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Here’s why I’ve been so interested in the Second Amendment issue. It’s the right that we are most likely to be robbed of in contemporary politics. Because too many people misunderstand the issue, failing to try to put themselves in the shoes of our forefathers and unaware of real physical interactions and possibilities in warfare. It’s not about hunting at all. It’s not about a standing army including our National Guard (of which I was a member).

I’m not implying that we have any perceived situation approaching the following hypothetical at this time or in the near future, but...

We, the civilians of the U.S.A., are the “militia” mentioned in the Second Amendment—all of us. It’s intended to be the last-resort failsafe against particularly horrible domestic enemies, if such people ever become sneaky and powerful enough to complete a coup. It’s also intended, if needed, as a way for us to repel an invading foreign army, if all else should fail (although unforeseen, a real future possibility, especially after nuclear strikes).

And such a defense using civilians would be more than possible. It could easily be effective and overwhelming. Direct, light combat and improvisations were the major parts of my MOS (my specialty), and I did help to train soldiers (AI, leadership courses). I really did most of the training in those classes because of some background in college (English, etc.).

Nothing is too big, heavy or technically advanced for enough civilians with a dire need, determination, good instruction and planning to defeat. Disciplined organizational control and teamwork are good but not absolutely necessary for success. There’s a great wealth of technical ingenuity and improvisation in many of the least regarded individuals in the U.S.A.

And there are a greater density and number of accurate marksmen and hunters (very important, hunters) in the potential civilian pool than in our defense forces and police departments and agencies combined (personal observations within all of the above).

Civilians, disorderly as they are, should not to be feared by our officers of government. They should be seen as a great resource. They are our neighbors (best understood in the Midwest and parts of the South, perhaps, than some other cultural areas—an observation of one who has lived in more than one area). Our media has recently misled us with many unrealistic narratives about fictitious characters attacking one another instead of cooperating to help each other as seen after real, large disasters in the U.S.A.

There’s much background as written by our founding fathers behind the intent of our Second Amendment, and the intent was the important part of the Second Amendment as with all laws.