The Battle of Athens (2 AUGUST 1946)

[natehale1971]

Originally Posted by Targan

So you would argue that at this time every citizen of the United States of America aged between 16 and 65 could be accurately described as being part of a "well regulated militia"? Not just on paper or as a concept mind you. The modern equivalent of a "well regulated militia" would seem to me to involve perhaps compulsory military service, or some sort of State Guard-type arrangement, or at the very least some sort of regional police-citizenry training program for all young people in the year they turn 16 (which, by the way, I think sounds like an excellent idea).

Seriously, the real-life situation today is very, very different from that even 100 years ago, let alone during the time of the Revolutionary War. Back then a majority of Americans would need to know how to handle, maintain and use firearms and many communities would oftentimes have to police and protect themselves. I'm sorry but saying that all adult Americans are part of a well regulated militia in this day and age is, at best, paying lip service to the original ideals behind the second amendment, at worst a total fantasy. However I'd be happy to consider anyone with official military, paramilitary or police training to be, by default, part of a well regulated militia. That seems quite sensible to me.

Targan those people (police, military & veterans) are the cadre core of the milita... they are the ones who would become the officers and senior non-coms. LIke i said earlier, it's why in the USA that law enforcement are able to recruit "special deputies" to form a posse to deal with issues during times of crisis and they just can't wait for reinforcements from state or federal forces to arrive to deal with the problems.

The founders also saw an oppressive government as the real threat to liberty, and the ability of every citizen in good standing to own the same kinds of weapons aviable to governmental agencies was seen as a counterbalance to such a thing ever happening here again.

Heck, when i was in my freshman year in High School we spent three weeks going through a firearms safety class... something that very few schools still do today. that ran us through firearms safety and basics of care and use of the most common types of weapons at the time. when I was in elementary school (third grade) we were taught that if you find a gun, you aren't to touch it... that it wasn't a toy. hell, I don't even know if the schools back on the mountain still do this with the kids anymore. because of the way guns are villianized as the source of all evil acts instead of blaming the person who used it for the evil they have committed.