Gun Law You Prefer

Going back to my post on Joe Arpaio and the volunteer Posse, this might be of interest to others

Joe Arpaio's Armed Posses Watch Over Schools In Arizona

CAVE CREEK, Ariz., Jan 23 (Reuters) - Retired salesman David Bennett sits in a patrol car, armed with a semi-automatic Glock pistol and a shotgun, watching as parents drop off their children at a kindergarten in a desert community a few miles north of Phoenix.

Bennett is volunteering his time to join a posse organized by controversial lawman Joe Arpaio, who styles himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/2 ... ref=topbar

archer wrote: Going back to my post on Joe Arpaio and the volunteer Posse, this might be of interest to others

Joe Arpaio's Armed Posses Watch Over Schools In Arizona

CAVE CREEK, Ariz., Jan 23 (Reuters) - Retired salesman David Bennett sits in a patrol car, armed with a semi-automatic Glock pistol and a shotgun, watching as parents drop off their children at a kindergarten in a desert community a few miles north of Phoenix.

Bennett is volunteering his time to join a posse organized by controversial lawman Joe Arpaio, who styles himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/2 ... ref=topbar

I love this idea, but I think others who are more fearful may complain about a non-officer with guns (the guns in his possession may cause him to snap and use them in a bad way). At least that's what it seems like when talking to some anti-gun people. For some, it seems the only solution is to ban as many guns as possible.

Irony? Some liberals think only the police and military should have guns. But then are very distrustful of both the police and military.

FredHayek wrote: Irony? Some liberals think only the police and military should have guns. But then are very distrustful of both the police and military.

I'm not sure that's true in my experience. I know Republicans and Indies that don't trust cops at all... never met anyone in person who doesn't trust a soldier or vet but some online don't seem to like the military in general.

chickaree wrote: I've done lots of thinking and discussing on this. Coming back to the Second Amendment,it speaks of "A well regulated militia". In my opinion a reasonable solution would be to put equiptment such as semi-automatic weapons, high capacity magazines, body armor, etc. in a special category. In order to legally posses these items you must be a member of your local militia, basically a gun club organized to teach proper weapons handling and safety. Membership is renewed annually. Anyone who is reported as being a danger to themselves and others has their membership suspended until given a clean bill of health. Militias would be NGOs probably run out of gun shops, the NRA or community organizations. Ownership of handguns and hunting gear would continue as is. Yes, tragedies happen. Perhaps encouraging all gun owners to pin the militia would increase firearm education and reduce these. Militias could offer free "drills" to increase members skill sets.

Couple of points.

Why an NGO when it would require an act of the legislature to reconstitute the State militia? What happens when one, after years of membership in the "club", resigns? Do they lose their ability to keep and bear the arms that they were allowed to possess while a militia member, or would they get a lifetime permit as thanks for the service that they performed as a member of the militia?

FWIW, I don't think that it is reasonable to restrict access to arms for self defense to law abiding citizens. That's the whole point of having a right, right? The 2nd Amendment says that the right shall not be infringed and this right, like the ones contained in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and most of the 6th, 7th and 8th, had been found to apply at the State and local as well as the federal level.

I say we make participation in the militia mandatory for everyone so that everyone gets a good education about guns so this hysteria about semi-automatic weapons goes away. The militia is composed of everyone who is capable, not just those who decide they want to.