What Are Sharron Angle’s ’2nd Amendment Remedies’ to Harry Reid and a ‘Tyrannical’ Government?
EmailABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: Sharron Angle, the Republican candidate for Senate trying to unseat Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid is an avowed supporter of gun rights, but she sees the 2nd Amendment as going much further than ensuring a right to bear arms. Angle has said the Bill of Rights also authorizes “remedies” for Americans to defend themselves “when our government becomes tyrannical.” A victory by Democrat Harry Reid, she suggested, could justify those “2nd Amendment remedies.” Huffington Post has posted an edited clip of Angle speaking to conservative Nevada talk show host Bill Manders – it is not clear from Huffington Post or from Manders’ website when the interview occurred, where Angle says she hopes that the vote in November will be the cure for Reid and 2nd amendment remedies won’t be necessary. Angle: I feel that the Second Amendment is the right to keep and bear arms for our citizenry. This not for someone who's in the military. This not for law enforcement. This is for us. And in fact when you read that Constitution and the founding fathers, they intended this to stop tyranny. This is for us when our government becomes tyrannical… Manders: If we needed it at any time in history, it might be right now. Angle: Well it's to defend ourselves. And you know, I'm hoping that we're not getting to Second Amendment remedies. I hope the vote will be the cure for the Harry Reid problems. The sentiments are not a one-off. As Jonathan Karl reported earlier this month, she told the Reno Gazette-Journal that people are quietly stocking up on ammunition in case they need to resort to insurrection or, as she put it, a “fight for liberty.” "What is a little bit disconcerting and concerning is the inability for sporting goods stores to keep ammunition in stock," she told the newspaper. "That tells me the nation is arming. What are they arming for if it isn't that they are so distrustful of their government? They're afraid they'll have to fight for their liberty in more Second Amendment kinds of ways?” she said. Angle is a favorite of the Tea Parties, which are steeped in Revolutionary imagery. She is not alone in floating the idea of armed insurrection. The best example is the now-infamous TV ad for Rick Barber, an Alabaman running for Congress. In the ad, which is a YouTube sensation, Barber is seated in a bar talking to men dressed in 18th century costume as George Washington and Sam Adams. There are antique-looking guns on the table. Barber talks about the IRS and the “tyrannical government” and at the end of the ad, George Washington says through clenched teeth, “Gather your armies!” Barber faces a July 13th runoff for the Republican nomination.
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We all know this stuff is theatrics, but the possibility of a revolution in the US is absolutely possible.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | June 16, 2010, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Not really a mystery what Angle is advocating, is it? A call for armed insurrection like this one illustrates the paranoia of the far right. They have been co-opted on this issue in the same way they were regarding WMD in Iraq.
Posted by: J | June 16, 2010, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
***Angle: I feel that the Second Amendment is the right to keep and bear arms for our citizenry. This not for someone who’s in the military. This not for law enforcement. This is for us. And in fact when you read that Constitution and the founding fathers, they intended this to stop tyranny. This is for us when our government becomes tyrannical…***
William Rawle, 1825 “No clause could by any rule of construction be conceived to give to congress a power to disarm the people. Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretence by a state legislature. But if in any blind pursuit of inordinate power, either should attempt it, this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint on both.”
Joseph Story, 1833 “The importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defence of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with which they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.”
Though it may be not be a popular interpretation, Angle’s perspective on the second amendment does follow the main stream perpsective of this issue from the lawyers and jurists, acting as commentators, during the late 18th early 19th century. The best way to prevent tyrannical actions by the central government, is to allow the people to arm themselves and have it as an inviolate conerstone right of a citizen. This is either as an individual (Rawle) or as appart of a milita (Story).
Posted by: bobtherepublican | June 16, 2010, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
***Not really a mystery what Angle is advocating, is it? A call for armed insurrection like this one illustrates the paranoia of the far right. They have been co-opted on this issue in the same way they were regarding WMD in Iraq.
Posted by: J | Jun 16, 2010 1:18:43 PM***
You missed a spot in your fear mongering where the far right are all religious fanatics…Just saying.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | June 16, 2010, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
I agree that the Second Amendment is more than just the right to self defense. It was clearly written with the intent to tell the Government to be afraid, very afraid of the people who suffer its existence. Those who would presume to dictate to the people how to live, what to eat, what to say, should live in fear of the people taking back their government by force of arms if necessary.
