Today's Constitutional Amendment of the Day is Amendment II: "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."

Just as Amendment I confirms your basic rights to freedom of expression and religion, Amendment II confirms your basic individual right to keep and bear arms. Like it or not, your basic freedoms of life, liberty, property, expression, and religion are all protected at the point of a gun. Whereas the government is your first line of defense, your individual freedom to bear arms is your last.

In the US, self defense is a basic human right. Believe it or not, the police have no responsibility to protect individual life and property, and officers dispatched by the 911 emergency system are very rarely able to prevent crime. In fact, in the vast majority of cases the Police simply investigate crimes that have already been committed, and try to enforce laws after the fact. This doesn't help you very much if you are already dead. In nations like Britain, citizens have no right to self defense, and can actually be jailed for harming an attacker.

Freedom to keep and bear arms also provides a safeguard against tyranny. Throughout the ages, most murders take place at the hands of governments. People in power simply cannot be trusted, even during this day and age. Power has the ability to corrupt people, and an armed populace is a check and balance on that power. "Only an armed people can be the real bulwark of popular liberty." -- Vladimir Lenin

Also, believe it or not, an armed society has proved to be a deterrent to foreign invasion. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan opted not to try to invade the US mainland for fear of armed citizens. Japan knew that millions of private citizens in America have firearms, and an invasion would be very costly.

Despite recent attacks on the individual right to keep and bear arms, the Second Amendment stands firm. September 11, has reminded us that our government is not always able to provide basic safety and security. Your individual right to protect yourself and your family should not be taken away.