OK, assuming I accept your definition of what "well-regulated" means, how do you go from that to private citizens owning any weapon they want to own?
"The militia was all able bodied men, and was intended to stop the government from turning into tyrants. Now if the government controls the militia, then the militia is not working very well is it?"
Your words, not mine. Are you saying we need to arm ourselves against the government? Look at our military today - do you really think that a civilian militia stands a chance against them? The concept made sense back in the 18th Century because there was a real fear that the Brits or other Europeans would attempt to take over our new country, but back then everyone was on an equal footing militarily (much to the surprise of the British, who thought they were invincible). That's not the case now, and the threat of a foreign power moving in and taking over hasn't been realistic for over 200 years.
Also, keep in mind that the 2nd Amendment was based on the use of muskets as a defensive weapon; repeating rifles didn't come on the scene until around the time of the Civil War. During the time of the "Wild West", sheriffs in many towns routinely required citizens to surrender their weapons when they entered town - an early example of gun control. |