You’re correct that it has nothing to do with militia anymore.
It’s because the Supreme Court ruled that it has nothing to do with militia and everything to do with letting everybody have whatever guns they want.
That’s a relatively modern viewpoint. It’s the result of huge amounts of money being spent to campaign in favor of letting anybody have all the guns they want.
As a result, the United States has more gun violence and more gun murders than pretty much any other developed country. It’s not even close.
Dookieman12@piefed.social 4 days ago
It’s right there in the text. The founding fathers warned against standing armies because they’re abused by tyrants. They envisioned, in the event the US was invaded, the response would consist of locals, armed with whatever they could procure, organizing to repel the invading force. This was in the days when private citizens owned muskets, gatling guns, cannons, and warships.
People were also expected to make and practice these invasion response plans, like fire drills, but this was never codified because they never thought they would need to explain that to people; it was simply understood to be a requirement that came with the responsibility.
This made sense in a lot of ways. People who know each other will readily cooperate. Locals will be familiar with the local geography, which was a big advantage in the days before accurate maps or quick communication.
Since then, things have changed. A lot. But the amendment has remained. I still think it’s important to enshrine the people’s right to self-preservation and self-defense. But I also don’t feel like typing a 10K word essay with my thumbs today.
cattywampas@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Excellent comment, but gatling guns weren’t invented until the 1860s.
Dookieman12@piefed.social 4 days ago
And the first piece of gun control legislation was passed in 1934
Dead_or_Alive@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Repeating rifles existed back then. The founders being well read would have been aware of their existence. Some of these repeating rifles were in use on the frontier. The Girardon air rifle could shoot 20+ rounds and was famously used by the Lewis and Clarke expedition.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girardoni_air_rifle
arizonadailyindependent.com/…/multi-shot-assault-…
breadsmasher@lemmy.world 4 days ago
hmmmmm
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Cut the crap. Gun owners today are not part of any militia. Never have been nor will be. FFS, gangs are the closest there is. And I thought the general consensus was it’s a really bad thing that they’re armed to the teeth.