Not just so they can hunt squirrels...

Every government who wants to impose its will on the citizenry knows that they must first disarm that citizenry.

Most Americans remember that Paul Revere made a midnight ride to warn the Minutemen that "the British are coming!" But how many of you remember WHY the British were coming? What were the British after that cool Massachusetts April night so long ago? What was at Concord that was so important to the British?

The battle of Concord and Lexington marked the official start of the American Revolution, the first open armed conflict between Great Britain and the American colonies. The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired at Lexington. The Minutemen were forced back and back to Concord where they were joined by their Concord brethren. There, the "embattled farmers" made their stand and, when the smoke cleared, repelled three companies of British regulars. The Americans harassed the retreating British from the woods all the way back to Lexington, in the early morning frost. The British returned to Boston.

But why?

The Americans had stockpiled weapons and ammunition at Concord, that's why. By definition, there was a militia at Lexington and at Concord.

One cannot be a tyrant, in the end, if the population is armed. Conversely, there is no reason for a government to want to disarm its citizens unless it has domination, subjugation and tyranny as it's object.

The founding fathers included the second amendment in our constitution because they had learned the lesson that Concord and Lexington had taught: The greatest threat to liberty is often the government itself.

A government with honorable intentions need not fear an armed populace.

Just Max's opinion.