Re: Time and the Costitution

> >   At the time the constitution was written, there WAS NO STANDING ARMY, and
> > each man was expected to help defend the nation.  THAT is the meaning of th
> > term "militia."
>      Not according to those that are most fluent in the language of the day,
> and also constitutional law.
>      Militia has ALWAYS meant those people NOT in the army.  That's all of
> us, NOW as well as then.
>      It also says that it is necessary for a free state, meaning they
> recognized then that a government couldn't victimize an armed citizenry.
>                                            Shotgun 

This is a most interesting concept. I think it has been discussed in
the net before. As I recall, in principle, then, as you say, if one is
not in the military -- including, I suppose, the Nationl Guard -- then
one is a militia person (PC, ya know! <G>. Okay, so be it, yet, who
calls up the militia in modern times? Who CAN call up the militia these
days? What would be the current legality of it? I mean, it can be argued
that it is 'legal', and there are certainly small organized militias out
there, but what would law enforcement do if suddenly the BIG militia, i.e.
we the people, ALL of us, were armed in the streets and ready for action?
The courts would have a field day... assuming they aren't shot up! Then
there is the issue of training and readiness... who trains the 'militia'?
Who is even ready? Would we want a bunch of untrained armed civies running
around with weapons, ready to shoot anything that moves, even each other?
After seeing the Michigan Militia looney tunes on the t00b per Timothy
MacVey, I would say resoundingly HELL NO!! 
ZED!

     ZED's ZEN SouthWest*915-699-5051*VirtualNet@1915020*Midland TX USA