Blind Dog said:
As I understood it, the right to keep and bear arms is protected by a the 2nd amendment to the US constitution and therefore would need 2/3 support in both houses and would then need to be ratified by 75% of the States before any changes are made. Snowball and hell come to mind
Bit like the Libs pushing to get a 15%.......I doub I will ever see it
The "Right to bear arms" had to do with the Governemnt not being able to afford arms for the Army so they told the people that if they joined up to the malitia and bring there own weapons then the Government will never take those weapons off them. The ammendment was supposed to be repealed, but never happened..
Stolen for Wikiepeadia.......
On May 8, 1792, Congress passed "[a]n act more effectually to provide for the National Defence, by establishing an Uniform Militia throughout the United States" requiring:
The act also gave specific instructions to domestic weapon manufacturers "that from and after five years from the passing of this act, muskets for arming the militia as herein required, shall be of bores sufficient for balls of the eighteenth part of a pound."
[116] In practice, private acquisition and maintenance of rifles and muskets meeting specifications and readily available for militia duty proved problematic; estimates of compliance ranged from 10 to 65 per
[E]ach and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia...[and] every citizen so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch with a box therein to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball: or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch and powder-horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear, so armed, accoutred and provided, when called out to exercise, or into service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack.
[116]