re: How is this possible in 2016?

Paranoia doesn't suit you.

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1. No one ever thought that abortion on demand would be the law of the land; it is.

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Abortion has been legal since 1973, 43 years. It has withstood challenge after challenge from the religious right wing. It will continue to do so.

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2. Few would have guessed that gay marriage would also become the law of the land; it has.

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It surprised only insular religious groups that gay marriage happened in the U.S. Anyone who was knowledgeable of world politics saw it coming years ago.

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3. Literally no one would have thought that male transvestites who identify as females would be able to choose women's restrooms; they can.

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Transvestites don't identify as females. That's transgenders who do.

Transvestites are heterosexual men who get sexual kicks from dressing as women.

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4. Meanwhile you suggest that freedom of religion will never be compromised.

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The freedoms to practice religion are quite specific in the Constitution. I can't see the Supreme Court ever attempting to compromise those freedoms.

The Constitution guarantees civil and religious rights as long as they don't trample on the rights of others.

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5. And others think that the 2nd Amendment will never be compromised.

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A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The purpose of the second amendment is to insure against tyranny by the government. There are no well regulated militias. Instead, we have as many guns in America as people.

The glaring differences in America then and now are the advanced technology of guns, the vast population now, the much bigger landmass of America, and political polarization that engages two hostile sides in perpetual conflict.

They used muskets then, we allow AR 15s now. There were less than 3 million people in America in 1776. We now have 320 million, not including illegal aliens. Also, here are the colonies when America gained independence (in red):



America today has more than 3.5 million square miles.

My point is that we live in a very different nation than the one in 1776. It's much easier to provide safety, the primary role of government, for 3 million people than for 320 million.

It's much more likely that 3 million people, especially a group as homogeneous as was the inhabitants of newly independent America, can control their government with citizen militias than can 320 million extremely diverse citizens. Maybe that's why there are no standing militias in modern America.

In effect, we've traded a fear of tyrannical government for a real fear of each other. Who knows when the next guy with a fragile mentality will snap and blow away a group of people?

It's not unreasonable to think that we need to reassess our safety that's the intent of the second amendment. No government can suppress 320 million people, especially when they're as diverse as Americans.

However, the constant, very real possibility of being killed by a mentally unstable individual does lend an oppressive feel to American society. That's what we need to be unified on, changing that threat.