The opening lines of the US Constitution read, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”.

This could have been written by Epicurus himself. Please note the following words:

1. “common defence” (which imply both well-regulated militias and taxes to pay for them).

2. “insure domestic Tranquillity”. How can one have domestic tranquillity if you walk down the street and have no idea whether the person coming towards you has a loaded gun?

3. “secure the Blessings of Liberty”. I demand my right as an American citizen to be able to go about my business secure in the knowledge that I shall not be gunned down.