Vermont Constitution Article 15. [Legislature only may suspend laws]
Here is the full text of Article 16 of the Vermont Constitution:
Article 16. [Right to bear arms; standing armies; military power subordinate to civil]
"That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State — and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power."
Summary:
This article establishes three key principles:
Right to Bear Arms:
The people have the right to bear arms for personal and collective defense.
Standing Armies in Peacetime:
Opposes maintaining standing (permanent) armies during times of peace due to the risk they pose to liberty.
Civilian Control of Military:
Emphasizes that military forces must always remain under the authority and control of the civilian government.
This clause reflects traditional American values from the Revolutionary era, emphasizing individual rights, skepticism of centralized military power, and the supremacy of civilian government.
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