Liberty

Liberty is the second of three plays in a thought-provoking trilogy, following the ongoing struggles and triumphs of Judge Grace Porter Haverhill. Few issues merit as much rancorous debate in the 21st century than Second Amendment rights and gun control versus gun rights issues in our homes, schools, communities and in our bipartisan Congress. Redemption shines a spotlight on Second Amendment abuses/protections, with our founding fathers witnessing the hypothetical trial of the President of the NRA, through a one-way window in the courtroom, questioning its applicable use as a defense for the military assault style rifles commonly used in mass shootings and killings in our public spaces, that are so readily available for purchase.

While the majority of Americans largely favor common sense gun control legislation, it has become a hotly debated partisan issue. Our founders established the Second Amendment and the Bill of Rights as part of the framework that specifically spelled out where the Federal Government's power ended stating, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to bear arms shall not be infringed."

Our founders were imperfect, aspirational idealists who fully recognized the necessity of our founding documents to be viewed as, "living documents," stating that, "Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind." None of the amendments in our Bill of Rights are an absolute and our framers are quick to remind us that there certainly was a fair measure of gun control intact when the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791.

As of May 2021, there had already been close to 200 mass shootings in the US. More than 15,000 of our citizens have lost their lives as a result of gun-related violence. Sensible gun control legislation does not equate to denying citizens of their Second Amendment rights. Compromise can be reached to pass largely favored gun control measures to help ensure the safety of our people and to once more restore domestic tranquility to our country, inherently guaranteed by our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.