Posted by: j011254 | June 16, 2010, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
“You missed a spot in your fear mongering where the far right are all religious fanatics…Just saying.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | Jun 16, 2010 1:28:10 PM”
Repeating the clear words of Republican candidates is fearmongering?
Posted by: mantis | June 16, 2010, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
I truly hope the FBI and/or Secret Service will be visiting this nut job (Angle) in the very near future – like today!!! Since when is threatening or advocating the life of a United States Senator acceptable under any circumstances!!!
Posted by: Melanie | June 16, 2010, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
Angle is right the fore fathers were against a tyrannical government who gets out of hand. ALL you have to do is read some of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin,The power is for the people not the government,The politicans work for us,not we for them.Government should fear the citizens not the other way around.
Posted by: stormerF2 | June 16, 2010, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
***Repeating the clear words of Republican candidates is fearmongering?
Posted by: mantis | Jun 16, 2010 2:02:46 PM***
Where in the previous post were there a repeat of the “clear words of Republican candidates”?
All I see was a blanket statement with no references made concerning a large swathe of the country with a philisophical veiw, apparently abhorrent to “j”.
“Not really a mystery what Angle is advocating, is it? A call for armed insurrection like this one illustrates the paranoia of the far right.” – Paranoid rambling with no referneces.
“They have been co-opted on this issue in the same way they were regarding WMD in Iraq.” – Skewed reference to an issue years ago, without a supporting argument to fortify the comment itself.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | June 16, 2010, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm
MSM cant you just see that you are a big failure. Angle will win and Reid is going down down and down. You democrats are real failure !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Tim | June 16, 2010, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
“Not really a mystery what Angle is advocating, is it? A call for armed insurrection like this one illustrates the paranoia of the far right.”
Exactly. She did call for armed insurrection, and it does illustrate the paranoia of the far right. Are you claiming that Angle is not far right or that the far right are not paranoid?
“Paranoid rambling with no referneces.”
What references do you want? Would you like to discuss death panels, the one world government, Obama is a communist Kenyan usurper Manchurian candidate, the NAFTA superhighway, how Obama is taking all your guns away, how ACORN rigged the election, mandated government circumcision, secret plans to destroy the internet, how AmeriCorps is really forced Hitler Youth training, any of the many, many other lunatic theories so popular on the far right?
Do you really want to claim the far right is not a group of paranoid lunatics?
Posted by: mantis | June 16, 2010, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
***Do you really want to claim the far right is not a group of paranoid lunatics?
Posted by: mantis | Jun 16, 2010 2:38:36 PM***
I consider the far right about as mentally sound as the far left.
As for your list of “lunatic theories”: NAFTA Superhighway was actually put forward by the unions in the early 90s as they were the ones most vehemently against NAFTA because it would lead to large scale outsourcing of manufacturing jobs. ACORN, before it was disbanded, had many officers in several states charged with election fraud for submitting fraudulent voter registrations. If this was wide spread or not it did happen so they did have a history attempting to rig elections. The “Obama is a communitst Kenyan usurper Manchurian candidate” comment must be in relation to the theory his isn’t an American citizen which was actually first commented on by supporters of Hillary Clinton and then spread from the fringe of the establishment democrats into the far right.
The other stuff I’ve not hear of and will not comment on.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | June 16, 2010, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
***Do you really want to claim the far right is not a group of paranoid lunatics?
Posted by: mantis | Jun 16, 2010 2:38:36 PM***
I consider the far right about as mentally sound as the far left.
As for your list of “lunatic theories”: NAFTA Superhighway was actually put forward by the unions in the early 90s as they were the ones most vehemently against NAFTA because it would lead to large scale outsourcing of manufacturing jobs. ACORN, before it was disbanded, had many officers in several states charged with election fraud for submitting fraudulent voter registrations. If this was wide spread or not it did happen so they did have a history attempting to rig elections. The “Obama is a communitst Kenyan usurper Manchurian candidate” comment must be in relation to the theory his isn’t an American citizen which was actually first commented on by supporters of Hillary Clinton and then spread from the fringe of the establishment democrats into the far right.
