Earlier, I wrote a piece about the Islamic Center being built two blocks from the former site of The World Trade Center (I erroneously referred to it as a mosque–notice the influence of misinformation in the media!) which you can find here.  I recently came across a great, similar  response by Anglican Minimalist.  A statement in it caught my eye:

It is fascinating watching and listening to all these protectors of the Second Amendment suggesting that we should curtail the First!

There is something sort of zen about this statement and aproppot.  It is the kind of zinger that goes back and forth across the aisle and we might be tempted to see it in that light (aside from the fact that it was really, really good!).  But think about these two amendments for a moment.

It is probably true and fair to say that the political left cares more about the 1st Amendment than the 2nd and the politcal right cares more about the 2nd than the 1st–even the religious right (strangely).  The popular understanding is that the First deals with the right to free speech, assembly, and religion; the Second deals with the right to bear arms (ostensibly to protect the country from threats without and within its borders).  The Second’s place in that equation has been heavily pounded and pushed and demanded of us in our culture: that we all bear witness to the impact of a military salvation.  But the same isn’t made of what happens to us when the first is abridged: when the very purpose of fighting for freedom is thrown under the bus so we can “feel” free.

None of this is new, I know.  And I feel as if I am rambling a bit.  But I made an interesting connection that any student of the Constitution has already noticed (though perhaps forgotten).  There is a good reason that these Amendments go in that order.  The First is first because of what it means, and therefore all the rest are subbordinate to it, even the Second.  The very claim that the Second is important requires the exercise of the First.

If you are paranoid, I don’t have a problem with you.  I’m a little bit paranoid, too.  But let’s show a little bit of restraint and a little bit more compassion!