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December 22, 2009, 05:49 AM | #1 |
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A thought on the common topic of general militia usage
Many here are passingly familiar with the Militia Act of 1792, and even more familiar with how the 2A protects the right to keep and bear arms in order to have a well drilled, "regulated", militia, notwithstanding the recent excellent Supreme Court ruling that finally recognizes the right to self defense NOT being connected to militia service. Some good people have formed militias, or joined one, and some states have state guards that do somewhat the same job. Title 10 US Code still states that, IIRC, that the unorganized militia is all able bodied men between 18 and 45 not in uniform or in the Naval Miltia. (I wanna battleship for my Naval Militia! )
Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. Given that, many here have posted thier "militia" setups, myself included, rifle, ammo, gear, sidearm, etc, that we have been fortunate enough to be able to afford to put together, whether or not we would ever actually expect to use it. The liklihood is vanishingly small that the government, state or federal, would ever issue a general call up of the unorganized militia, and we simply have fun with our firearms, like I do at the range, or hunting or simply collecting. It's a fun hobby, and I like shooting my vz-58 and reloading for it quite a bit. BUT, imagine the actual case of when a militia call up might happen in your area. Who would do it? Chances are that the infrastructure of the area/state would be smashed heavily, to prohibit movement of organized troops into the area from unaffected zones, or that a general rout of what organized troops that had been employed has taken place. Hollywood aside, and of course discarding the always popular, "what caliber for zombies", we move into, what happens if you DO get "the call", I am assuming by radio or word of mouth spread by survivors. This scenario leaves out the Katrina situations, as organized forces were able to move in relatively quickly from other locations to assist, instead of being heavily involved in other locations. Why would I ask this? Well, as a minor and casual student of history, armies in rout tend to leave quite a bit of equipment behind, Bull Run and other famous disasters come to mind. I am an out of shape 40+ year old man with no formal training as an infantryman, (Navy training from 20+ years ago doesn't count for squat in this case, unless they need a deck chipped and painted. ), so if I actually show up to a place where troops are trying to rally whatever survivors, stragglers and walking wounded they have, given some lessons from history, what chance do you think there would be that the ranking military person, (Active or retired, to be fair), in the marshalling area would be attempting to take the good setups from those who lack the wherewithal to effectively use it on the battlefield, and re issue them to trained soldiers who may have lost thier weapons in the retreat/rout/destruction of the local armory? I would be loath to give up my favorite rifle, certainly, but I could concievably see the commander "requisitioning" it for someone who could actually use it in combat better than I could, and possibly leave me with my faithful beat up old Enfield No4Mk1* to guard an ad hoc ammo dump, hospital or supply center. I could see it even more likely in the case of those who use the AR rifles, as that would be more familiar to what former or active duty troops that may be where ever this attempted reorganization is taking place. Leave out the many state laws that were passed after Katrinas aftermath, including my own state of Arizona, stating that firearms will not be taken in emergency situations, as I doubt many military commanders thrown in this situation would be too concerned with niceties, and far more concerned with fielding some sort of armed body of troops to face (X). Lots of suppositions in a row, I know. Thoughts, criticisms, comments? Last edited by armoredman; December 22, 2009 at 05:59 AM. |
December 22, 2009, 07:31 AM | #2 |
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So you are imagining the possibility that the army or national guard would be less well equipped than a civilian?
Actually, I have a difficult time imagining a senario in which the United States is invaded out of the blue, totally unexpected. And really, I can't think of any other time that's happened. Pearl Harbor was neither an invasion or entirely unexpected. They just didn't get the word in tiime. This isn't to say that invasions are never a surprise. Generally they are planned in great secrecy but things rarely happen without a buildup of both tension and military forces. But you never know how things will turn out. It is rare in history when unorganized resistance to anything is successful. Most instances in which guerrila warfare or semi-guerrila warfare is waged, it is done so with considerable outside assistance, generally in the form of weapons and ammunition. And many wars that people imagine are fought by "the people" are in reality being fought by organized units equipped by the government, even if it is a rebel government. That pretty well describes the Boer side in the Boer Wars. They had government issued rifles and were in organized units, even if they did not wear uniforms. By the time old folks my age are called up, it would be a pretty desparate situation, just like was done in Germany in 1945. Me and my .30-30 would probably just as well stay home and keep out of the way.
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December 22, 2009, 07:34 AM | #3 |
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Law & Civil Rights.
