Quote:
Originally posted by widebody911
Funny how they always leave out the "A well regulated Militia" bit.
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"Militia" and "military" are two different things. The modern anti-gun crowd has attempted (and unfortunately succeeded with far too many people) to blur the distinction, claiming that the 2nd Amendment provides the government a right to maintain a militia/military. None of the other nine article in the original Bill of Rights grants rights to the government; the whole document is an official acknowledgement by our government of our rights as citizens. To single one amendment out and claim it provides a right to that government is both historically innaccurate and, I believe, intentionaly missleading. The original meaning of "militia" was that of an armed populace, not officially conscripted for service by the government. They were to provide their own arms of their ownership; not being issued arms by the government. There was a seperate standing Army and Navy, conscripted by the government, and issued the arms and equipment necessary to their duties.