General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I no longer give two f*cks about your 2nd Amendment rights. [View all]Pacifist Patriot
(24,653 posts)to essentially conscript citizens to fight in defense of the colony without having to pay for the armaments necessary since they were already privately held. Against Native Americans, the British, whatever. Such clauses were never instituted to enable the citizens to revolt against their own governments. I continue to be amazed how many people either forgot what was taught in their history classes or were never taught the proper context in the first place.
Neither colonial constitutions nor the U.S. Constitution included the right to bear arms because they thought people should be armed in case of home grown tyranny. The extra-constitutional writings of those involved in drafting these clauses bear witness to that. The whole "must have a gun in case I need to defend myself against my own government" is revisionist bullshit propaganda that has been repeated so often it's been internalized even in people who should know better. Besides being flat out wrong historically, it makes no bloody sense when thought through logically.