After the Revolutionary
War the U.S was broke. The government
could not afford to pay, equip and maintain a large standing army.
On December
15, 1791 the Congress addressed this issue by enacting the Second Amendment to
the Constitution to federally mandate state militias.
Five months
later they passed the Military Act of 1792 conscripting all “free able-bodied
white male citizen” between the ages of 18 and 45 into a local militia
company.
Where available men were to be issue a musket, bayonet and belt, two spare flints, a cartridge box with 24 bullets and a knapsack. Men owning rifles were required to provide their own rifle, a powder horn, ¼ pound of gunpowder, 20 rifle balls, a shooting pouch and a knapsack.
Where available men were to be issue a musket, bayonet and belt, two spare flints, a cartridge box with 24 bullets and a knapsack. Men owning rifles were required to provide their own rifle, a powder horn, ¼ pound of gunpowder, 20 rifle balls, a shooting pouch and a knapsack.
Congress
declared that in times of imminent invasion or insurrection the President had
authority to take command of the State militias. This authority was used to suppress the
Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.
The purpose
of the Second Amendment was to establish militias and defined the right of
citizens to own guns as necessary to insure the militias were properly armed.
This Second
Amendment right to bear arms has been totally taken out of context.
Remember
when Sarah Palin said that Paul Revere's ride was to inform the British that
Americans would not give up their guns?
People believe what they want to believe.
The Second
U.S. Congress did not enact the Second Amendment to insure some moronic would be able to take an assault weapon into McDonald’s to buy a hamburger.
