(Letter to the Editor - Graphic Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

The July 11 letter to the editor titled, “Biden clueless on guns,” was typical of that writer. It was seven paragraphs of pro-gun gibberish badmouthing President Biden and praising the Second Amendment.

That letter-writer routinely reinvents history to satisfy his creative imagination.

Let’s see now. In rewriting history this time, that writer told us, “Some of our founding fathers wanted the Second Amendment to be the First Amendment because the right to bear arms enforces the other amendments.”

Really? Gee! I sure hope that writer can quote chapter and verse and page number and paragraph and title of the history book where he discovered that piece of imaginary make-believe history that never happened.

That writer should try reading James Madison’s historic thoughts on militias. The Second Amendment was adopted to fill the ranks of a “well regulated” militia, eliminating the need for a standing army. Standing armies are expensive. Militias work for nothing. Militias were a real money saver for those penny-pinching founding fathers.

And is anyone really foolish enough to believe that the liberal Democrats are trying to disarm the nation so they can control all our citizens. Anyone who believes that silliness can’t possibly be tightly wrapped.

That writer has the Second Amendment memorized. Maybe he should try memorizing the First Amendment. That’s the amendment that spells out the personal freedoms essential in a working democracy.

It says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech; or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble; and to petition the Government for redress of grievances.”

Despite what NRA proponents would have you believe, our democracy isn’t built around a reliance on guns or the Second Amendment. Guns are not essential to a working press. Guns aren’t needed to practice religion. I can write a persuasive letter to the editor, gun free. I don’t need a gun on my hip to ask my elected representative for help.

The Second Amendment isn’t protecting anything.

The First Amendment is really protected by a tough-minded, freedom-loving citizenry who understand the meaning of democracy and are smart enough to appreciate the overpowering significance of the First Amendment. The Second Amendment is only there to provide distracting background noise for the people who don’t understand the importance of the First Amendment.

Ralph Chambers

Parkersburg