On Jan 9, 3:01*pm, D Peter Maus wrote:
On 1/9/11 16:50 , John Smith wrote:

On 1/9/2011 2:37 PM, D Peter Maus wrote:

...
In the previous clause, in the language of the times, 'regulated' was a
term used in law to describe maintenance of a state of preparedness, or
being. And 'Militia' was The People.

In that language, the 2nd Amendment couldn't have been more clear.

Well, I am only surprised that some where confused by "militia." I
didn't know that any, let alone so many, were confused by semantics
surrounding the word!

Keep in mind, that, at the time, as well, a standing army was
forbidden by the Constitution.

- The peoples' right to keep and bear arms
- was the first line of defense.

In The Century Before 1776 . . .
Most of America Was a Frontier Society.
YOU and your Neighbors* Were The First Line of Defense :
For You And Your Part of the Country-Settlement-Village
* Anyone within the Sound {Ears} of a Gun Shot.
-or- More-Often-Than-Not : You Were Along To Defend :
Your-Self; Your Family; and Your Home/Farm/Land [.]

-and- The Century After 1776 . . .
Much of America Was a Frontier Society.
YOU and your Neighbors* Were The First Line of Defense :
For You And Your Part of the Country-Settlement-Village
* Anyone within the Sound {Ears} of a Gun Shot.
-or- More-Often-Than-Not : You Were Along To Defend :
Your-Self; Your Family; and Your Home/Farm/Land [.]

- Against aggressors foreign and domestic.

Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joini...thofenlist.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of...ited_States%29
-wrt- Article Two of the US Constitution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article...s_Constitution

In the Decades around 1776 that included the British,
French, Spanish and Indians* . . .

* NOTE : To the Native American Indian Peoples :
It was the American Colonists who were the Invaders
and Aggressors and the Indians were Fighting a
Counter-Insurgency War to Protect Themselves;
Families; Tribes/Nations/Lands; Culture & Religion;
and Way-of-Life Against the Invading Euro-Landers.
-they-were-acting-in-self-defense-