Wow! Thank you kindly for the link. I had never heard of that, it is truly an awesome story and is exactly why our founders put the 2nd amendment in the Bill Of Rights.
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As you Darwin bought NRA propaganda hook line and sinker. As the founders of our country thought quire differently. As they had an justifiable fear that our Federal government with a required Federally controlled standing army would overwhelm States rights, and in so doing, no counteracting force would exist. Which is why they inserted the well regulated militia to allow each State to have a their own standing army too. And as State after state was admitted to the union, it worked out quite well until the civil war. But if a non state regulated rouge militia emerged, like in Shay's rebellion, both the State and Federal armies would combine to crush it.
And in 1861 the idea was really tested, as the " confederate " States combined State militias and asserted their right to succeed from the Union. As we all know the outcome of the the civil war. But it still defined two principles. (1) The Federal governments powers trumped States rights militarily but not politically. (2) The Federal government did not disband State militias that now form the core of our national guard. As such national guards are often the best state wide force best able to respond to local natural disasters. Or to become part of our Federal army in times of war. As such forces are well regulated, well trained, and allowed to receive both State and national funding under the command of each individual State government.
As for the individual hunter, it was never really part of the constitutional argument as guns became useful tool as the American people moved every Westward. And changed the entire American ecology in the process. As forests were cut down to become farms, pushing the Native American Indians ever Westward in the process. And by post civil war times the environmental changes accelerated with rail road building. As the American hunter slew the vast herds of American Bison, our ranchers poisoned out the wolves, coyotes, and all predictors that used to keep the environment balanced. As job accomplished the American had little game left to hunt by AD 1900. As environmental groups and hunting advocacy groups like the Previous NRA came together to advocate sensible hunting laws. Bag limits, parkland set asides, that made the American hunter a self sustaining force. And during the lawless days of prohibition of alcohol when the American criminal delivered what the people wanted, again the NRA rose up to make illegal machine guns and other firearms useful for only criminals and not legitimate hunters.
At the same time, certain game animals proved to be remarkable resilient. While others went the way of the dodo. As deer, non existent in my state of Indiana in 1930, are back in abundance, and becoming threats on our highways, As the ever resilient coyote sings to me at night. And adapt well to almost ever city in the USA. Simply because we have removed the large predictor and now nature is out of of balance. As Canadian geese, a formerly rare game animal has seen a similar population explosion. Sadly in my Indiana area, the quail and pheasant I used to enjoy hunting 30 years ago have vanished due to the severe winters of the late 1970 and the clear cut farming methods that deny them any winter cover. As at least the legitimate American hunter can still fulfill the role the other large predictors we used to have.
Or we can talk about Mexico, even if Mexican gun laws prohibit private gun ownership. But due to a too large Mexican criminal class who can buy automatic too easily, Mexico is now totally out of control. As the criminals are far better armed than the cops.
As my other legitimate fear centers around Governmental regulators like Senator Dianne and her ilk, who know nothing about legitimate firearm use as their knee jerk reaction to confiscate all guns no matter which. And if the now politicized NRA can't get real and become part of a rational part of gun regulation, Senator Dianne and her ilk will win as school and irrational gun violence become an even greater until a irrational ban is unstopable