--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have this tradition of the Second…" description: "\"We have this tradition of the Second Amendment and people's rights to self-defense and a certain suspicion that the government can't be trusted.\" — Joh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/john-hickenlooper-2400_amendment_we-have-this-tradition-of-the-second-ame_1780319.png" --- # We have this tradition of the Second Amendment and… ![“We have this tradition of the Second Amendment and people's rights to self-defense and a certain suspicion that the government can't be trusted.” quote by John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/john-hickenlooper-2400_amendment_we-have-this-tradition-of-the-second-ame_1780319.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/john-hickenlooper-2400_amendment_we-have-this-tradition-of-the-second-ame_1780319.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/john-hickenlooper-2400_amendment_we-have-this-tradition-of-the-second-ame_1780319.png) > “We have this tradition of the Second Amendment and people's rights to self-defense and a certain suspicion that the government can't be trusted.” [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker defends the Second Amendment, emphasizing self‑defense and distrust of government. **In simple terms:** Second Amendment protects self‑defense; government is suspect. Key Takeaway Balance rights with responsible governance. Themes politics rights government self‑defense Mood cautious determined Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - public safety - citizen activism - legislative discussions Key Concepts constitutional law civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - How should citizens address government mistrust? - What limits should exist on self‑defense rights? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on distrust can hinder cooperation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendment/) [Certain Suspicion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-suspicion-1856918/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Trusted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-trusted-274569/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Second amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-amendment/) [Suspicion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspicion/) [Suspicion Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspicion-government-1856917/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [Americans complain a lot about the government and they voice a generalized suspicion of the government, but they constantly clammer for more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/americans-complain-a-lot-about-the-government-and-they-voice-a/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [No government can be trusted, that does not trust its own people with military-style arms of greater weight and power than those possessed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-suprynowicz/no-government-can-be-trusted-that-does-not-trust-its-own-people-with/) [Vin Suprynowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-suprynowicz/) > [There are some who lack confidence in the integrity and capacity of the people to govern themselves. To all who entertain such fears I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-johnson/there-are-some-who-lack-confidence-in-the-integrity-and-capacity-of/) [Andrew Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-johnson/) > [Scientists have argued that research is good for health, wealth, and society, and the government has trusted them on that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walport/scientists-have-argued-that-research-is-good-for-health-wealth-and/) [Mark Walport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walport/) > [Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. 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I don't use them for hunting. I'm not a hunter. It's for protection. The Second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/i-have-a-lot-of-guns-on-my-ranch-i-don-t-use-them-for-hunting-i-m-not/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) ## More by John Hickenlooper > [Especially during the first nine months, there was so much going on with trying to hire 55 people to run the city, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/especially-during-the-first-nine-months-there-was-so-much-going-on/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [There's nothing wrong with the Democratic Party that talks more about - and more loudly about - jobs, and cutting red tape, and bureaucracy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-the-democratic-party-that-talks-more-about/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [One's ability to enter into thousands of lawsuits as a tool for success, or to use bankruptcy to avoid paying your former employees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/one-s-ability-to-enter-into-thousands-of-lawsuits-as-a-tool-for/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [I could easily say that, for quite a long time before I became mayor, I had obeyed all laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-could-easily-say-that-for-quite-a-long-time-before-i-became-mayor-i/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [We have tax revenue that's going to allow us to look in a much more comprehensive way at intervening in addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/we-have-tax-revenue-that-s-going-to-allow-us-to-look-in-a-much-more/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Some day, someone will do something wrong and there will be a scandal to report in the paper. 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During a downturn, everyone in our company got laid off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-started-out-here-in-colorado-as-a-geologist-during-a-downturn/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [This is a generous country that realizes people want to work hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/this-is-a-generous-country-that-realizes-people-want-to-work-hard/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) [Explore all 168 John Hickenlooper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) ## More Amendment quotes > [There are a lot of people who want to retain the Eighth Amendment - I don't agree with that view myself - there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-want-to-retain-the-eighth-amendment-i/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [“Let's just make this easy. 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