[TC Rider]

I like to browse through old reference works to see how much the current occupants of the Ivory Towers have re-written history. Since the late 70s, foes of the Second Ammendment have blathered on about how the 2nd is all about the National Guard, nope, no rights to individual gun ownership, etc.

The preceding article is from an 1930 set of World Book Encyclopedias I've hauled around for years, and what it says is no different that what's written in any number of other reference works up through the 70s.

When I get a little more time, I'll scan what it has to say about the 2nd for another posting.

[Steel Wolf]

The Founding Fathers, by their numerous writings on the subject, clearly meant 'the militia' to mean average citizens with their own firearms, who would band together in time of need for mutual protection.

To that end, the Democrats, if they really wanted to stop our foriegn adventuring, should press to disband the current standing military, which the Founding Fathers were strongly against, and concede the 2nd Amdendment point once and for all. That would leave us with a system exactly as was intended. They'll never be able to stop both, so what if they simply went 'strictly by the intent of our Founders' to get half?

(I'm not necessarily advocating that point, but I think it would be an interesting world if we had no military organization stronger than the National Guard and Reserves, and a universally armed population.)

[TC Rider]

Could you send this to the bang list?

[beltfed308]

who are not under eighteen or over forty-five years of age.

So my RTKBA is over next year? /sarc

[green iguana]

Interesting from a historical perspective. I would surmise that the modern militia would consist of many past the age of 45 and able-bodied women also.

[backtothestreets]

Good find. I'm including a link you may find interesting.

The National Guard has been served up to the ignorant public as the militia, but it raises an interesting question. Why do a majority of states have a militia AND National Guard units? (28 states by my count) Check it out!

http://sgaus.org/States.htm

I pointed out the lack of an organized militia as being the real reason Louisiana suffered such catastrophic human tragedy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Unlike Alabama and Mississippi which have state militia members already living within the devastated communities ready to take charge, assess immediate needs, and use their training to secure their communities with some semblance of order, Louisiana residents were left waiting for assistance from people outside their devastated communities.

The National Guard is not a state militia. It is named "National for a reason. Well regulated militias are a necessary component for the safety and security of communities, not just from attack, but in times of natural disasters. Their members already know the communities they reside in, and are best suited to bring order and assistance until assistance can be sent from the centralized state, and/or federal government.

[Simo Hayha]

Wasn't there also some kind of Militia Act early in our nation's history that required the keeping of arms in the house? For something as natural as the right to defend youself from harm, it's a pity that we have to go back and accumulate the data necessary to refute the idiots who argue that black is white, up is down, what's plainly there is non-existent, etc.

[TC Rider]

A view from 1930 of the militia, ping your RKBA list if you like.

[zeugma]

I like to browse through old reference works to see how much the current occupants of the Ivory Towers have re-written history. Since the late 70s, foes of the Second Ammendment have blathered on about how the 2nd is all about the National Guard, nope, no rights to individual gun ownership, etc.

I'm right there with you. I used to have an almost complete set of Encyclopaedia Brittannica (1903) that got lost in a move. Reading though it was quite interesting.