Attacking the Second Amendment Militia

The Oklahoma City bombing has been used by anti-gun forces to launch perhaps the most severe attack on the Second Amendment in history. The very foundation of the Second Amendment is being questioned right now by Congress and in the media.

Not since the great War for Independence have militias gained so much national attention in this country. However, because of the enormous amount of misinformation floating across the airwaves, it is necessary to take a fresh look at this controversial subject.

To start, one must differentiate between a legitimate militia and an illegal group of armed guerrillas, criminals, or terrorists. The citizen militia is a group of law-abiding men and women who are concerned with preserving liberty in this country. A group or organization that violates the law of this land (the Constitution) is not a legitimate militia.

What happened in Oklahoma City was not the work of a citizen militia. That terrible act was an aggressive, violent assault not only on the government, but against the people of this nation. If any militia played even the smallest part in that atrocity, they should be tried as terrorists, and disavowed by all militia members.

The militia, viewed as an enigma by many people who don't understand this country's history, is based on a fundamental principle of freedom. The principle is that if the government is allowed to possess a monopoly of force or is permitted to disarm the people, the people no longer possess the means by which they can protect their liberties.

Five months after ratifying the Second Amendment, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1792. This Act defined the militia as consisting of all males between the ages of 18 and 45. Or, as George Mason pointed out, the militia is "the whole people, except a few public officers." The Militia Act obviously describes the same "militia" as set forth in the Second Amendment, seeing that the same Congress passed both proposals. This definition of militia is still applicable according to Title 1 0 of the U.S. Code.

Viewed in this context, it is clear that the Second Amendment has nothing whatsoever to do with hunting, sporting or recreation. The right to keep and bear arms is more than just a right that predates the Constitution; it is a responsibility that we as citizens have to preserve the fruits of liberty for our posterity.

The foremost responsibility of all concerned gun owners including militia members - is to vote. The ballot box is a free country's legitimate and rightful instrument for enacting change. If there are militia members who are not registered to vote, they are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Militias should be, above all, a political force, with the goal of keeping this nation free through the political process.

The media, however, ignores any aspect of the militia that does not involve firearms. Most people in the media claim that militias are nothing more than armed men and women running around in the woods with guns preparing to battle the federal government. Militias do train, but is their purpose to violently attack the federal government because they are unhappy with its laws? The answer is most emphatically NO.

Citizen militias traditionally and constitutionally have a defensive posture. Their purpose is not to attack the government, or entice it to attack them.

Militias can work hand in hand with legitimate government authorities. Today in some states, for example, members of militias have been deputized by a local sheriff to assist in apprehending fugitives, searching for missing persons, helping during natural disasters, and many other functions.

Militias also serve a legitimate function in the private sector. Although anti-gunners label them as "private armies that are a danger to society," these groups are simply people who have decided to come together to protect life and property. Many contend that they are trying to do the job of the police. But courts have always held that the police cannot be held responsible for protecting each individual citizen.

Recall what happened in Los Angeles during the 1992 riots. People with homes and businesses in the affected areas saw violent looters coming at them in one direction, and the police taking off in another.

Were these people supposed to turn their backs and allow their property to be plundered by a bunch of law-breakers, if they even escaped alive? Many of the businessmen in the area said "no," banded together, and successfully defended their lives and property with firearms.

Other circumstances where armed citizens are needed may occur without warning, such as during a natural disaster. Hurricane Andrew recently ripped through south Florida, leaving most people without power. Here again, the police, while doing their best, were simply not able to be everywhere all the time. Were it not for armed private citizens banding together to protect their neighborhoods from looters, the outcome of that disaster could have been even more devastating.

Under a bill currently pending in Congress (H.R. 1544), all citizen militias could be deemed illegal and the participants be subject to imprisonment. This bill prohibits the existence of paramilitary organizations, which is defined as two or more people who train together with firearms, and who also disagree with the policies of the government. This bill, with its broad definitions, could easily affect gun clubs, law-abiding militia groups, and even a husband and wife out doing some shooting on the weekend, who happen to make a disparaging remark against the president.

Citizen militias have legitimate functions. They should continue to perform them, continue to train with their firearms, and continue to serve their country. When it comes to opposing abuses in government, they should take any complaints to the ballot box and other avenues open under our political system. Of course, people cannot escape the fact that the Second Amendment and the Citizen Militia were put in place as a last resort to protect the people of this country from violent oppression and tyranny.

Some people seem to believe the government will never overstep its authority. Others, like those in militias, believe this is not an absolute certainty. When they take steps to guard against government abuse of power, it often seems foolish, if not dangerous, to their fellow citizens. But when a crisis does occur, like the riots in Los Angeles or the hurricanes in Florida, the same people who were criticizing their gun-owning neighbors will be at their door asking to borrow a spare firearm.

Gunowners Of America is one of the best Second Amendment groups in the nation. Given how desperately the Second Amendment needs defending, won't you consider joining?

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To learn about Arizona's own infamous "Viper Militia," click here.

And maybe you always thought the citizen militia should have a nifty logo, just like military units do. Maybe you didn't. If you did, or if you're now wondering what the heck this is all about, check out the ViperWear^TM page nearby.

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