Contemplating the Meaning of the 2nd Amendment

[jsimmons]

Of course there are some who just like fantasizing about picking up their rifle a la the colonial militia and going out and destroying a rogue armored cav regiment.

While I don't fantasize about it, nor even especially want it to come to that, I would like to think that I would have the courage to react accordingly if it came down to it. I certainly have the tools, and to be honest, I think we'd have more problems with federal and local "law enforcement" than with the military...

[MilShooter]

(Snipped)

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary for the security of a free State..."

But then they followed that idea up with this:

"...the right of the People to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

(Snipped)

In other words, the right of the people to keep and bear arms was put in place in order to resist/put down an out-of-control federal government that used the military as a vehicle for oppression of said citizens, or worse, a military that attempted to take over the government by force.

(Snipped)

Just thinking out loud...

If you want to learn more about the founders' intentions, I suggest reading "The Founders' Second Amendment - Origins of the Right to Bear Arms" by Stephen P. Halbrook. In this well-researched book, the Second Amendment is examined not only on its surface, but the back-channel communications between the founders - commonly known as the discussion of "Original Intent". By the way, your conclusion is accurate according to the author. But there are other, less known and discussed reasons for the Second Amendment. All of the players at the time seemed to agree that the Second Amendment did not GRANT a "right" to the citizens. Instead, it reaffirmed that we ALL have a previously existing and God-given right to keep and bear arms (for any purpose), and they only wished to spell it out in the Constitution.

I heartily recommend the book to everyone on this forum as it speaks to the issue directly and with authority (references and quotes from letters, speeches, negotiations, and so on). While I haven't checked, I would guess it is available on Amazon.

[michaelcarl]

J. Simmons, you have it right.

[michaelcarl]

To really get into the meaning of the 2nd Amendment, we have to really understand the Framers' concept of 'militia.'

As the militia that fought in the War for Independence proves, the militia IS the people. It's a group of volunteers banding together to defend against the aggression of state power.

Too many gun control activists get away with trying to define the militia as the standing army, claiming that once a standing army with a training school (West Point) was established, that superceded the need for the citizens to own firearms. Those people can't be more mistaken. I'm new to these discussions, but I would implore everyone to work on developing a well-crafted set of arguments for defending the 2nd Amendment from those who would seek to repeal it. We have to do better than the pithy sayings like, 'If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.' That's true, but the critics and enemies of liberty have heard that before and that argument so stated will go nowhere. The trick is to find a way to say exactly the same thing, but in more flowing, logically organised statements.

We have to do this. Our freedoms depend on it.