Another gun discussion part deux.

[Pat Mustard]

Adopting the Swiss model, the well regulated militia one, would be a good idea.  Have everybody in the militia own a gun, but limit access to ammunition to when the member is on active duty.  And then have strong regulations on owning additional, non militia related, weapons

Frankly, the second amendment was written for a very different time, one when individual colonies were responsible for their own militia, one when other nations' armies actually invading the US was actually plausible, one when even Alexander Hamilton saw the idea of disciplining a full-time standing Army for the 13 colonies to be "as futile as it is injurious.". Wikipedia lists exactly two foreign attacks on US territory within my lifetime, one the 1993 WTC bombing, and the other 9/11. The first was a handful of Al-Qaeda operatives who didn't need any extraordinary help in being subdued, and the second case... I think that once the hijackers took control, the only real options for taking them out are a United 93-style revolt (which I don't think used guns) or the military shooting it down.

Oh, I know the reasons behind it, a) those in power when the second constitution was written didn't want to go to the expense of employing a professional army (ignoring the lessons of tye previous 200 years of war in Europe), and b) the slave states wanted an armed force under local control in case of a slave rebellion.

The war of 1812 showed the folly of the first reason, the militias were useless when facing profeseional British soldiers and the second reason was negated by the result of the civil war.