Posted by look it on April 16, 2007 at 22:58:57 (EST):
In Reply to: Re: gun rights...look at Iraq posted by Dynamite on April 16, 2007 at 19:37:32 (EST):
: : : : Back when the Iraq war was just starting, before they captured Saddam, I was discussing the 2nd ammendment with a friend. I expalined to him that part of the reason for these rights was the value of militia, or civilian troops in the event of an invasion.
: : : : He began to tell me how if there was ever a war fought on our own soil personal guns would have little to no effect against an invading army. How they would have, planes, choppers, tanks, trained soldiers and missles and our citizens being armed would not have any effect in stopping or even slowing them down.
: : : : Fast forward to the last elections. He was then telling me how the United States, the most powerful army in the world was LOSING the war in Iraq. He was now telling me how the Iraqi people, were defeating not only their own army, but the Armies of the United States and Great Britain.
: : : : These are people who did not even have the right to own guns under Saddam's rule, yet somehow they were beating down the strongest army on the planet.
: : : : When I asked himn about what he had said before, he had nothing to say.
: : : With that line of thinking we should legalize explosives because that’s what killing most of our soldiers, IRDs. Remember, plastic explosives don’t kill people, people kill people.
: : You're missing the point.
: : My friend was making the case that in this day and age citizens owning guns would have no affect against an invading army.
: : We already have laws against explosives.
: : Owning guns, the right to keep and bear arms, is our constitutional right.
: I think you’re missing my point.
: I have no problem with people owning guns. That’s the only thing stopping some creep from coming into your house, in my opinion. But if you think guns are going to stop an army, think again. That argument for the second amendment doesn’t hold water.
The original intent of the second ammendment was to provide the citizens with the means to defend themselves against all enemies foreign and domestic. Not to hunt, not to target shoot, not to collect, but to defend.
Whether or not you feel it "holds water", that is it's intent.
A nation of citizens who all own guns would be much harder to defeat than a nation of unarmed citizens...that's just common sense.