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Regulating the Militia - The Second Amendment is about protecting ourselves from the state.
NRO ^ | Kevin D. Williamson

Posted on 12/28/2012 11:17:53 AM PST by servo1969

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To: William Tell
The question of "who or what is the well-regulated Militia" is made less relevant by the fact that the Second Amendment does not say, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the MILITIA to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Yes, but Hamilton wrote what he expected to see of those who call themselves a militia.


Little more can reasonably be aimed at, with respect to the people at large, than to have them properly armed and equipped; and in order to see that this be not neglected, it will be necessary to assemble them once or twice in the course of a year.

It is a bit quaint to see Hamilton's next expectation, given that the towns were much smaller then.


Where in the name of common-sense, are our fears to end if we may not trust our sons, our brothers, our neighbors, our fellow-citizens? What shadow of danger can there be from men who are daily mingling with the rest of their countrymen and who participate with them in the same feelings, sentiments, habits and interests? What reasonable cause of apprehension can be inferred from a power in the Union to prescribe regulations for the militia, and to command its services when necessary, while the particular States are to have the SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE APPOINTMENT OF THE OFFICERS?

So back to my first post in this thread, regardless of who the militia is or what arms they may bear, Hamilton still expected that they gather once or twice a year for inspection by officers of the state, or they cannot consider themselves to be "well-regulated."

If a state were serious about doing this, it would be more practical to have a unit of a state's national guard travel from region to region and hold weekend "boot-camps" at a reserve army base for volunteers to attend. Make it a program that someone has to register and pay for. Make it fun for gun owners who want to provide a volunteer civic duty, just like hams and CERT. Make it like a convention, but with target practice, proficiency tests, seminars, and some physical education. Have a social event on Saturday night for participants to mingle and get to know one another.

I'm sure there are many bitter-clingers who would love to sign up for a weekend getaway to practice being a militia once or twice a year.

-PJ

41 posted on 12/28/2012 11:28:46 PM PST by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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Comment #42 Removed by Moderator

To: servo1969

BTTT!


43 posted on 12/29/2012 5:30:35 PM PST by neverdem ( Xin loi min oi)
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To: servo1969

Except for folks who can’t be trained, we’re all part of the potential militia. That’s where the Agency gets such a large number for our possible military strength (able bodied men, re. CIA World Factbook).

Little admission here. The Army didn’t teach me to do well with weapons, although I fired much on Army ranges. Hillbillies previously taught me (more than a decade earlier) to excel over nearly all other soldiers on ranges and in fire-and-maneuver (more than a decade later). That’s no general negative toward the Army, because the Army did have much of good value to teach. Hillbillies and many other rural folks like them are our real strength, IMO, given some extra training, and also have much to teach.


44 posted on 12/30/2012 5:32:46 PM PST by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of rotten politics smelled around the planet.)
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To: Slambat

Yes. By “arms” in the Second Amendment, our founding fathers obviously intended for Americans in peacetime to keep and bear what most infantryman would have: basic rifles, ammunition, suitable clothing, etc.

Heavier weapons were secured by those few who were responsible for securing them in suitable places. I suspect those who want to inject nuclear weapons and/or other artillery into the topic. Such commenters are apparently trying to contrive visions of insane/moronic/evil neighbors aiming contemporary artillery at other neighbors. Early Americans had enough common sense to keep weapons from such incompetents (insane/moronic/evil). For example, sodomites of the effete were executed by hanging.


45 posted on 12/30/2012 5:59:22 PM PST by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of rotten politics smelled around the planet.)
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To: servo1969

Why do we conservatives continue to try and use logical arguments as a weapon in a fight against the animals demanding white men be unarmed and exterminated? When will we realize that writing a well worded SA does nothing to further their goal of rape and genocide, therefore they simply won’t read it?


46 posted on 12/30/2012 7:16:26 PM PST by The Toll
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To: palmer

>> “The “state” is not as much a threat as the criminals that it coddles and enables. <<

.
Bullcrap!

The rogue state is the only threat we face.

Without them in the way, we could easily dispose of the rest.


47 posted on 12/30/2012 7:50:35 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Political Junkie Too

This sounds to me like a job for the State Defense Forces. If one can find Governors and State Adjudant Generals who have the vision and the will to initiate and carry it out. My state’s Military Department backed away from firearms training for the State Guard even when the local Military Reservation was willing to lend us the Firing Range. They also refused an offer from our own State Police to give us training, and to assign surplus firearms to be issued to us in case of our being called up for civil disturbances. It was as if they were afraid that the State Guard might become an effective militia.


48 posted on 12/30/2012 10:16:01 PM PST by VietVet (I am old enough to know who I am and what I believe, and I 'm not inclined to apologize for any of)
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