The other stuff I’ve not hear of and will not comment on.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | June 16, 2010, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
Wow Nevada…you are either going to be on the “leading edge” of “wing-nut” hysteria and a “laughingstock” to the rest of the nation (if you would vote for this lunatic candidate) or you will return Mr. Reid to the Senate to help our President clean up this gigantic mess “W”‘s administration left for him and us.
Posted by: CND FOX | June 16, 2010, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
Go get ‘em Bob! Lefts and rights, they never see the simple truth. I hope people do open their eyes before it becomes necessary to take action in our own defense. Our constant march across the world stage, and the demonstrated desire of our current crop of leaders to compare and contrast our society with those abroad, does seem to indicate a trend towards a world state. I personally oppose such a move for a number of reasons. It is not our place to tell the rest of the world how to live. It is not our responsibility to provide freedom to other nations, especially when the people living in those nations cannot agree that they want such freedoms. Freedom must be earned and it is best to help those that are helping themselves. It is not within the scope of our nation’s founding beliefs to cast the cloak of our morality onto the way of life of people in other parts of the world. We wonder why we are hated, but the reasons are fairly obvious if you bother to look.
Posted by: War919 | June 16, 2010, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
So…”stormerF” in your 2:15 post I take it that you suggesting that the “lunatics should be allowed to run the asylum”??? I don’t think so and do NOT believe that will ever happen.Without her negative, reactionary fear mongering… this woman is a charlatan and is simply masquerading as a politician. LOL…LOL
Posted by: CND FOX | June 16, 2010, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
From what I read above, Ms. Angle isn’t “floating the idea of an armed insurrection,” as you put it. Just the opposite. She is pointing out that people seem to be arming themselves out of fear the government will come after them, not the other way around. BTW, will Harry Reid be asked to explain, defend and held to account for what he’s been doing and saying for the past 30 years or so, or will all media criticism, sketicism and distrust be directed exclusively at Ms. Angle?
Posted by: Ken | June 16, 2010, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
CND FOX – I wish that all of you left people and your mirrors on the right would just let the fear mongering statements rest. Both sides use the tactic relentlessly to justify their actions and positions. It is obvious, it is boorish and pretending outrage over its use by the “other” side is puerile at best. Also, suggesting that exercising our constitutional rights and duties amounts to being a “lunatic running the asylum”, shows a disdain for the established, founding laws of the land. You may want to examine your own entrenched belief system and recognize that you have become the very thing you claim to hate.
Posted by: War919 | June 16, 2010, 3:32 pm 3:32 pm
“War919″…it does not take a ‘geius” to listen to the “extremes of both sides” to see who the “most dangerous” is. And it “helps” to not be blind either. And if you have been paying attention at all to what happens to countries led by the more violent right (i.e. Israel) that in itself should be enough to scare anyone who has the ability to think and reason. There has always has been and always will be a LOT of reason to fear “those to the right of “Attila the Hun”. All you have to do is read your history books.
Posted by: CND FOX | June 16, 2010, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
Sorry…mistyped “genius”…Got in a hurry.
Posted by: CND FOX | June 16, 2010, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
CND FOX, Good point. Israel is far more dangerous and repressive than any current or past harmless, peace loving left-wing countries; the former Soviet Union, East Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia, North Korea, Maoist China, Cuba, Venezuela and the marxists all over Central and South America, just to name a few. No blood on any of those hands. Thanks for your balanced and insightful history lesson. Now gather up your friends and go take care of that Jewish problem once and for all.
Posted by: Ken | June 16, 2010, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm
CND – the same can be said for the failed policies of the extreme left. I would go so far as to say that communism represents an extreme left philosophy which has proven to be untenable(just ask the former Soviet Union). Greece is another representation of a failure of the far left’s entitlement philosophy. Eventually, those who produce will be unable to sustain all of those who do not produce. It is not even a matter of them getting sick of the burden and shucking it off; it is a matter of fiscal reality that the few cannot support the many. In our society that “many” is growing with each passing generation, if not each passing year. Both philosophies(by which I mean the right and the left mentalities) have proven themselves to be failures. This is most likely a result of the fact that applying any system, to the daily life of individual people, fails once that system reaches a point critical mass. In other words, once you insert too many people into either system, they break down. There is no system that can survive when the load it bears exceeds its own structural integrity requirements.
