Second Amendment Biography News Today

In the 1970s, new leadership took over the nra and made the groups permission to protect every missions right and enshrinement in the second amendment and to keep and bear arm. t warr warr warren berger appointed by richard nixon to say the foll followifollo following in the u.s. >> so, what to make of the second amendment and what to do about it? jonesi joining me now is michael walden. the author of "the second amendment biography." and our chief analyst here at cnn, jeffery toobin. >> when wa...

Part of the goal was to make sure former slaves could get guns. so that might surprise some people. on the other hand, it never was the case it was this unlimited right to a gun that was protected in the constitution. it was a public purpose that was sought to be served. that broad concept is still valid. >> im glad you outlined it in this book. i have looked through it with great detail. the second amendment biography, its excellent. thank you very much for joining me. good luck with it. its ...

Conyers name can appear on michigans primary ballot come august. after saying he was ineligible due to nomination problems with signatures. now a new job, president of the boy scouts of america. last year, the boy scouts organization decided to allow gay scouts but not gay leaders. and gates said he would have gone further but says now is the type to focus on the kids. >> i also happen to think if we were to push this issue, particularly during the time that im president, that it would be very...

State militias of the 13 states. these were not like the national guard, really. theyre not like -- they were not like anything we have today. every adult man actually eventually every adult white man was a member of the militia for their entire life and they were required to own a gun. and they brought it from home. so it was an individual ride but to fulfill the duty to serve in this militia. quickly, after the founding era, the militias began to disappear and we grew in a different way. thing...

Department said the second amendment went. and only then did they go to court so that by the time they went to the supreme court, the case fell like a ripe apple from the tree. kind of a classic constitutional campaign, whether you like it or not, and other people have looked at it and said, you know, on an issue i might care about, thats something we need to wage as well. >> interestingly, though, if you look at polling. between 1990 and 2013, support for strengthening gun laws has fallen preci...

Society to protect ourselves. we can make that both work. it may well be this is not going to upend all those laws. >> im curious, because supporters of guns take the issue very personally so what kind of reaction has your book received? >> well, youre right, you know, gun rights supporters, as they would consider themselves, are very intense in their feelings and in some ways thats part of their political success. the book has gotten, so far, a terrific reaction. im happy to say. you know, i wo...

>> and in 2008, the supreme court in the heller decision basically -- the argument you make in the book is nra rewrote the second amendment in front of ouri our eyes and got the supreme court to sign off on it. >> they have the second amendment on the wall but they edited out three dots about the militia. that is kind of what the supreme court did -- >> you walk in the lobby and it says right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed and got rid of the first clause? >> exactly. ...

The issue of trust. thats what its really all about. trusting the citizens. and in that sense, chris, when you look at the way this white house and some of the states have dealt with the issue after newtown, instead of going after the very difficult problems of mental health in this country, they focused as a scapegoat, the gun issue. im afraid that when you deal with the american people as some broad political pinata, theyre going to be consequences and well all be aware of those consequences c...

Gun as a protection against tyranny and just to do what they want. they want to stroll down the street with their guns, open carry, go into chipotle with your semiautomatic, thats cool. thats blessed by thomas jefferson. is that true? >> it isnt really true. when you look at the history of the second amendment, this has been a subject of great debate all throughout the countrys history and the way we think of what the second amendment means changes based on what we think of government and other ...

On for freedom. thats whats new and different. >> and in 2008, the supreme court in the heller decision basically -- the argument you make in the book is nra rewrote the second amendment in front of our eyes and got the supreme court to sign off on it. >> they have the second amendment on the wall but they edited out three dots about the militia. that is kind of what the supreme court did -- >> you walk in the lobby and it says right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed and...