Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
And does the amendment not reference a well regulated militia?
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Notice also this right to keep and bear arms is not a right of the militia but of THE PEOPLE. In this way the people are never separated from their firearms. The Founders were quite concerned that a standing army would be used to suppress and subjugate the people. Arming the people instead of the militia was just another measure to keep power out of the hands of the government.
"To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; To provide and maintain a navy; "
Notice also that a standing army may not be funded by Congress for more than two years, yet a navy is to funded at all times. The reason for this is that the government cannot oppress the people with a navy. No, that requires and army.
The reason that the militia needed to well regulated (as is regulations) was so that it would not used for the nefarious purposes of the government. Today, in the absence of a militia, all members of the armed forces swear an oath to preserve and uphold the Constitution. Furthermore, we require all service members to specifically disobey all illegal orders. Any order to oppress the people would be, by definition, an illegal order. These are the most fundamental regulations that keep the power of the people in the hands of the people.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,352 posts, read 54,513,644 times
Reputation: 40819
Quote:
Originally Posted by momonkey
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Notice also this right to keep and bear arms is not a right of the militia but of THE PEOPLE. In this way the people are never separated from their firearms.
I noticed the co-author of the amendement stated:
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
In other words, he clearly equates the militia with THE PEOPLE.
So anyone can walk into a WallyWorld in Maine and buy a handgun, no questions asked?
Theoretically I suppose. Though I've only ever seen long guns for sale at WallyWorld. I personally wouldn't buy a gun from them. The unconstitutional federal laws still apply, but Maine has few gun laws as a state. I could go to any private seller with cash in hand and walk away with whatever he's selling. No paper trail, no background checks. Exactly as it should be in a society that calls itself free.
Anyone who is not legally prohibited from possessing a firearm (felons, the insane, etc) has the right to carry said firearm with no permit whatsoever being necessary. The only time you need a permit is if you want to conceal it. Note that in Maine, having it in the car counts as concealed. But it is perfectly legal here (and our right as citizens of Maine) to openly carry a weapon.
I realize this is a foreign concept to many authoritarians (why they call themselves liberals is beyond me, because they certainly don't stand for liberty), but this is how it is up here.
Travel a few hundred miles to the west of Maine, you'll end up in Vermont, where you don't even need a permit to conceal a weapon. It's the same with Alaska. Of course, conceal carry has become the norm in most places rather than open carry. Concealing your weapons used to be the mark of a blackguard, the good guys always carried out in the open. The culture has changed a bit, but our rights have not.
No person of good character and good repute in the community in which he lives, and who is not subject to any of the disabilities set forth in this section or other sections of this chapter, shall be denied a permit to purchase a handgun or a firearms purchaser identification card
This excerpt seems to state that you can indeed have your handgun as long as your record is in good standing. I fail to see the problem.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