Moving. |
December 22, 2009, 09:29 PM | #4 |
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BlueTrain, in the incredibly extreme chance of a call up of general militia, yes, it is a distinct possability that what shattered forces available may not have much resupply available. Any unit properly staffed and supplied would probably have no need or use for general militia. Refer to scenes of rout in history, and what armies tended to leave behind - everything including the kitchen sink. This is where my theoretical scene comes in, a military commander of whatever rank/unit/experiance attempting to create/resupply any unit he/she can create/reconstitute in an attempt to face (X) with an equipped force. The situation goes farther downhill if the commander is perhaps police with no military experiance.
Is this scenario likely? hardly, extremely UNlikely any militia call out would ever go out in any way, except for those very rare cases established militias/state guards have mobilized for natural disaster. Just a thought that doesn't seem to interest anyone here. Last edited by armoredman; December 22, 2009 at 09:37 PM. |
December 23, 2009, 08:43 PM | #5 |
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guess nobody wanted to look at this possability, no matter.
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December 24, 2009, 02:22 PM | #6 |
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Militia posts have been done to death - that's the reason. Search on it for some long and passionate discussions.
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December 24, 2009, 02:26 PM | #7 |
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I thought this was a rather differant look at a tired old subject, but if that is the truth, please feel free to delete, wouldn't want to waste the space.
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December 24, 2009, 03:08 PM | #8 |
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It's ok - see if others want to play - but I think they see militia and pass on it.
Just my thought.
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December 24, 2009, 03:43 PM | #9 |
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Halbrook Second Amendment podcast
Glenn may be right, and militia posts don't draw a lot of interest here, I don't know. I only get on here every once in a while and so, to me, I've not really ever read/followed any posts on that subject.
However, I just posted a link to a really excellent podcast by Second Amendment scholar and attorney Stephen P. Halbrook. I was surprised to see him address, in a short portion late in the podcast, a rather more constitutionally broad view of the militia and the inability, under traditional mainstream jurisprudence, to even conceive in modern times of a militia in which able-bodied folk have a duty to serve. This angle is a bit different than the main question in this thread. However, if anyone is interested, I highly recommend the Halbrook podcast. The link and summary in an adjacent post by the title: "Halbrook Second Amendment podcast". Enjoy. |
December 24, 2009, 04:46 PM | #10 |
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armoredman:
Given your original thread's concept of forced disarmament of civilians in order to resupply a routed fighting force... Word of that type of thing spreads fast. I think you'd get a pretty uniform response of: 1. Lay folk turning back around with their "primary" rifle and support system for it, and returning back home. 2. Loading up on a "secondary" rifle and support system for it to donate. I have no problem donating my backup AR-15 to a fighting force, on my side, in need of it. Heck, I'd throw in several other rifles, too... But the rifle I personally know best and would have at my bedside in tough times is my M14... and no one is taking that away from me. |
December 24, 2009, 06:10 PM | #11 | ||
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I am generally one of the few who comment on militia threads. Must be a 12 step process to cure it somewhere.
Let me start by saying that the militia that existed in 1789 and that which the Second Amendment speaks about is deader than four o'clock yesterday. Has been for over a hundred years. That is the reason the antigunners created the idea that the RTKBA was tied only to militia service. Since the militia was dead then so too the RTKBA. They were wrong and Heller fixed that. Quote:
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BTW, as long as the United States of America possesses strategic nuclear weapons their will be no foreign invasions by other countries and so no need for a "militia". So, to recap, the only way a militia may be called out is by the state government (how that happens is subject to the particular state law) and the militia will answer to state authorities only (not themselves) and will receive their orders from such as well.
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December 25, 2009, 05:53 PM | #12 | |
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All of these things have faded simply because bringing an occupying land force onto US soil is nearly impossible. Taiwan has the ability to hold the entire Chinese land based military at bay with stealth boats we sold them. Shoulder fired anti-air rockets have become(relatively) cheap. Not saying the US does not have weak spots, but getting a land force to our coast/border and to maintain its supply lines is just very unlikely so no one puts much thought into what to do if it happens. |
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December 25, 2009, 06:48 PM | #13 | |
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Quote:
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December 25, 2009, 09:09 PM | #14 | |
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Quote:
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December 26, 2009, 02:16 AM | #15 |
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There were 3 objectives to this amendment:
In the 21st Century situation, it would mean that every male (and every female) in the age range (18-45 or so) would be required to have an M16, M4, M9 Pistol, M249 SAW, or M2 (or perhaps older weapons like the Springfield or Model 1917 rifles or Colt/Lewis Machineguns from World War I, M1 Rifle, M1 Carbine, M14 Rifle, M60 Machine Gun, M1911 Pistol, M3 (Grease Gun), M1928 Thompson, M1918 BAR) etc., and bring them to the meetings at regular times to have them inspected and do some basic defensive training. |
December 26, 2009, 10:49 AM | #16 |
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I read a very interesting commentary from a anitgun guy (can't remember his name) that said if we still had the militia system in place we had in 1789 (which we don't) then neither anti nor pro gun folk would not like it.
