Founding Fathers favored firearms

To the editor:

In her April 10 anti-Second Amendment letter 'Second Amendment unneeded for centuries,” Myra Krenz implied that our Founding Fathers didn't favor ownership of firearms by private citizens. Following is what some of them had to say.

George Washington: 'Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. A free people ought to be armed.”

Samuel Adams: 'The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”

George Mason: 'I ask sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials.” And, 'To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”

James Madison: 'Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” And, 'The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Thomas Jefferson: 'The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” And, 'No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

Krenz doesn't seem to be reading off the same page with our Founding Fathers.

Dean Varner

Cedar Rapids