So if, God help us, the supremes do go with a “militia” view of the 2nd. What is to stop individuals from forming private “militias” for the purpose of buying fire-arms? Kind of like the way Dallas county (Texas) liqueur establishments have “clubs” you join to get around the dry county laws.
What is the standard for a militia? Is it a state by state sort of affair and how loose is the interpretation of a militia?
I’m truly interested to here what other Freepers think on the militia angle. If they are going to play semantics with words then I would recommend individuals doing the same and joining their state “militias”.
Never mind that they don't like militias either.
... Even your state's Air National Guard, much less a private 'disorganized' militia that Timothy McVeigh would try to get started.
Read what the Founders wrote about the “organized militia” and the “unorganized militia”. Not what some liberal/socialist POS “intellectual” writes, or thinks, or conjectures about it.
Self defense is THE most basic HUMAN, CIVIL, and CONSTITUTIONAL right - against individuals, against an insane, murderous government, against anything or anyone that threatens your life and your liberty.
Self defense with THE most expedient tool ever designed, the firearm, is your right. Period. And yes, the Founders said “Arms”, not “sporting purpose” nor “single-shot muskets”, nor “duck hunting guns”. Arms meaning standard, military-pattern weapons, should the need ever arise.
Rights are only taken away because you LET them be taken away. The right still exists; your ability to back it up with force is diminished. How many Swiss Jews went to the Nazi gas chambers? None. Why? Switzerland is an armed camp, and always has been. Theyvalue the lives of their citizenry and know that the best way to prevent invasion from without or civil insurrection from within is with an armed, “well-regulated” (trained), citizenry.
It all depends on how far you are willing to step back away from the line, what you are willing to put up with. Where do you draw the line? Ask the Founders. They knew their breaking point. They found a line they would not back away from anymore. Where is our line? When they start using all of those fancy paramilitary police swat teams going house to house to search for “illegal” guns? They did it already - in New Orleans, and now in Washington DC too.
This is NOT something open for negotiation, and our position, always, should be one of open contempt and complete disregard for ANYONE who proposes limiting, regulating, or taking away a Constitutional right.
Without the Second, the other nine are merely words on paper.