General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFunny how the 2nd Amendment was meant to stop tyranny of our government
and all it did was advance tyranny. Que Jan 6th.
Redleg
(6,808 posts)That is what right-wingers and gun-nuts have said for years. I think the main purpose was to establish well-regulated militias since the new U.S. government was reluctant to have a large standing federal military.
enid602
(9,607 posts)The 2nd Amendment was meant to avoid slave uprisings. The filibuster and Electoral College were also meant to protect the interests of the South.
Disaffected
(6,092 posts)Since when?
The Second Amendment was intended to provide for the national defense with local and state militias, made up of citizen soldiers. The Founding Fathers, having just defeated an imperial power with a standing army, did not want a standing army of their own, as it might lead to military insurrection. It was hoped that periodically-trained militiamen would be enough to defend the brand-new nation. This was back when military firearms were one-shot muskets and rifles. No one ever anticipated that rapid-fire weapons would one day be available to anyone, whether or not one was in a 'well-regulated' militia.
The NRA and their demented, gun-obsessed demi-human followers have perverted the meaning of the Second Amendment in order to justify having more guns per person than anyone with fewer than three arms should realistically need. You notice, none of those 300lb, bearded, brain-dead gunfucks is showing up to protest real, actual government tyranny.