It is somewhat nice to see that Michael Bellesiles still has followers who have no problem lying for Gun Control.
“a world where every white American male served in the military for his entire adult life”
Not so fast Sparky. Not every White American served. First, the concept of conscription in Colonial/Independence times existed but it probably covered under 5% of the soldiers fighting, the rest were volunteers and yes, militia. Second, certain religious groups like the Quakers were exempted from Military service for religious reasons as it went against their teachings and Catholics were forbidden to even be armed because it was thought they were untrustworthy papists that sided with England. But even before the war, it was a voluntary thing to join the Militia rather than going active in the British Army. The Militia was a local entity self-tasked in many occasions with the defense of the town against enemies may them be Indians or the criminal element of the time as there was no police or constabulary in the “modern” sense: they were tax collector or paper servers with literally very powers. It is not till 1823 with the creation of the Texas Rangers a true Law Enforcement establishment is created.
So the concept of Militia existed and exists to cover for the lack of presence of an organized governmental protection service. If you frown at the word exists, let me give you an example: Natural Disaster happens in your area and people decide to come together for the defense of the neighborhood until things get back to normal? That is Militia.
So the idea that the Militia is dead (“When the militia evaporated, so did the original meaning of the Second Amendment“) is nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of Gun Control Activists.
Let’s continue:
“where those citizen soldiers bought their own military weapons and stored them at home”
I had to laugh at this one. Back then, no self-respecting gun owner would be caught with the “military weapon” of the time, the Brown Bess as it was an inaccurate musket compared with the civilian long guns of the time. And they were not “stored at home” but carried while traveling or kept handy in case of need for self-defense or hunting. What made gun earn the term “military’? The addition of a bayonet. Historical records tell us that the immense majority of volunteers & Militia men had very good weapons but did not have bayonets as they were a military affection for the battlefield which prompted the Continental Congress and other local governments to buy bayonets for the already armed volunteers. Close combat warfare was usually done by Militia Men (once the shot was fired) via long knives and tomahawks.
If anything, the concept of Militia is alive, well and still very much valid. It is hated because it declares its lack of dependency from a central government and proves to be an efficient way to curb the maladies of evil people. It is the basic community organization and that would make us gun owners, community organizers.
And a million Lib Progs’ brains just exploded 😀
They should join the DAR research boards online and see just how many women today get extremely frustrated when they learn they are descended from a family in the right place at the right time, but who never had members who served in the militia!
The other day, I was speaking with a new friend in the group who was complaining about being descended from too many Rhode Island Quakers because it means no more patriots in those families. (Pennsylvania Quakers had supply taxes and civil service that can still qualify them as patriots without the military service.) Even in areas where militia service was “mandatory,” there are plenty of families who don’t show up in those records because they weren’t participating. I’ve got at least 6 men of the right age for whom service in the militia has not been proven yet. Granted, I hope to change that and find their service in the Revolution. 🙂 But, the reality is that not everyone did serve.
For nearly two years, now, I have been researching my family history….internet makes it much easier…..and have found at least 8 lines on both parents’ sides leading to a Patriot Ancestor of the American Rev. Some actually bore arms while others, who are noted in the DAR database, provided aid, money, material, etc to the cause. I have only been able to prove one line….the Sons of the American Rev are pretty strict on research…..but continue to search for documentation of the others. it is humbling to know that I am descended from such people.
Hi Miguel,
I frequent an antigun blog and provide an “enemy” for them to complain about. One of their posters loves to comment on how the militia is the national guard, and to join them if you want an assault weapon. Of course I love mentioning that I already do that, but due to government issues, time on the range is woefully inadequate. Being a professional, I did what many professional tradesmen do and purchased my own tool, namely an M4 rifle, albeit a semi auto only version to keep my skills up to par.
I also love to mention that if everyone isn’t considered part of the militia, then why does the government keep a list of potential soldiers, namely through the selective service. Failure to register, while normally encouraged with the withholding of government services and perks for those who don’t register, still has felony level criminal punishments in the law.
Very hard to make the argument against someone not being a member if you’re required to be listed as such by law.
They ar committing the mistake of including Militia within the Military.
As much as the Government would love to have everybody under orders, they can’t. Conscription is now pretty much dead and buried and Selective Service is pretty much another Zombie government entity that refuses to die even if it has no purpose.
We must remember that the Founding Fathers had a very healthy distrust towards a standing army. Just because we eventually had an organized and professional military, it does not invalidate the concept of Militia one bit.
The Militia was and is effective because is is already in place when events happen. We have seen how long and how ineffective organized military can be in assisting citizens, specially when Civilian officials thousands of miles away try to control an event they are not witnessing.
Those “experts” who argue against the concept of militia remind me of this joke:
As a white, heterosexual, male, I am aware that my opinion doesn’t matter; but if it did, I would say: I am tired of everything associated with white people being dismissed as intrinsically bad. It’s racist, at least it would be if there was such a thing as anti-white racism.
You see it all the time:
“America is bad because it was founded by white men”
“The Constitution/Bill of Rights are bad because it was written by and pertains to white men”
“Lawful gun ownership is bad because it’s supported by white men”
“The 2A doesn’t apply anymore because it was only for a militia of white men”
etc., etc,. etc…
The thing is, I don’t remember seeing “white men” any where in any of our founding documents. The closest is:
“all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights…”
or
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union… secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…”\
or
“the right of the people to keep and bear arms…”
But according to modern leftism, “all men” and “the people” are just dog whistle, buzz words for “only white guys.”
I’m not sure where I’m going with this, I just a white man thinking out loud, then again, according to my liberal betters just is bad enough.
All of this is ignoring, of course, the Jim Crowe laws which were made to disenfranchise recently-freed slaves and forbid them from owning…
FIREARMS!
When will the government declare “Middle Aged White Guy” month????!!!
That nonexistent militia sure did show up in force a month ago in Nevada. Just ask the BLM.
+1 on J… sigh
U.S. Code says there is still a militia.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/311
And SCOTUS (DC v. Heller) says militia got nothin’ to do with the right to keep and bear arms anyway.