Posted by: War919 | June 16, 2010, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
This is why I endlessly repeat the same tired litany against both the right and the left. Both abandon common sense in the name of philosophical beliefs and shut down any attempts at real communication in an attempt to promote their own agenda, generally over the needs and desires of the people they are meant to serve.
Posted by: War919 | June 16, 2010, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
Melanie –”I truly hope the FBI and/or Secret Service will be visiting this nut job (Angle) in the very near future – like today!!! Since when is threatening or advocating the life of a United States Senator acceptable under any circumstances!!!”— and CND FOX –” Wow Nevada…you are either going to be on the “leading edge” of “wing-nut” hysteria and a “laughingstock” to the rest of the nation (if you would vote for this lunatic candidate)”— Both of you need to re-read our constitution then read the writings of people like Jeffereson and Paine so you can have an understanding of why we have a second ammendment… the second Ammendment was placed in our constitution for the SOLE purpose of providing the peole of this country with armed protection against not only foreign and individual transgressions, but first and foremost to provide American citizens with the ability to STOP their own government should it decide to exert too much power and control over the people… What you two describe as “nut jobs” and wing-nut hysteria” are precisely the element of the citizenry that our founders sought to provide assistance and protection to.. You both should do some serious research before you make such broad (and viceral)statements since you obviously do not understand the disdain and distrust that our founders had for a strong central government…
Posted by: arkie vet | June 16, 2010, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
CND FOX–”And if you have been paying attention at all to what happens to countries led by the more violent right (i.e. Israel) that in itself should be enough to scare anyone who has the ability to think and reason.”— the more violent right (i.e Israel)??? the level of violence committed by Israel is defensive and DIRECTLY PORPORTIONAL TO THE OFFENSIVE acts of violence that are exacted against it…Surely are familiar with the truthful adage that the day Palestine lays down its weapons there will be no more war in the Middle east, but the day that Israel lays down their weapons there will be no more Israel in the Middle east…
Posted by: arkie vet | June 16, 2010, 4:28 pm 4:28 pm
What is your point Justin? There are not that many GOP supporters involved in this conversation. It seems there are mostly independents here who are tired of the political machine as it stands. When will you people get it through your heads, the will of the parties do not represent the will of the people? Just because the right and left do not like a candidate means nothing to me or to many people out here who are sick and tired of the status quo. I know you are familiar with that term, you people use it endlessly and erroneously when you try to gain the upper ground on your party’s opponents. The reality is that the parties themselves represent the status quo, of which we have had enough. Get it?
Posted by: War919 | June 16, 2010, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm
“NAFTA Superhighway was actually put forward by the unions in the early 90s as they were the ones most vehemently against NAFTA because it would lead to large scale outsourcing of manufacturing jobs. ”
Even if your claims about the origins are true, it has been endlessly trumpeted by the far right.
“ACORN, before it was disbanded, had many officers in several states charged with election fraud for submitting fraudulent voter registrations. If this was wide spread or not it did happen so they did have a history attempting to rig elections.”
You do not rig elections by registering nonexistent people. Nonexistent people don’t vote. Yet many on the far right are absolutely convinced that ACORN rigged the election, somehow.
“The “Obama is a communitst Kenyan usurper Manchurian candidate” comment must be in relation to the theory his isn’t an American citizen which was actually first commented on by supporters of Hillary Clinton and then spread from the fringe of the establishment democrats into the far right.”
Even if Hillary supporters had first proposed it (they didn’t), the fact is more than half of self-described Republicans admit they don’t think Obama is an American citizen. Those that don’t come up with all sorts of companion theories (Manchurian candidate, secret Muslim intent on instituting sharia law, black nationalists who wants to destroy white people, etc.).
In any case, since you seem to think placing blame on the left for nutty theories the far right believes, let me ask you this. How much talk do you hear on the left about how Obama isn’t a citizen or NAFTA superhighways? How much on the right? I think you’ll find the discrepancy very much supports my points.
As for the other points, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and many other very popular rightwing commentators have claimed many times that Obama intends to confiscate guns. Rush Limbaugh originally pushed the forced circumcision theory. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Obamacare death panels (not to mention Glenn Beck’s FEMA concentration camps that Obama is planning to send conservatives to). Secret plans of government takeover and destruction of the internet are all over rightwing blogs lately. The AmeriCorps/Peace Corps Nazi Youth madness was a Glenn Beck gift, picked up by many other rightwingers.
