Secession Over the Second Amendment?

The State of Montana may make a move to leave the Union if the Supreme Court decides that the Second Amendment is a collective right, not an individual right.

From PatriotPost.us:

In the continuing saga of District of Columbia v. Heller, 39 of Montana’s elected officials have signed a resolution declaring that a Supreme Court ruling against the individual right of gun ownership would give their state grounds for leaving the union. It seems that when Montana’s settlers signed a statehood contract in 1889, one of the conditions was that the federal government agreed that individuals had the right to keep and bear arms. If the Supreme Court rules that firearm ownership is merely a state or “collective” right, Montana officials say that the statehood contract will have been breeched.

“The U.S. would do well to keep its contractual promises to the states that the Second Amendment secures an individual right now as it did upon execution of the statehood contract,” Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson said in a letter to The Washington Times. The Times also notes that the “collective right” interpretation of the Second Amendment doesn’t hold water in Montana because the state didn’t have a militia in the 1880s.

“It’s pretty disingenuous as an argument,” Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, said. “At the time, they had no image of what a National Guard was. But history and logic don’t always prevail in these matters.” Indeed. Our advice to the Supreme Court is that before they upset somebody with their ruling, they might want to consider which side has the guns.”

(emphasis mine.)

You have to love the idea of a state telling the federal government to get bent. Federalism is alive and well in Montana. Add this to the mix:

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer says he is standing firm against a federal mandate to enact the federal Real ID Act. This after both of Montana’s Senators called on the Department of Homeland Security to scrap a May 11th deadline.

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The Montana legislature unanimously voted to reject the implementation of the Real ID Act, turning down its share of $80 million dollars in federal grants.

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“This extension is a bureaucratic boondoggle. The legislature has instructed those of us, the Attorney General and the Governor, not to comply with any of the provisions of the Real ID,” says Schweitzer.

The Governor has till the end of this month to file for an extension.

If not Homeland Security says a Montana drivers’ license will not be recognized by the Federal Government. That means any Montanan who goes to the airport with only a Montana drivers license would have to go through security screening a second time.

“In May, Montana citizens will get on any plane in America by just simply showing them their drivers license. And I’ll bet the ranch on that,” says Schweitzer.

Here is information on how to move to Montana. You have to appreciate a state standing up for itself against the federal government.