The antis would be upset because ordinary folk would privately own FA and other military type weapons. The pro-gunners would not like it because of the controls and inconveniences placed on them for mandatory (with penalities imposed for non-compliance) training and upkeep of the weapons. Indeed, it was those very "inconveniences" that killed the militia system. Military life has really never been popular in the US unlike, say Germany, and our folk don't like that type of discipline which IMO is why we have an AV military.
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December 26, 2009, 11:25 AM | #17 |
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A post earlier mentioned logistics. I would add, "Tacticians study battles, strategist study logistics". I don't know who said it but it is very true.
I believe Mahan's "Sea Power" is still required reading at the naval academy. What he says holds true in desert warfare and to an extent all warfare.
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December 26, 2009, 11:27 AM | #18 |
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Wow, I just turned 45, so I'm off the hook. Funny, I don't feel too old to be useful.
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December 26, 2009, 11:30 AM | #19 |
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I would disagree about why we have an all-volunteer army. It was the fallout of VietNam where many were drafted for an unsuccessful war and those in the know avoided the draft if they didn't want to go.
Given the climate change for equality - a continuing draft would have had to reach into all classes and the commonly used deferments and special privileged entry into the National Guard would not be allowed. Thus, an AV army avoided sending all to war. Also, we haven't needed the massive number of troops - yet! All males and females having a military quality weapons at home would be a nightmare to monitor. We are not as cultural coherent as Switzerland. The expense of training and controlling these guns would be horrific. If the Martians land or climate change ends our civilization, worry about it then. The possibility of such a need for a massive armed force isn't really likely.
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December 26, 2009, 11:39 AM | #20 | ||
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"Those in the know" as you call them ALWAYS found ways to stay out of the military whether it was paying for a substitute during the Civil War or working in a "defense related" industry during WWII. Americans don't like military life (I can understand that having over 20 years of it myself) and they would much rather pay others to do it for them. Actually some historians credit the establishment of "mercenary" legions in Rome as the beginning of the end of their empire. Interesting?
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December 26, 2009, 12:25 PM | #21 |
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In today's Internet society - those in the know would have their shennigans for their kids blasted across the media fairly quickly.
A mandatory draft would have e-journalists watching the deferments of politicians and rich guys kids fairly easily. The composition of the politician's kids NG unit in Texas, which GWB got in would be known in a zap. Unlike my buddy from Lubbock who couldn't get in the Guard and went off to Viet Nam. Back to the original OP - if every male had an M4 carbine here in TX, how many would cross the border in a flash for sale? In Iraq, the guns we gave them vanished into the private market. So, how often to we check in the guns, punish those who lose them? What a mess! Let those who are legally motivated to own guns have them, IMHO. Yep, we do have Katrina's and I do worry about government tyranny but I'm not OK with mandatory military weaponery for all. Imagine the reality shows then!!
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December 26, 2009, 12:32 PM | #22 | ||
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December 26, 2009, 11:39 PM | #23 | ||
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Justice Story wrote:
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Tennessee Gentleman, and several others wou;ld have us believe that the militia is a dead letter. To that I give you United Airlines flight #93. Those people acted as and were the militia. They gave their lives so that the terrorists could not complete their mission. Now we have the most recent example, Jasper Schuringa on Northwest flight #253. The fact that he was a Dutch citizen, means nothing if the definition of militia is: All able-bodied persons acting in concert to thwart an enemy. In such asymetric warfare, that we find ourselves in today, the need for the citizen militia still exists. Despite living in a world of lethal armed forces and police. Thomas Cooley wrote, in his General Principles of Constitutional Law (1880): Quote:
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December 27, 2009, 01:42 AM | #24 | ||||
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Justice Story was a learned man and so was Mr. Cooley and while their words are nice they do not represent the facts of what the militia in the US ever was. Quote:
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December 27, 2009, 07:03 AM | #25 | ||
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