These are not theories pushed by fringe dwellers no one has ever heard of. They are pushed by the most prominent right wing commentators (and occasionally politicians – Michelle Bachmann for one), and believed to the letter by the far right.
Posted by: mantis | June 16, 2010, 5:03 pm 5:03 pm
Mantis – you prove my point – what you say is true, and yet you fail to mention the hysteria and “fear-mongering” that leftist commentators spend their time spewing. I am sure you remember their endless attacks on Bush back in the day, not to mention their endless tirade on the “obstructionism” of the GOP since they have been rendered an impotent minority. From telling people that the GOP wants them to die in favor of insurance companies, etc…Why is it that you people always see one side so clearly, yet turn a blind eye when the painful truth involves the side to which you relate? It is beyond frustrating trying to have a debate in such circumstances. One side’s incompetence, negligence, corruption, complicity and failures do NOT justify the other side’s indulgence in the same. It really is as simple as that.
Posted by: War919 | June 16, 2010, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Anyone who wants to take part in real “Second Amendment remedies” should consider joining the National Guard.
Posted by: Leif Rakur | June 16, 2010, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
***Posted by: mantis | Jun 16, 2010 5:03:29 PM***
So your entire point with those theroies is that it doesn’t matter who started it and the fact that there are people on both sides that believe in it, but that there are people on the far right that believe it it, so it makes that entire perspective and anyone from independents to the far right, ie the people who don’t believe as you do, irrelevent and worthy of scorn.
Sorry, I have read enough of history to say that both sides are responsible and the fringes of both sides of an argument are equally at fault, and are deserving of equal disdain, because of the issues of the last few decades.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | June 16, 2010, 10:01 pm 10:01 pm
This woman is nuts. Maybe I’ve been sleeping or something but the last time I heard anyone rational complain about losing any liberties was during the last administration.
And before someone goes harking back to the Constitution for everything, she or he better read exactly what it says and be aware that, like it or not, it’s not clear, doesn’t apply completely to modern times, and is open to interpretation. The woman sounds as if she wants anarchy and if that’s what she wants, she should keep in mind that there’s also armed opponents on the other side. It’s not “all about her.”
Posted by: D. | June 17, 2010, 9:05 pm 9:05 pm
What Angle should keep in mind is that if she wins, this sort of rhetoric can be turned back against her in the worst possible way. There is a history of armed wingnuts on both sides of the political spectrum killing politicians with firearms, and it is not beyond the realm of imagination that some very sincere young person in an AK Press t-shirt, clutching a copy of “Pacifism as Pathology” could use this as a justification for taking out a newly elected Senator.
Any person seeking office who so blatantly calls for assassinations in this country is courting personal disaster. This is not how a democracy should operate.
Posted by: Bob | June 18, 2010, 10:57 pm 10:57 pm
It is NO mystery what Sharon Angle is advocating. ” using the second amendment rights to …get get rid of a sitting Senator is urging a treasonous act.
And WHEN someone tries it, she should be arrested for “free speech” , I mean inciting and abetting a crime.
Posted by: Richard Wayne | June 18, 2010, 11:37 pm 11:37 pm
Angle rocks, Reid sucks. Questions? :-) Simple as that.
Posted by: K-ROD | July 2, 2010, 10:17 pm 10:17 pm
“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: J.T. | July 7, 2010, 11:19 am 11:19 am
The tea party took the party of national security and tradition and turned it into the crazy train. Tax-paying, law-abiding citizens do not owe tea party Republicans their vote.
Posted by: Kevin | August 21, 2010, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
ried: 24 is time to show ried the door.
Posted by: robin | September 19, 2010, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
I suppose we needed a another state to laugh at besides Kansas. I wonder if the people of Nevada are stupid enough to vote for this lunatic? Is she going to wave Christine O’Donnell’s magic wand and make their unemployment woes go away by cutting unemployment benefits and the minimum wage or giving more tax breaks to the wealthy? People in Nevada were whining about losing their jobs. Where is this famous self responsibility they were whining about when people lost their homes?
Posted by: GiGi | October 28, 2010, 3:20 am 3:20 am
And now her call for violence has resulted in the murder of 6 people, including a 9 year old child.
Posted by: doubting thomas | January 8, 2011, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm