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Guns, Militia and the Federalist Papers
Supporters of allowing anybody full access to any gun frequently cite the Federalist Papers, which speak approvingly of the militia. Except, the Federalist Papers were written before the Second Amendment. (The Second Amendment was written as a condition of getting the Constitution approved.) So, the militia that Madison is talking about in the Federalist Papers is The Militia (singular – not “the various state militias) that Congress is specifically charged with “organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia,” (Article 1, section 8)
So, Madison’s militia is not any bubba with a gun, it’s an organized body regulated by Congress. That’s the militia that is supposed to protect America, regardless of how effective it really would be.
The Purpose of Police
Pro-gun types will often say of police that, “when seconds count, the police are minutes away.” This is accurate, but it’s usually followed up with the idea that because police are minutes away, they are useless.
Not so fast. Police have several roles, such as:
- Deterrence. By patrolling and being seen, some crime is deterred.
- Reduction. By removing criminals from society, during the period the criminal is locked up that criminal can’t commit a crime. Police also prevent the establishment of no-go zones and other criminal havens. (A criminal haven is not the same as a rough neighborhood. Police can and do go into rough neighborhoods to remove crooks.)
- Duration. Any rational criminal who engages in an attack knows they need to get in and out before the police show up. This limits the amount of time they can spend being a criminal.
- Dispute resolution. In such garden spots as Somalia, a lot of crime is in the form of vendettas. By enforcing a means of dispute arbitration, there’s less crime overall.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
Apropos of this article about how George Washington would be no ally of the modern Tea Party, I am reminded that the various Tea Partiers like to quote Thomas Jefferson. Here’s a neat fact – Jefferson had absolutely nothing to do with drafting or ratifying the Constitution! He was in Paris during the relevant periods, and his “Tree of freedom should be watered with the blood of tyrants” quote was in a letter sent back home advocating against the very idea of a Constitution. Our historically illiterate society tends to forget that the “Founding Fathers” were really only united on one idea – getting rid of British rule.
Supporters of allowing anybody full access to any gun frequently cite the Federalist Papers, which speak approvingly of the militia. Except, the Federalist Papers were written before the Second Amendment. (The Second Amendment was written as a condition of getting the Constitution approved.) So, the militia that Madison is talking about in the Federalist Papers is The Militia (singular – not “the various state militias) that Congress is specifically charged with “organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia,” (Article 1, section 8)
So, Madison’s militia is not any bubba with a gun, it’s an organized body regulated by Congress. That’s the militia that is supposed to protect America, regardless of how effective it really would be.
The Purpose of Police
Pro-gun types will often say of police that, “when seconds count, the police are minutes away.” This is accurate, but it’s usually followed up with the idea that because police are minutes away, they are useless.
Not so fast. Police have several roles, such as:
- Deterrence. By patrolling and being seen, some crime is deterred.
- Reduction. By removing criminals from society, during the period the criminal is locked up that criminal can’t commit a crime. Police also prevent the establishment of no-go zones and other criminal havens. (A criminal haven is not the same as a rough neighborhood. Police can and do go into rough neighborhoods to remove crooks.)
- Duration. Any rational criminal who engages in an attack knows they need to get in and out before the police show up. This limits the amount of time they can spend being a criminal.
- Dispute resolution. In such garden spots as Somalia, a lot of crime is in the form of vendettas. By enforcing a means of dispute arbitration, there’s less crime overall.
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
Apropos of this article about how George Washington would be no ally of the modern Tea Party, I am reminded that the various Tea Partiers like to quote Thomas Jefferson. Here’s a neat fact – Jefferson had absolutely nothing to do with drafting or ratifying the Constitution! He was in Paris during the relevant periods, and his “Tree of freedom should be watered with the blood of tyrants” quote was in a letter sent back home advocating against the very idea of a Constitution. Our historically illiterate society tends to forget that the “Founding Fathers” were really only united on one idea – getting rid of British rule.
