So much to answer and so little time. Artbrooks! Yes. You are correct. It has been too many years since I have gone over this ground that the Militia Act of 1903 just sorta crossed right over there into the Constitution. My apologies. It is Article I. Sec. 8 which enumerates Congress' power to call out the militia. Before the Militia Act 1903 it was understood that every able bodied male at an age in which they would be subject to military duty were considered a part of the militia. A few states such as my own California had separate legislation which established the militia to be certain males of a certain age with the Governor as its head. The California Constitution give a detailed break down of its organization.

So, while the US Constitution does not DEFINE the militia it certainly recognizes its existence and gives Congress authority to wield it when any of several conditions may exist.


I might point out to our English friends that prior to WWII their country went through some anti-gun paroxysms and disarmed it's populace to a great extent. Then came the threat followed by the reality of Germany's tyranny. Who did they turn to to arm the citizenry when it looked as though Hitler's crew was coming over? Well, none other than those evil gun totin' Americans.
There was no way that our gun manufacturers could quickly produce enough arms that the populace of England could muster a reasonable defense by its citizens!...BUT! NOT TO WORRY! The NRA stepped in and its members donated over a million personal arms and ammunition to the people of England (your welcome). Thank God that the ground invasion never came. It was hellish enough with the nightly bombings. But had Hitler's goose steppers tried to take England they would probably have met with a resistance that would have been daunting to say the least.

I don't hunt any more and seldom target shoot. I don't really think much about guns anymore, but don't come breaking into my house late at night cause I know where they are and I still know how to use them, quite well.

The NRA is not a perfect organization and I do not always agree with their total agenda or their reasoning. But I will say this: their enemies are rabid and their assaults on the Second Amendment are devious, convoluted and loaded with seemingly rational steps that would prevent crime but which are really direct toward complete confiscation of citizen arms. The NRA is a true bastion against enemies of our Constitution.

Someone above decries that so much has changed since the time of our founding fathers, well, I have to agree. There have been some tremendous changes and especially in technology. But one thing does NOT change and that is human nature and as long as there are people who hate you for what you are or what you have or what you eat or how you part your hair then I will keep my guns, keep them loaded and pray I never have to use them. You know, that's kinda like life insurance; you never want to use it but your glad you have it. The only real difference is that when you use life insurance, it means that you are dead. If you have to use your firearm (successfully) it means that you are still alive and paying those premiums on that insurance policy.