Friday, March 14, 2003

Why hasn't every able-bodied member of the NRA volunteered to fight Saddam?

Gun fans love to quote the second part of the Second Amendment -- "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" -- but regularly gloss over the first part: The full text of the amendment is, of course, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Curiously, this text, though it's revered by gun fans, doesn't seem to imbue them with the sense that they have an obligation to defend the security of this nation. And this war is about defending the security of this nation, isn't it? After all, the President has said so over and over again, most recently at his March 7 press conference ("But in the name of peace and the security of our people, if [Saddam] won't do so voluntarily, we will disarm him....").

So, NRA members, please head down to the local recruiting center and volunteer to fight Saddam. You do revere the Second Amendment, don't you?

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