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To: robertpaulsen
That's exactly what the documents did!

Cut and paste the specific words, then. Show me how the militia is defined. All I read were rules for its use, etc.

Initially all freemen (not free men). They were also called "freeholders". More reading for you.

I understand the distinction, but that is not one that was made by the founding fathers in the document(s) at hand.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson is quite clear in its meaning. Note that it says Free Man and not Freeman.

Every other quote by Constitutional authors, contributors and supporters says effectively the same thing.

Prisoners (not free), slaves (not free), children (not men), the insane (usually not free - if they are sane enough to be amongst the population then why and how do you disarm them?) are covered quite well.

The entire concept of legal versus illegal aliens, etc, wasn't quite established at that time. There weren't any citizens until the Constitution was ratified.

I'm sure that the founding fathers would have no problem with resident aliens being armed. If we are willing to let them into our country then we clearly trust them enough.
160 posted on 11/20/2007 6:51:09 PM PST by Filo (Darwin was right!)
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To: Filo
"Show me how the militia is defined."

Go to The Militia Act of 1792. That document defines the state Militia. In detail.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson is quite clear in its meaning. Note that it says Free Man and not Freeman.'

Yes, because you quoted it incorrectly. The correct quote is, "No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms within his own lands or tenements."

Jefferson was not talking about the second amendment. He was proposing that language for the 1776 Virginia State Constitution, 12 years before the second amendment was written. It was rejected by the Virginia State legislature.

"Every other quote by Constitutional authors, contributors and supporters says effectively the same thing."

I know. But, like Jefferson, they're not referring to a right protected by the second amendment.

"I'm sure that the founding fathers would have no problem with resident aliens being armed."

I'm sure the Founding Fathers would say that it's up to the state in which the resident alien lives. In 1792, the second amendment, however, did not protect the RKBA of non-citizens. It still doesn't.

197 posted on 11/21/2007 6:47:23 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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