How the Founding Fathers treated the Second Amendment

Five types of gun laws the Founding Fathers loved [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 21 February 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Saul Cornell has studied the Second Amendment and the history of gun regulation for two decades. As he puts it, it’s an irony that both liberals and conservatives see the Second Amendment as a barrier to robust gun regulation. “These beliefs ignore an irrefutable historical truth,” Cornell argues in a 2017 piece that we are republishing because of its timeliness. “While the founding generation certainly esteemed the idea of an armed population, they were also [ardent supporters of gun regulations](.” President Trump’s protectionist policies, such as his willingness to abandon multilateral trade deals like NAFTA, have sparked concern that he’s unraveling the U.S.’ legacy as champion of the liberal economic world order. But to Giulio Gallarotti, a professor of government at Wesleyan University, the idea that the U.S. ever was a free trade country [is a myth](. Even the supposedly free-trading Republicans have pushed protectionism alongside Democrats, and for good reason, says Gallarotti. Using your index finger to point seems to be a part of human nature, like yawning or smiling. But when psychology researcher Kensy Cooperrider was in Papua New Guinea studying the indigenous Yupna, he noticed that they would often scrunch their noses – in what looked to outsiders like a gesture of disgust – to direct attention to something. Cooperrider [tells the story]( of how he was able to document the prevalence of this nose-scrunching gesture – and how it adds a wrinkle to our understanding of universal human behavior. Emily Costello Deputy Editor/Politics + Society Editor Top stories Were muskets in 1777 better regulated than assault rifles in 2017? Jana Shea/Shutterstock.com [Five types of gun laws the Founding Fathers loved]( Saul Cornell, Fordham University A leading historian of constitutional thought says the contemporary Second Amendment debate is founded on serious misunderstandings. Trump has made pushing protectionism since the campaign. AP Photo/Chris Carlson [Trump's protectionism continues long history of US rejection of free trade]( Giulio Gallarotti, Wesleyan University The idea that the US is historically a free trading country is a myth. Here's why that's a good thing. The universal sign for ‘Look over there!’ isn’t so common in some cultures. Helena Ohman/Shutterstock.com [The way humans point isn't as universal as you might think]( Kensy Cooperrider, University of Chicago It was long thought that humans everywhere favor pointing with the index finger. But some fieldwork out of Papua New Guinea identified a group of people who prefer to scrunch their noses. Education - [Why school leaders fake academic success]( Stephanie Jones, Grinnell College An education professor, who worked as a teacher in Atlanta Public Schools during a cheating scandal that began in 2009, explains what factors and forces lead educators to fake academic success. Environment + Energy - [To slow climate change, the US needs to address nuclear power's dismal economics]( Tim Profeta, Duke University Nuclear power provides 60 percent of US carbon-free electricity generation, but existing plants are aging and only one is under construction. Should government intervene to keep nuclear energy in the mix? Science + Technology - [Why is there so little research on guns in the US? 6 questions answered]( Lacey Wallace, Pennsylvania State University Research is the foundation for evidence-based policies. But because of funding prohibitions, there's little US research to inform the contentious debate around gun violence and gun control. - [How airplane crash investigations can improve cybersecurity]( Scott Shackelford, Indiana University An ultra-safe industry has important experience that could help a vulnerable new industry improve its safety. Arts + Culture - [Why Olympic athletes 'choke' at the Winter Games]( Nicole W. Forrester, Ryerson University Why can an athlete dominate their sport, but fail to perform when it counts most at the Olympic Games? A number of factors the viewing audience can't see can explain poor performances. Economy + Business - [Customer service staff need to be problem solving not apologising]( Jagdip Singh, Case Western Reserve University Traditional customer service is struggling as consumers solve problems online and expect options in person. Trending on site - [10 ways schools, parents and communities can prevent school shootings now]( Elizabeth Englander, Bridgewater State University While politicians argue endlessly over gun control, here are 10 practical ways the rest of us can work to prevent school shootings. - [Prehistoric wine discovered in inaccessible caves forces a rethink of ancient Sicilian culture]( Davide Tanasi, University of South Florida Growing grapes and making wine come with a lot of implications about a culture's capabilities. Apparently, Sicily of 6,000 years ago was more sophisticated than archaeologists had given it credit for. - [Parents need to start talking to their tweens about the risks of porn]( Gail Dines, Wheelock College While parents are growing more concerned about their children's easy access to porn, they often don't realize just how 'hardcore' and violent it has become and how early their kids are seeing it. Today’s chart - [Enable images to see the chart]( From the article: [Six things to know about mass shootings in America]( [Frederic Lemieux]Frederic Lemieux Georgetown University [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111