The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Do you think our forefathers had current guns in mind when writing the 2nd Amendment?

BlueTrain · December 31, 2012, 06:54 AM

You know, after some reflection, discussions like this tend to be meaningless, much like the arguments over clips, a term which some manufacturers use with little regard for what we might think it means. What difference does it make what the original meaning of the 2nd amendment was, or what the militia was. I for one do not care to be bound by what they decided well over 200 years ago no more than I wish to be bound by things written 3,000 years ago, even though such things were thought to be very, very important. Sacrificied any animals lately?

Never has the militia been called out to overthrow a tyrannical government and I'm not sure one ever has been anywhere. After all, the only thing that will happen is that one government will be replaced by another, perhaps by two others, maybe even more. I cannot imagine that a government that comes to power by force of arms, by revolution, will be any better than the previous one. What the militia was used for was to put down rebellion, which it did fairly well, fight the Indians and repell invasion, the latter two which it did poorly.

It'd be nice if it could be rewritten but that'll never happen in my lifetime although that's not saying much.

December 31, 2012, 06:54 AM	#75
BlueTrain Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 6,141	You know, after some reflection, discussions like this tend to be meaningless, much like the arguments over clips, a term which some manufacturers use with little regard for what we might think it means. What difference does it make what the original meaning of the 2nd amendment was, or what the militia was. I for one do not care to be bound by what they decided well over 200 years ago no more than I wish to be bound by things written 3,000 years ago, even though such things were thought to be very, very important. Sacrificied any animals lately? Never has the militia been called out to overthrow a tyrannical government and I'm not sure one ever has been anywhere. After all, the only thing that will happen is that one government will be replaced by another, perhaps by two others, maybe even more. I cannot imagine that a government that comes to power by force of arms, by revolution, will be any better than the previous one. What the militia was used for was to put down rebellion, which it did fairly well, fight the Indians and repell invasion, the latter two which it did poorly. It'd be nice if it could be rewritten but that'll never happen in my lifetime although that's not saying much. __________________ Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands! Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag, and return us to our own beloved homes! Buy War Bonds.