The Citizen's Almanac是USCIS发给加入美国籍的新公民的普及美国历史政治知识的一本小册子。移民美国,加入美国籍的新移民,应该都拿到甚至读过这它。这本小册子中,大量篇幅介绍美国宪法和美国公民的权力与义务。但就是在这样一本普及爱国主义的小册子里,翻开第一章, “Citizenship in America: Rights and Responsibilities of US Citizen” - 第一节,“Rights of Citizen”, 第4页,介绍宪法第二修正案:
“Right to keep and bear arms.
The Constitution protects the rights of individuals to have firearms for personal defense. This privilege is subject to reasonable restrictions designed to prevent unfit persons, or those with the intent to criminally misuse guns or other firearms, from obtaining such items.”
这一小段短短两句话,可是问题重重。
1. 宪法保护的是个人持有武器的权利,而不是保护个人“为了自卫的持有武器权力” - 宪法及修正案中从来没有提到“personal defense”。
2. "Right to keep and bear arms"怎么到第二句就突然成了“privilege”了???
"The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution protects the right of individual Americans to keep and bear arms regardless of service in a militia. The right is not unlimited..."
第二修正案保护的是个人拥有武器的权利
"Sir William Blackstone described this right as an auxiliary right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense, resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state.[2]"