We humans have crossed a threshold, a military threshold.  When the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written there was an equality of arms between a ‘militia’ and any government.  Governments of that era did have canons – but these were of limited mobility and accuracy.  Most militia men living along the Potomac did not have a canon – but they were mobile and accurate – thus an equilibrium of sorts was established.  This possession of equal weapons is a mere technical distinction, the greater conundrum is found in philosophical ideas.  Who are the 2nd Amendment defenders?  We submit these are the folks torn between frothing National Patriotism and equal disdain for our Government.

When the World Trade Center was deliberately bombed (I think ‘bombed’ is an appropriate term) the 2nd Amendment radicals loaded their weapons and dared those camel jockeys to come to town.  Every 2nd Amendment radical hung their American Flag from their front porch in a visual affirmation of solidarity as a nation.

In a very short time the bombs began to fall on Afghanistan – halleluiah and glory be –  smart bombs found their targets, caves were collapsed, mountain trails wiped out, and some of those 15,000 pound bombs burst the eardrums of the Tora Bora gophers.  CNN celebrated renewed ratings as shock and awe swept our nation.  In a few months the Taliban of Afghanistan fell – the American military marched into Kabul as if returning to Paris in 1944.  The 2nd Amendment gun fanatics celebrated the power and efficiency of the United States Military.

The war has dragged on.  With no immediate threat to our national sovereignty the ding-dongs united against a new enemy – the flag waving United States of America.  The wackos are conflicted.  Their two-edged message to their Congressman – increase military spending and protect our rights to own guns to protect us from our military.

We are now in a post-modern era of military conflict.  The ultimate weapon of mass destruction – the nuclear bomb – is obsolete as a tool of precision warfare.  The modern weapon of choice  may well be the Drone.  Drone with a capital ‘D’ is a military grade remote controlled aircraft armed with high resolution cameras and smart bombs – missiles with explosive warheads that seldom miss their target.  Unlike the canons of revolutionary America  these weapons are both mobile and accurate.

In case we have not made our point we will state clearly, arming the populace, a militia, against any perceived threat by our own military has become a moot point.  Military assault rifles with 30 round banana clips and full automatic capability are now obsolete in the context of combating modern military technology.  The conundrum is this:  Build the most powerful military ever imagined and give us the means of defending against that same military.

The English officer in the movie Bridge on the River Kwai, correctly observed, “Madness!”

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