The Right to Bear Arms - Greed or Need?

Wayne LaPierre, Exec Vice President of the NRA, starts the first posts about greed. In the wake of the Newtown shooting, and in the middle of a National tax and budget crisis in December, Mr LaPierre called for Congress to appropriate enough money to put armed policemen in every school in the country. All so that any gun, no matter how deadly, can be available to anyone, no matter how psychotic, any time they want.

Your grandmother or grandfather may lose their prescription coverage because of cuts to Medicare to pay for police coverage of schools so America doesn't address the role of guns in our society.

The NRA will cite that their access to assault weapons and high-capacity ammo clips is protected by the 2nd Amendment. But is it? I don't believe it is.

"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."

The wording seems a bit unusual. But it clearly associates people bearing arms to help protect the country in 'well regulated militias.' What threats were the militias needed to protect us against?

The European powers whose colonies surrounded us, for one. In 1788 Congress reduced the Continental Army to 80 soldiers. But each state was required to allocate 700 men for militia duty to protect our frontier - from the Georgia coast to New Orleans up to Canada and across to Maine. Thats 9180 soldiers to protect about 2,000 miles of frontier. There were also hostile Native Americans threatening American settlements. It easy to see how the country would need to summon up armed 'civilian' troops in support to the 'official' troops in times of emergency.

Also, let's look at the actual arms the Amendment has in mind. A single shot, muzzle loading musket. A weapon that an expert could manage to fire three rounds-per-minute. In total, the entire 'official' military force in the country, if massed together, could fire 27,300 rounds-per-minute. A number that would be equaled today by 15 people armed with 30 rounds-per-second assault weapons.

I do believe that Americans should have the right to bear arms but I also believe that any right granted in the Bill of Rights is subject to question and discussion based on our need today. The only people who need assault weapons are assaulters - the specially trained military and the specially trained law enforcement personnel. If someone hunts he needs a hunting gun. If someone needs security then perhaps a handgun.

All in all I'd rather your grandparents have medication and there be gun control than for the need of better security for over 300 million Americans to be held hostage by the greed of 4 million.