilities: Bearing Arms

In America we have a right to bear arms. Along with rights come responsibilities. The reason we have the right to bear arms is because we have the responsibility to defend the freedom guaranteed to us as citizens of this great union of free States.

Some of us regard this responsibility seriously. We willingly serve in the armed forces or in roles of public peace keepers or health care workers. But what about the rest of us?

How are we defending the freedoms guaranteed to us by our constitution?

Do we own and know how to bear arms?

The pramble to the Constitution states:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,^{[note 1]} promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Preamble to the United States Constitution. (2011, March 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:04, March 9, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution&oldid=416784516

Are we, as citizens prepared to help provide for the common defense?

I know, as a health care worker, that I am. How about you?

I advocate that every able citizen be required, at the age of 18, to serve for 4 consecutive years in the military. This service to be performed on the continental US with no deployment overseas allowed. During this time of service the enlistee would be trained in necessary fields for providing for the defense of the continental United States. Compensation for this service would be room, board, and training/education during the term of service and full tuition, year for year, for education after discharge.

I would further advocate that this should be the only federal educational support provided, ending the federal student loan program and the abuses financial and education institutions have perpetrated against Americans in the past.