The Second Amendment in Person

With the renewal of interest in The Constitution of the United States of America by many of the new members of the House of Representatives, the ACLU has sent out copies for reference. With the terrible shooting rampage in Tucson as well as continuing killings due to firearms, I felt it was time for me to refer to the words of the “AMENDMENT II Right to bear arms.” It is really quite short.

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (Dec.1791)

Where is the “well regulated Militia” today? We now have an fairly large standing Army, a Marine Corps, an Air Force, a Navy, and a Missile Defense System, that today would appear to satisfy “being necessary to the security of a free State.”

The criteria for a member of the Militia back then was, “Each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia…[and] every citizen so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch with a box therein to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball: or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch and powder-horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear, so armed, accouted and provided, when called out to exercise, or into service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack.” (May 1792)

Now where does the position of The National Rifle Association fit in? I haven’t seen any muskets except in museums nor most of the other criteria a good Militia Man should have, so how is it conceivable that they can pretend to represent the Amendment for a regulated Militia as spelled out above?